The Council began scoping the authorization deep-set buoy gear (DSBG) to target swordfish in March 2016. It adopted a range of alternatives, including a preliminary preferred alternative in November 2018 and took final action to identify its preferred alternative in September 2019. National Marine Fisheries Service is currently analyzing the Council proposal under the National […]
On December 12, 2017, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) published a biological opinion (BiOp) on Reinitiation of Section 7 Consultation Regarding the Pacific Fisheries Management Council’s Groundfish Fishery Management Plan. This BiOp addresses the requirement in Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act to ensure that any Federal agency action “is not likely to jeopardize […]
Finding cost efficiencies and flexibility for monitoring the trawl rationalization program is a Council priority. In this regard, using at-sea electronic monitoring (EM) to reduce observer costs has been a major focus. In addition, the potential use of EM in lieu of an observer can create a flexible option for vessel operations. In 2014, 2016, […]