Action Grouping: Implemented

  • Program improvements and enhancement rule

    The regulatory amendments pertaining to the Amendment 20 trawl rationalization program included, but were not limited to: severability of the mothership/catcher vessel endorsement and associated whiting catch history assignments from the limited entry trawl permit, continuation of the AMP QP pass-through, through 2014 of the Shorebased IFQ Program or until an AMP process is established,…

  • CPS FMP Amendment 13: National Standard 1 guidelines

    The intent of Amendment 13 is to ensure the FMP is consistent with NMFS advisory guidelines. The guidelines describe fishery management approaches to meet the objectives of National Standard 1 (NS1) of section 301 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). National Standard 1 states “Conservation and management measures shall prevent overfishing while…

  • HMS FMP Amendment 2: Consistency with advisory guidelines for National Standard 1

    In June 2010 the Council took final action to adopt Amendment 2. Amendment 2 makes the HMS FMP consistent with advisory guidelines for National Standard 1 in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), as amended (50 CFR 600.310). National Standard 1 (NS1) mandates that “Conservation and management measures shall prevent overfishing while achieving,…

  • Groundfish FMP Amendment 23: New harvest specifications framework

    Amendment 23 amends the harvest specifications framework in the groundfish fishery management plan to meet new requirements in the Magnuson-Stevens Act regarding annual catch limits and accountability measures, and to be consistent with the revised National Standard 1 guidelines. These revised guidelines introduced or defined new fishery management concepts including overfishing limits, an acceptable biological…

  • Groundfish FMP Amendment 21 and related amendments (Amendment 21-1 through Amendment 21-4): Allocation of harvest opportunity for trawl and other sectors of the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery

    Amendment 21 established intersector allocations needed to support the trawl catch share program (Amendment 20). It has been modified by a number of sub-amendments, starting with Amendment 21-1. These amendments and work on other changes to Amendment 21 are tracked on the Amendment 20 page in the section on “Catch share program modifications.” Amendment 21-4…

  • Groundfish FMP Amendment 20: Trawl rationalization (IFQs and co-ops)

    Trawl rationalization The Council initiated development of an IFQ program for groundfish trawl fisheries at its September 2003 meeting. IFQs were initially considered as an alternative under the 1991 Amendment 6 groundfish license limitation program. In late 2003, once the Council had committed to program development, and through 2004, various committees began initial work on…

  • CPS FMP Amendment 12: Ban on commercial fishing for all species of krill in West Coast federal waters

    At its March 2006 meeting, the Council adopted a complete ban on commercial fishing for all species of krill in West Coast federal waters. They also specified essential fish habitat for krill, an action that makes it easier to work with other federal agencies to protect krill. Final rule CPS FMP Amendment 12 environmental assessment,…

  • Groundfish FMP Amendment 15: Measures to Limit Participation in the Pacific Whiting Fishery

    Amendment 15 was an interim measure. The adopted provisions ended when the trawl rationalization program was implemented under Amendment 20. Amendment 15 prohibited sector-specific participation in the shoreside, catcher/processor, and mothership sectors of the Pacific whiting fishery in each sector for which a vessel did not have a historic participation record during the qualifying period. It…

  • Amendment 15: An initiative to provide de minimis ocean fishing opportunity for Klamath River Fall Chinook

    Amendment 15 allows minimal, or de minimis fisheries in years when the Klamath River Fall Chinook conservation objective is projected not to be met. Alternatives are presented for determining a maximum harvest rate for Klamath fall Chinook that would be allowed under de minimis fisheries. Final rule (effective March 26, 2008) Salmon FMP Amendment 15 final environmental…

  • Control date: Open access limited entry

    Date: September 13, 2006 Federal Register summary: “NMFS and the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) are beginning to develop a groundfish fishery management plan (FMP) amendment and management measures to reduce harvest capacity in the open access portion of the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery in Federal waters off Washington, Oregon, and California. This document announces…

  • Groundfish FMP Amendment 19: Essential fish habitat

    Amendment 19 designated essential fish habitat for Council-managed species. The Council approved FMP Amendment 19 and submitted it to NMFS for review on November 23, 2005. NMFS partially approved the amendment on March 8, 2006. Two provisions were disapproved: the designation of specified oil rigs in Southern California as habitat areas of particular concern and…

  • CPS FMP Amendment 11: Long-term allocation framework for Pacific sardine

    In June 2005, the Council adopted a long-term allocation framework to apportion the annual Pacific sardine harvest guideline among the various non-tribal sectors of the sardine fishery. The resulting Amendment 11 to the CPS Fishery Management Plan (FMP) is intended to achieve optimal utilization of the resource and equitable allocation of harvest opportunity. The National…

  • Control date: Spiny dogfish

    Date: April 8, 2005 Federal Register summary: “The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) is considering implementing management measures for the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) fishery off Washington, Oregon and California. This document announces a control date of April 8, 2005, for the spiny dogfish fishery. The control date for the spiny dogfish fishery is…

  • HMS FMP Amendment 1: Bigeye tuna overfishing

    In 2004 NMFS notified the Pacific Council and the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (WPFMC) that they must take action to address overfishing of bigeye tuna. In response, the Council moved to begin work on Amendment 1 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species (HMS). NMFS Southwest…

  • Groundfish FMP Amendment 16 and related FMP amendments: Stock rebuilding

    The Council adopted five related fishery management plan (FMP) amendments addressing rebuilding plans for overfished groundfish. These amendments, labeled 16-1 through 16-5, are described below. Amendment 16-5: Rebuilding revisions, petrale sole rebuilding plan, and other related measures The Council adopted Amendment 16-5 in June 2010. The amendment proposed to modify all existing overfished species rebuilding…

  • Control date: Trawl individual quotas

    Date: November 6, 2003 Federal Register summary: “The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) is considering implementing an individual quota (IQ) program for the Pacific Coast groundfish limited entry trawl fishery off Washington, Oregon and California. The trawl IQ program would change   management of harvest in the trawl fishery from a trip limit system with cumulative…

  • Groundfish FMP Amendment 17: Multi-year management and the specifications and management measure process

    Amendment 17 establishes a biennial process for setting harvest levels and management measures for the groundfish fishery. Under Amendment 17, the groundfish management process takes place every two years, and the harvest levels and management measures set by the process are in effect for two years. From 1990 to 2004, specifications and management measures were…

  • CPS FMP Amendment 10: Fleet capacity management and market squid MSY control rule

    In June 2002, the Council adopted Amendment 10 to the CPS FMP.  Relative to the limited entry (LE) fishery, the amendment established a capacity goal, provided for LE permit transferability to achieve and maintain the capacity goal, and established a process for considering new LE permits.  The purpose of this action was to ensure fishing…

  • CPS FMP Amendment 9: Indian fishing rights

    Amendment 9 provides for documentation of bycatch in the coastal pelagic species fishery (CPS), to ensure that a standardized reporting methodology to assess the amount and type of bycatch is in place, to put in place any necessary conservation and management measures to minimize bycatch, and to ensure that Indian fishing rights are implemented according…

  • Groundfish FMP Amendment 14: Permit Stacking, Season Extension, and Other Modifications to the Limited Entry Fixed Gear Sablefish Fishery

    Amendment 14 established the permit stacking program, which allowed up to three tier permits to be placed on a vessel and for the vessel to fish up to the combined limits for all three permits.  It also authorized extension of the season (once the Congressional moratorium on catch share programs was lifted). Amendment 14 was implemented…

  • Early groundfish FMP and amendments (1982-2000)

    The groundfish FMP was originally implemented in 1982. Amendments developed between then and 2000 are listed.

  • Control date: Fixed gear sablefish permit stacking

    Date: November 1, 2000 Federal Register summary: “The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has recommended to the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), management measures which would allow permit owners to register multiple limited entry fixed-gear permits with sablefish endorsements to a single vessel (permit stacking), beginning with the 2001 regular nontrawl sablefish fishery. As part of…

  • Control date: Limited entry permits held by American Fisheries Act entities

    Date: June 29, 2000 Federal Register summary: “The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) as authorized by the American Fisheries Act (AFA) is considering management measures to recommend to the   Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to protect the Pacific Coast groundfish fisheries from adverse impacts caused by the AFA. This document announces a control date of June…

  • Amendment 14: Comprehensive update addressing the Sustainable Fisheries Act, Endangered Species Act listings, and other issues

    Final rule Salmon FMP Amendment 14 supplemental Environmental Assessment, Regulatory Impact Review, and RFA (May 2000)