Action Grouping: 3. Undergoing NMFS Review

Non-Tribal Commercial Halibut Regulatory Changes: Vessel Monitoring Systems, Seabird Avoidance Measures, and Catch Reporting

What did the Council recommend?  The Council recommended that vessels participating in the non-Tribal directed commercial Pacific halibut (DC) halibut fishery that only retain halibut must carry and operate a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) unit and deploy streamer lines when setting gear. Specifically, the Council recommended:  For waters north of 42 degrees north latitude (Oregon […]

Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) Coral Research and Restoration

A Draft Restoration Plan and NEPA Evaluation for the YFD-70 Dry Dock (“Draft Restoration Plan”) was released by NOAA for public comment in December 2022 and the public comment period closed March 15, 2023. The Draft Restoration Plan is the result of a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process that began after the dry dock […]