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 plans, institute a new rebuilding plan for petrale sole, modify the status determination criteria for assessed flatfish species, and establish a new precautionary harvest control rule for assessed flatfish species. However, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) disapproved the amendment in its entirety and implemented a substitute Secretarial amendment in 2011.

See the FEIS evaluating the NMFS preferred alternative for Amendment 16-5 implemented by Secretarial amendment.

Amendment 16-4: Rebuilding plan revisions

Amendment 16-4 re-evaluated and revised rebuilding plans for seven overfished groundfish species (bocaccio, canary rockfish, cowcod, darkblotched rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, widow rockfish, and yelloweye rockfish) so that the rebuilding periods would be as short as possible, taking into account the status and biology of the depleted species, the socioeconomic needs of West Coast fishing communities, and the interaction of the depleted species within the marine ecosystem.

The FEIS was released for public comment on October 13, 2006 and a record of decision was signed in November 2006. The NMFS partially approved Amendment 16-4 in November 2006.

Amendment 16-3: Rebuilding plans for bocaccio, cowcod, widow rockfish, and yelloweye rockfish

Amendment 16-3 was approved by NMFS on September 13, 2004. See the final rule. This amendment implements legally-compliant rebuilding plans, consistent with the framework established in Amendment 16-1, setting strategic rebuilding parameters to guide stock rebuilding for bocaccio, cowcod, rockfish, and yelloweye rockfish. 

Amendment 16-2: Rebuilding plans for darkblotched rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, canary rockfish, and lingcod

Amendment 16-2 implemented legally-compliant rebuilding plans, consistent with the framework established in Amendment 16-1, which set strategic rebuilding parameters to guide stock rebuilding for canary rockfish, darkblotched rockfish, lingcod, and Pacific ocean perch. Amendment 16-2 was approved by NMFS on January 30, 2004. See the final rule.

Amendment 16-1: Process and standards for rebuilding plans

Amendment 16-1 established procedures for adopting and reviewing rebuilding plans for overfished groundfish stocks. It also specified what elements of rebuilding plans would be incorporated into the FMP and Federal groundfish regulations. Amendment 16-1 was approved by NMFS on November 17, 2003. NMFS issued the final rule (69 FR 8861) for this action on February 26, 2004.