The Council recommended a number of changes during the development of the 2019-2020 harvest specifications and management measures.
Regulatory amendments were made to change the default harvest control rules for lingcod north and south of 40°10’ N lat., California scorpionfish south of Pt. Conception at 34°27’ N lat., and yelloweye rockfish.
New management measures include:
- new salmon mitigation measures
- updates to rockfish conservation area coordinates in California
- new stock complexes for some nearshore groundfish species
- removal of automatic authority to close at-sea whiting fisheries for darkblotched rockfish and Pacific ocean perch in conjunction with FMP Amendment 21-3
- new lingcod and sablefish discard mortality rates and quota pound survival credit in the shorebased individual fishing quota (IFQ) fishery
- a modification to the allowable depths for fishing in the Western Cowcod Conservation Area from 20 fm to 40 fm for the commercial fixed gear and recreational fisheries
- removal of daily vessel quota pound limits in the shorebased IFQ fishery
- a change in the allowable lingcod retention ratio in the commercial salmon troll fishery
- allowing adaptive management quota pounds to pass through to the shorebased IFQ fishery until an alternative use of adaptive management quota is implemented.
Additionally, updates were made to the FMP to specify the changes to the yelloweye rockfish rebuilding plan and acknowledge the successful rebuilding of bocaccio, darkblotched rockfish, and Pacific ocean perch.
The Council adopted the final regulatory package and yelloweye rebuilding plan in June 2018. It was transmitted to NMFS in the fall of 2018 and implemented on January 1, 2019. The final rule was published on December 12, 2018.
Final rule; correction: Correction to the final rule for Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery 2019–2020 Biennial Specifications and Management Measures (December 27, 2018)
Final rule published December 12, 2018, implementing the 2019-2020 harvest specifications and management measures, including the revised yelloweye rockfish rebuilding plan
Appendix A, Integrated Alternatives Analysis
Appendix B, Consideration of Changes to the Yelloweye Rockfish Rebuilding Plan
Appendix C, New Management Measures Detailed Analysis
Appendix D, Catch Projection Model Detail
Revisions to FMP Appendix F, Overfished Species Rebuilding Plans