Salmon FMP Amendment 23 updated the description of the conservation objective (revised Harvest Control Rule) for Council-managed salmon fisheries on Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast (SONCC) natural coho. Amendment 23 replaced the current HCR with two new HCRs. The first limits total fishery exploitation rates (ERs) on each of five individual representative population units within the […]
Whale entanglement reports off the U.S. West Coast have increased since 2013 with humpback whales being the most common species entangled across all gear types and origins. Recent increases of entanglements in West Coast fisheries pose significant challenges for fisheries management because of the current difficulty to differentiate among gear types that could be the […]
In November 2019, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) directed the Groundfish Advisory Subpanel (GAP) to develop the scope of action and draft a purpose and need statement for non-trawl area management during the GAP’s March and April 2020 meetings. The GAP then submitted Informational Report 4 in June 2020 for Council consideration and scheduling […]
Amendment 31 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) was completed in June 2023. Under Amendment 31, 20 stocks for 14 managed groundfish species were adopted. Amendment 31 defines stock units, including geographic delineations within the jurisdiction of the FMP, for black rockfish, canary rockfish, copper rockfish, Dover sole, lingcod, Pacific spiny dogfish, […]
Amendment 30 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) was completed as part of the 2023-24 Groundfish Harvest Specifications and Management Measures. Under Amendment 30, a 2,000 mt threshold for shortbelly rockfish bycatch that would trigger Council review of the fishery was adopted. The Council also adopted changes to the use of block […]
Amendment 29 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) was completed as part of the 2021-22 Groundfish Harvest Specifications and Management Measures. Under Amendment 29, changes to the allocations of widow rockfish, petrale sole, lingcod south of 40°10 N. lat, and the Slope Rockfish complex, including blackgill rockfish, south of 40°10′ N. lat. […]
In 2016, during public meetings to discuss the Council’s 5-year Catch Shares Review process (Agenda Item F.6.c. Supplemental CAB Report, November 2016), issues were identified regarding the whiting sectors, and particularly the Mothership (MS) sector. However, during the development of the follow-on actions, the Council’s ad hoc Community Advisory Board (CAB) did not prioritize alternatives […]
In April 2022, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) initiated a Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team (CPSMT) recommended administrative or “housekeeping” amendment of the CPS Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This idea had initially been proposed in June 2019 by the CPSMT when the Council was developing the management categories action (Amendment 20: Agenda Item F.4.a, Supplemental […]
This initiative would build on the CCI by developing and implementing strategies to improve the responsiveness of fisheries management to climate variability and change, and is intended to set the stage for consideration of climate-informed fisheries management actions. The Council would use a collaborative process that includes IEA scientists, stock assessment scientists, and FMP Management […]
As described in National Standard 1 of the MSA, optimum yield (OY) must be assessed and specified in the FMPs and Councils should determine what the relevant social, economic, and ecological factors are in determining OY. An OY Factors Initiative would provide a mechanism to fulfill National Standard 1 by identifying and describing the social, […]