The MSA’s National Standard 8 requires that fisheries management measures “take into account the importance of fishery resources to fishing communities by utilizing economic and social data . . . in order to (A) provide for the sustained participation of such communities, and (B) to the extent practicable, minimize adverse economic impacts on such communities.” […]
The MSA’s National Standard 10 states: Conservation and management measures shall, to the extent practicable, promote the safety of human life at sea. National Standard 10 guidelines may be found at 50 CFR 600.355. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) regularly assess the causes of […]
The MSA defines EFH as “those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding or growth to maturity” [16 U.S.C. §1802]. All four of the Council’s FMPs have described EFH for managed species, with the groundfish FMP having the most detail, including closed areas to protect EFH. Because of the widely ranging level […]
Catch and bycatch monitoring programs vary among Council fisheries, as do the quantity and quality of information provided by these programs. In 2021, the Council conducted a cross-fishery review of its standardized bycatch reporting methodologies, in keeping with 50 CFR 600.1610. Consistent with National Standard 9, many of the Council’s fishery-specific regulations focus on achieving […]
This cross-FMP initiative responds to issues raised during the Council’s work on both the second (ecosystem indicators) and third (scenario planning for climate change) ecosystem initiatives, particularly addressing the need to better understand and integrate climate and ocean conditions information affecting the abundance of fish stocks into the fisheries management process. Under the scenario planning […]
As a follow-on to the Climate and Communities Initiative, in September 2022 the Council endorsed the near-term schedule presented by the Ad Hoc Ecosystem Workgroup (EWG). This would begin with the Ecosystem and Climate Information for Species, Fisheries, and FMPs Initiative, which frequently called Initiative 4 (since it is the fourth initiative undertaken since FEP adoption. […]
Beginning in November 2018, the Council embarked on a process to consider removing the concept of categorizing CPS management unit species, specifically the nomenclature of “Active” and “Monitored” (Agenda Item E.5.a, CPSMT Report 1, November 2018). This action was prompted by a perceived lack of clarity regarding the meaning and use of the “Active” and […]
Federal regulations (50 CFR 600 Subpart R) require all FMPs establish a standardized reporting methodology to assess the amount and type of bycatch occurring in a fishery. The regulations implement Section 303(a)(11) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. FMPs must be consistent with the regulations by February 21, 2022. At the November 2020, June 2021, and September […]
In response to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) re-initiating Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultation on the effect of Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council)-area ocean salmon fisheries on Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW), the Council formed the Ad Hoc SRKW Workgroup (Workgroup) in April 2019. The Workgroup was tasked with reassessing the effects of Council-area […]
On December 12, 2017, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) published a biological opinion (BiOp) on Reinitiation of Section 7 Consultation Regarding the Pacific Fisheries Management Council’s Groundfish Fishery Management Plan. This BiOp addresses the requirement in Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act to ensure that any Federal agency action “is not likely to jeopardize […]