At-sea processing of fixed-gear sablefish

When the Council took action on fixed gear and trawl permit stacking (joint registration), they recommended that the opportunity for joint registration be specified in regulations such that the limited entry fixed gear exception for freezing sablefish would not allow the freezing of sablefish caught under the trawl rationalization program.

Update eTicket for web-based submissions, revise the own/hold control limit, and allow for joint fixed gear/trawl permit registration

Regulations were updated to reflect the new process for submitting eTickets through internet‑based platforms. The proposed rule for these issues was published on June 1, 2016 and the public comment deadline was July 1, 2016.  A final environmental assessment was published on November 23, 2016.  The final rule was published November 23, 2016 with an effective date of December 23, 2016, […]

Quota share divestiture rule

By November 30, 2015, anyone who controls trawl quota shares was required to be within the quota share control limits (including the aggregate non-whiting quota share control limit) with respect to all of their holdings—except for widow rockfish quota shares, which continues to be under a transfer moratorium. In April 2015, the Council recommended that […]

Set-asides for the at-sea whiting co-ops

In September 2016, the Council took action to change management of the at-sea whiting sector allocations of darkblotched rockfish and Pacific ocean perch to set-asides, while maintaining the allocation formulas in the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for these two stocks to determine the set-aside amounts. This change required an Amendment to the […]

Initiative 2: Coordinated Ecosystem Indicator Review

Te Council embarked on this initiative to help it develop recommendations to refine and improve the ecosystem indicators presented the Annual State of the California Current Ecosystem Report. Throughout 2015 and 2016 the Council’s Ecosystem Working Group, the Integrated Ecosystem Assessment Team, and the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) Ecosystem Subcommittee assessed the overall performance […]

Initiative 1: Protecting Unfished and Unmanaged Forage Fish Species

This initiative, which the Council completed in 2015, focuses on preventing new commercial fishing of forage fish that are currently unmanaged and unfished until the Council can assess the scientific information relating to any proposed fishery and consider impacts to existing fisheries, communities, and the marine ecosystem. This action recognizes the importance of these forage […]

Vessel movement monitoring

In April 2016, the Council took final action on a package of recommendations related to the monitoring of vessel movements. The package includes: providing fishermen a choice between increasing their vessel’s satellite vessel monitoring system (VMS) ping rate, using electronic discard monitoring in conjunction with their VMS unit; allowing vessels declared into the whiting mothership fishery […]

Groundfish FMP Amendment 25: Unfished and unmanaged forage fish protections

In September 2015, the Council approved new protections for forage fish species that are currently unfished and unmanaged. The purpose of the action is to prohibit new directed commercial fishing in Federal waters on unmanaged, unfished forage fish species until the Council has had an adequate opportunity to both assess the scientific information relating to […]

Amendment 19: Unfished and unmanaged forage fish protections

In September 2015, the Council approved new protections for forage fish species that are currently unfished and unmanaged. The purpose of the action is to prohibit new directed commercial fishing in Federal waters on unmanaged, unfished forage fish species until the Council has had an adequate opportunity to both assess the scientific information relating to […]

CPS FMP Amendment 15: Unfished and unmanaged forage fish protections

Amendment 15 was approved in 2015 and added a suite of lower trophic level species to the FMP’s list of ecosystem component (EC) species. Consistent with the objectives of the Council’s FMPs and its Fishery Ecosystem Plan.  Amendment 15 prohibits future development of commercial fisheries for the suite of EC species shared between all four […]