Category: News & events

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) will convene a webinar meeting of its Groundfish Management Team (GMT) to discuss items on the Pacific Council’s June 2023 meeting agenda.  This meeting is open to the public and will be held on Friday, June 16, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.  The scheduled ending time for this GMT meeting is an estimate, the meeting will adjourn when business for the day is completed. This meeting is being conducted remotely with a web broadcast that provides the opportunity for remote public comment. In the event an outage occurs or technical issues arise that impact the experience of remote attendees, we will attempt to resolve them but ultimately we cannot guarantee that they will be resolved satisfactorily.

Purpose of the meeting

The primary purpose of the GMT webinar is to prepare for the Pacific Council’s June 2023 meeting agenda items.  The GMT will discuss items related to groundfish management and administrative matters on the Pacific Council’s agenda.  The GMT may also address other assignments relating to groundfish management.  No management actions will be decided by the GMT.  A detailed agenda for the webinar will be available on the Pacific Council’s website prior to the meeting. 

Meeting materials

Agenda

If you have additional questions regarding the meeting, please contact Todd Phillips at 503-820-2426; toll free 1-866-806-7204, extension 426.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Ecosystem Advisory Subpanel (EAS) will hold an online meeting, which is open to the public. The meeting will be held Wednesday, May 31, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time. This meeting is being conducted remotely with a web broadcast that provides the opportunity for remote public comment. In the event an outage occurs or technical issues arise that impact the experience of remote attendees, we will attempt to resolve them but ultimately we cannot guarantee that they will be resolved satisfactorily.

Purpose of the meeting

The purpose of the meeting is for the EAS to discuss the outcomes of the May 15 and 17, 2023, online meeting of the Pacific Council’s Ad Hoc Ecosystem Workgroup (EWG). The EWG is discussing further work on Fishery Ecosystem Plan Initiative 4, concerning mechanisms to integrate ecosystem and climate information into Pacific Council decision making and is providing an update on its work at the June 2023 Pacific Council meeting. Based on its discussion during this meeting, the EAS intends to submit a report to the Pacific Council at its June 2023 meeting to comment on the Initiative 4 update and related activities.

Meeting materials

Agenda

If you have additional questions regarding the meeting, please contact Dr. Kit Dahl at 503-820-2422; toll free 1-866-806-7204, extension 422.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Groundfish Advisory Subpanel (GAP) will hold an online meeting, which is open to the public.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Ad Hoc Marine Planning Committee (MPC) will hold an online public meeting. The meeting will be held Thursday, May 18, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time or until business for the day has been completed. This meeting is being conducted remotely with a web broadcast that provides the opportunity for remote public comment. In the event an outage occurs or technical issues arise that impact the experience of remote attendees, we will attempt to resolve them but ultimately we cannot guarantee that they will be resolved satisfactorily.

Purpose of the meeting

The purpose of this meeting is for the MPC to consider current offshore wind energy issues and to provide information and advice to the Pacific Council for consideration at its June 2023 meeting. Topics may include discussion of pending draft Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) off the Oregon Coast, an update on California offshore wind energy lease sales, and other related topics.

Meeting materials

Agenda

New! Meeting recording from May 18, 2023

If you have additional questions regarding the meeting, please contact Kerry Griffin at 503-820-2409; toll free 1-866-806-7204, extension 409.

The Economics Subcommittee of the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will convene an online meeting to review a comparative cost study for the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Program. The SSC Economics Subcommittee meeting is open to the public and will be held Thursday, May 11, 2023 from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Time) or until business for the day has been completed. This meeting is being conducted remotely with a web broadcast that provides the opportunity for remote public comment. In the event an outage occurs or technical issues arise that impact the experience of remote attendees, we will attempt to resolve them but ultimately we cannot guarantee that they will be resolved satisfactorily.

Purpose of the meeting

The purpose of the SSC Economics Subcommittee meeting is to review a comparative cost study for the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Program. In 2022, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) provided the Pacific Council with funds for a contract to look more closely at catch share fishery costs that are borne by industry and NMFS. Pacific Council staff engaged Mr. Darrell Brannan to conduct the work. The cost project covers three broad objectives: a) documentation of industry concerns and identifying costs related to specific program elements, b) comparison of those costs to similar catch share programs, and c) organization and presentation of the information to inform future deliberations.

No management actions will be decided by the meeting participants. The participants’ role will be the development of recommendations and reports for consideration by the SSC and the Pacific Council. The Pacific Council and SSC are scheduled to consider the comparative cost study for the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Program at their September 2023 meeting in Spokane, Washington.

Meeting Materials

Agenda

Review Material: Comparative Cost Study for the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Program

Presentation by Darrell Brannan: Review of Catch Share Cost Study, SSC Meeting, May 11, 2023

If you have additional questions regarding the online meeting, please contact Marlene A. Bellman at 503-820-2414; toll free 1-866-806-7204, extension 414.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Ad Hoc Ecosystem Workgroup (EWG) is holding an online meeting, which is open to the public.

April 2-7, 2023  Council Meeting Decision Summary Documents are highlights of significant decisions made at Council meetings. Fishery policy decisions made by the Council are formally transmitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) as recommendations and are not final until NMFS approval.  Results of agenda items that do not reach a level of highlight significance are […]

On behalf of Janet Coit and in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries is pleased to announce a call for nominations for the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (Council), a Federal Advisory Committee.  The Council will provide advice to the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce on […]

The Groundfish and Economics Subcommittees of the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will convene an online meeting to review the sablefish trip limit model used by the Pacific Council’s Groundfish Management Team in commercial non-trawl fisheries management.  The methodology review meeting is open to the public and will be held Tuesday, May 9, 2023 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Time) or until business for the day has been completed.  This meeting is being conducted remotely with a web broadcast that provides the opportunity for remote public comment. In the event an outage occurs or technical issues arise that impact the experience of remote attendees, we will attempt to resolve them but ultimately we cannot guarantee that they will be resolved satisfactorily.

Purpose of the meeting

The purpose of the groundfish methodology review meeting is to evaluate proposed data inputs, modeling approaches, potential improvements, and any other pertinent information related to the sablefish trip limit model used in commercial non-trawl fisheries management. This review is planned in preparation for the 2025-2026 biennial groundfish management cycle.  The results of this review are not considered final until reviewed by the full SSC at a future Pacific Council meeting. 

No management actions will be decided by the meeting participants. The participants’ role will be the development of recommendations and reports for consideration by the SSC and the Pacific Council at a future Pacific Council meeting.  The Pacific Council and SSC are scheduled to consider methodology review recommendations for use in informing management decisions at their September 2023 meeting in Spokane, Washington.

Meeting Materials

Agenda

Methodology Review Material

Presentation by Whitney Roberts (WDFW, GMT): 2023 Methodology Review of the Sablefish Trip Limit Model May 9, 2023 Groundfish and Economic Subcommittees Workshop

If you have additional questions regarding the online meeting, please contact Marlene A. Bellman at 503-820-2414; toll free 1-866-806-7204, extension 414.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) and Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) will be hosting an informal outreach event about the Integrated West Coast Pelagics Survey on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 from 2-4 pm PST at the NOAA Western Regional Center in Seattle (NOAA Western Regional Center, Building 9, in the Kelly C. Sandy III Auditorium located at 7600 Sand Point Way NE., Seattle, WA 98115).