Category: News & events

  • Pacific Council News Spring 2019: Admin

    New Council newsletter format debuts The Council is updating the format of its newsletter to make it more flexible and user-friendly. The web-based format uses a “post” style for articles on similar topics, which makes it easier to share articles across platforms and allows third-party news outlets to link to Council articles. In addition, the…

  • Pacific Council News Spring 2019: Highly migratory species

    Council explores ways to measure bycatch, interactions in drift gillnet fishery In March, the Highly Migratory Species Management Team reported on the development of new methods to report bycatch rates in the large-mesh drift gillnet fishery relative to performance metrics. Performance metrics provide a way for the Council to monitor the drift gillnet fishery’s bycatch…

  • Pacific Council News Spring 2019: Pacific halibut

    Changes to halibut management may be on the horizon The non-Indian commercial directed halibut fishery may be managed by the Council in the future, in response to International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) recommendations to change the structure of the fishery, citing safety concerns. The Council asked representatives from NMFS, the states, and Council staff to meet…

  • Pacific Council News Spring 2019: Coastal pelagic species

    Pacific sardine assessment shows stock below overfished threshold The Pacific sardine stock assessment approved in April estimated a biomass of 27,547 metric tons, which is below the minimum stock size threshold of 50,000 mt, which corresponds with the overfished threshold. As a result, NMFS is expected to declare the stock overfished in the near future.…

  • Pacific Council News Spring 2019: Groundfish

    Changes to groundfish essential fish habitat, Rockfish Conservation Areas approved In March the Council approved sending groundfish fishery management plan Amendment 28 for Secretarial review. Amendment 28 incorporates changes to groundfish essential fish habitat, trawl rockfish conservation areas, deepwater bottom contact gear closures, and other groundfish fishery and habitat protections. The Council also amended a…

  • Pacific Council News Spring 2019: Salmon

    Salmon seasons set for 2019 In April the Council adopted ocean salmon season recommendations that provide recreational and commercial opportunities for most of the west coast, and achieve conservation goals for the numerous individual salmon stocks on the West Coast. A large increase in hatchery coho over last year will provide a welcome increase in…

  • Pacific Council News Spring 2019: Habitat and ecosystem

    State of the California Current Report notes ecosystem improvements and challenges In March the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Northwest and Southwest Fisheries Science Centers reported on the 2019 Annual State of the California Current Ecosystem Report. Several ecological indicators in 2018 reflect average or improving conditions. For example, the copepod community off Newport was predominately…

  • Ad Hoc Sablefish Management and Trawl Allocation Attainment Committee May 21-22, 2019 meeting

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s ad hoc Sablefish Management and Trawl Allocation Attainment Committee (SaMTAAC) met, May 21-22, 2019. Meeting documents Based on its proceedings at this meeting, the SaMTAAC provided a progress report to the Council (Information Report 2, June 2019 briefing book) May 2019 Meeting Agenda SaMTAAC Agenda Item B, Attachment 1: Process…

  • 2018 newsletters

    Click image for full newsletter.

  • Ad Hoc Sablefish Management and Trawl Allocation Attainment Committee October 11-12, 2018 meeting

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s ad hoc Sablefish Management and Trawl Allocation Attainment Committee (SaMTAAC) met,October 11-12, 2018. Meeting documents Based on its proceedings at this and the June 2018 meeting, the SaMTAAC provided a progress report to the Council (Supplemental Information Report 6, November 2018 briefing book) October 11-12, 2018 SaMTAAC meeting agenda SaMTAAC Agenda…

  • Ad Hoc Sablefish Management and Trawl Allocation Attainment Committee June 29, 2018 meeting

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s ad hoc Sablefish Management and Trawl Allocation Attainment Committee (SaMTAAC) met June 29, 2018. Meeting documents June 29, 2018 SaMTAAC Meeting Agenda SaMTAAC Agenda Item B, Attachment 1: Review Committee Charge and Calendar SaMTAAC Agenda Item C, Attachment 1: Review of Alternatives SaMTAAC Agenda Item C, Attachment 2: Appendices to…

  • 2017 Climate and Communities Initiative activities

    In March 2017 the Council initially scoped a potential Fishery Ecosystem Plan initiative to take up in the coming years and requested the Ad Hoc Ecosystem Workgroup (EWG) to report back in September 2017 with more information to choose between a combined initiative on the socio-economic effects of fisheries management practices on fishing communities (A.2.7)…

  • 2017 newsletters

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  • 2017: Final preferred alternative for non-whiting midwater trawl and bottom trawl fisheries

    The Groundfish Electronic Monitoring Policy Advisory Committee (GEMPAC) and Groundfish Electronic Monitoring Technical Advisory Committee (GEMTAC) met via webinar twice in early 2017 to discuss final recommendations for an electronic monitoring program for the non-whiting midwater trawl fishery for rockfish, as well as the bottom trawl fishery. The GEMPAC revised its preferred alternatives it selected…

  • 2016 Electronic monitoring actions

    In March, the Council received an update on individual fishing quota fixed-gear and bottom trawl exempted fishing permit (EFP) activity. The Council extended the expiration date of the electronic monitoring EFPs for the bottom trawl, non-whiting mid-water trawl, whiting mid-water trawl, and fixed gear catch share fisheries through 2018. The EFPs were to end when…

  • 2015: Council looks at electronic monitoring for whiting and fixed-gear IFQ fleets

    The Council received a report, cost analysis, and draft regulations for an electronic monitoring program for the whiting midwater trawl fishery in November. The Council confirmed its final preferred alternatives for the whiting fishery at the same meeting. The Council’s intent was to have regulations applicable fleet-wide in place by the 2017 season (May 15,…

  • 2014 newsletters

    There were no regular newsletters in 2014. Instead, we focused on The Line. Click for full view.

  • 2014: Final preferred alternatives developed

    In April 2014 the Council heard an update on the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission study on electronic monitoring, received a new draft analysis of alternatives, and reviewed exempted fishing permit (EFP) applications. The Council approved preliminary EFPs and asked that applicants consider resubmitting applications in June with certain alternations, mainly limiting the number of…

  • 2013 newsletters

    In 2013 the Council hosted the Managing Our Nation’s Fisheries 3 conference in Washington, D.C., so we produced fewer newsletters. Click image for full view.

  • 2013: GEMPAC and GEMTAC created, alternatives developed

    In 2013 the Council continued to consider the use of electronic monitoring for the trawl catch share program. The Council decided the program would focus on monitoring the compliance required for individual accountability of catch and discard, as opposed to biological data collection or other scientific monitoring (such protected species interactions). In April, the Council…

  • 2013: Electronic Monitoring workshop meeting materials

    The following are the materials distributed from the Council workshop on electronic monitoring for vessels participating in the groundfish trawl catch share program. Download them all as one file. Workshop Agenda Item Attachment Title A.2 Attachment 1 Terms of Reference for the Pacific Council Workshop on Electronic Monitoring for Vessels Participating in the Groundfish Trawl…

  • 2012 newsletters

    2012 in brief Salmon. The 2012 salmon season was a good one, with California and Oregon fishermen, in particular, benefiting from higher-than-usual salmon abundance for Sacramento and Klamath River fall Chinook. Strait of Juan de Fuca coho were rebuilt, and a rebuilding plan was adopted for Sacramento River fall Chinook. The Council continued working on…

  • 2012: Public scoping begins

    In November 2012, the Council passed a motion to begin the public scoping process for electronic monitoring. A workshop was held in February, 2013 to begin developing electronic monitoring policy for the trawl catch share program. In 2012, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission received funds to test the feasibility of using electronic monitoring for catch…

  • 2011 newsletters

    2011 in brief On March 11, a 9.0 earthquake in Japan led to a devastating tsunami that, apart from wreaking havoc in Japan, caused $48 million in damage to the ports of Santa Cruz and Crescent City. In Washington, the process of removing the Elwha, Glines Canyon, and Condit dams began. Salmon. Ocean salmon seasons…