The Ad Hoc Climate and Communities Core Team met on Thursday, May 30 and Friday, May 31, 2019 in Portland, Oregon (see agenda). The Team worked on climate change scenario planning and began developing a plan for a Council-focused scenario planning exercise as part of the Fishery Ecosystem Plan Climate and Communities Initiative. The Team was formed in March […]
In March 2019 the Council formed the Climate and Communities Core Team (Ad Hoc CCCT) to manage a scenario planning exercise on the topic of shifting stock availability (including shifting distribution) across species, FMPs, and communities across the west coast. The Council expects this exercise to result in the definition of tools, products, and processes necessary to react […]
In 2018, the following activities took place: Quick Link to the Recorded Webinars and Presentations in the 2018 Webinar Series on Ecosystem Climate and Communities A March 2018 EWG report describing major Council decision types that may benefit from increased ecosystem science input. An April 2018 EWG report with suggestions for issues for discussion at the May 2018 Nature Conservancy […]
2017 ACTIVITIES In March 2017 the Council scoped a potential Fishery Ecosystem Plan initiative to take up in the coming years. They asked the Ad Hoc Ecosystem Workgroup (EWG) to report back in September 2017 with more information to choose between a combined initiative on the socioeconomic effects of fisheries management practices on fishing communities […]
The Council’s Habitat Committee provides advice to the Council on a wide variety of habitat-related issues. The committee works with other advisory bodies on habitat issues, helps develop ways to resolve habitat problems and avoid future habitat conflicts, and makes recommendations for actions that will help achieve the Council’s habitat objectives. Meetings are open to the […]
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 […]
In April 2019 the Council scheduled electronic monitoring (EM) items for the June, September, and November 2019 Council meetings and recommended the Groundfish Electronic Monitoring Policy Advisory Committee (GEMPAC) meet as necessary to review National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) procedural directives and program guidance documents. In September the Council recommended that NMFS consider changes to […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]