January 2022 Decision Summary Document

January 21, 2022 

Council Meeting Decision Summary Documents are highlights of significant decisions made at Council meetings.  Results of agenda items that do not reach a level of highlight significance are typically not described in the Decision Summary Document.  For a more detailed account of Council meeting discussions, see the Council meeting record and transcripts or the Council newsletter.

Salmon Management

Southern Oregon / Northern California Coast Coho (SONCC) Harvest Control Rule

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) rescinded the action taken at its November 2021 meeting under Agenda Item F.3  regarding the Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast (SONCC) coho harvest control rule.

The Council adopted final preferred alternatives for a harvest control rule for SONCC coho.  The Council will recommend that the National Marine Fisheries Service evaluate the new harvest control rule for potential implementation under the Endangered Species Act and as an amendment to the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan.  Consistent with the range of Alternatives provided in the Risk Assessment submitted at the November 2021 Council meeting under Agenda F.3, the Council adopted Alternative 5, a total fishery (marine and freshwater) exploitation rate (ER) limit of 15 percent as the preferred harvest control rule for all populations within the SONCC Evolutionary Significant Unit, except the Trinity River coho populations.  The Council adopted Alternative 6, a total fishery ER limit of 16 percent as the preferred harvest control rule for the Trinity River coho populations.

During its annual salmon preseason planning process, the Council will evaluate ocean fisheries using the Coho Fishery Regulation Assessment Model (FRAM) so that, when combined with estimated freshwater impacts, the preseason projected total ER does not exceed the adopted harvest control rules. The estimated freshwater impacts will be determined using projections provided by co-managing agencies. Postseason ERs will be estimated for each year once postseason harvest and abundance estimates become available. Coho-directed fisheries and coho retention in Chinook-directed fisheries will remain prohibited in the Exclusive Economic Zone off of California.