News & Events: Highly Migratory Species

Highly Migratory Species Management Team continues online meeting April 29, 2022

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Highly Migratory Species Management Team (HMSMT) is holding an online meeting, which is open to the public.
Highly Migratory Species Management Team to hold online meeting April 22, 2022

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Highly Migratory Species Management Team (HMSMT) is holding an online meeting, which is open to the public. The online meeting will be held Friday, April 22, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time and continues Friday, April 29, 2022, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific…
NMFS considering three exempted fishing permit (EFP) applications recommended by the Council.
The Council is soliciting supplemental Advisory Body nominations through 5pm Friday, November 5, 2021.
Highly Migratory Species Management Team to hold online meeting October 12-13, 2021

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Highly Migratory Species Management Team (HMSMT) is holding a meeting, which is open to the public.
NMFS announces draft EIS available for deep-set buoy gear authorization, Amendment 6 to the HMS FMP

NOAA Fisheries announces the release of a draft environmental impact statement (EIS), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, which includes an analysis of the potential short- and long-term impacts of the proposed action to authorize fishing with deep-set buoy gear (DSBG) in federal waters off the U.S. West Coast, on the human…
Highly Migratory Species Management Team to hold online meeting June 3-4, 2021

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Highly Migratory Species Management Team (HMSMT) will hold an online meeting, which is open to the public.
Highly Migratory Species Management Team to hold online meeting May 13, 2021

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Highly Migratory Species Management Team (HMSMT) will hold an online meeting, which is open to the public.
Fact Sheet: Highly migratory species

“Highly migratory species” (HMS) include tuna, some shark species, and billfish—species that range widely through the ocean, often crossing international borders. These pelagic species live in the water of the open ocean, although they may spend part of their life cycle in nearshore waters. HMS are harvested by U.S. commercial and recreational fishers and by…
Fact Sheet: Exempted fishing permits

Exempted fishing permits (EFPs) allow for fishing activities that are exempt from the usual fishing regulations. They are a way for people and organizations involved in the fishery to experiment with new gears or techniques. The Council recommends EFPs to National Marine Fisheries Service, which is responsible for granting them. Examples of past projects supported…
Highly Migratory Species Subcommittee of the Scientific and Statistical Committee to hold online meeting February 4-5, 2021

The Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Subcommittee of the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council’s) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold an online meeting to advise on a best scientific information available (BSIA) determination by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on the use of new stock assessments to determine management limit reference points and status…
Highly Migratory Species Management Team and Advisory Subpanel to hold online meetings January 15, 2021

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Highly Migratory Species Advisory Subpanel (HMSAS) and HMS Management Team (HMSMT) will conduct online meetings, which are open to the public. The HMSMT will hold an online meeting on Friday, January 15, 2021, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time. The HMSMT and HMSAS will meet jointly…
Pacific Council News Winter 2020: Highly Migratory Species

Highly migratory species advisory bodies to review options on deep-set buoy gear limited entry program NMFS briefed the Council on elements of its final preferred alternative for the deep-set buoy gear limited entry program that require clarification, including the qualification criteria for a limited entry permit. The highly migratory species advisory bodies will review options…
Washington submits draft plan to distribute Federal relief funding

Washington State announced on December 8 that it has submitted a draft plan for how to distribute $50 million in Federal relief funding to members of Washington’s commercial seafood, shellfish and charter industries to NOAA Fisheries for review and approval. Under Section 12005 of the CARES Act, Congress provided $300 million to states to distribute…
COVID-19 fisheries assistance

NOTE: The Council does not administer fisheries assistance for COVID-19. Please see the links below for resources, or contact the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. Recent news California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife posts a CARES Act page for fisheries participants and communities (June 23) How CARES Act funds are allocated (May 14) The Midwater…
Pacific Council News Fall 2020: Highly migratory species

Nineteen exempted fishing permits for deep-set buoy gear forwarded At its September meeting the Council reviewed 20 exempted fishing permit (EFP) applications to use standard and linked deep-set buoy gear, and recommended that National Marine Fisheries Service issue all but one. Four of the applications proposed using deep-set buoy gear at night, but the Council…
NMFS announces notice of intent to prepare an EIS for HMS exempted fishing permit to fish with longline gear in the West Coast exclusive economic zone; public comment to be accepted by webinar

On August 10, 2020, NMFS announced its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, to analyze the potential short- and long-term impacts of the proposed action to issue an Exempted Fishing Permit, on the human (biological, physical, social, and economic) environment. This notice of intent to…
Highly Migratory Species Management Team to hold online meeting July 27, 2020

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold an online meeting of its Highly Migratory Species Management Team (HMSMT), which will be open to the public.
Call for data and information – Essential Fish Habitat Review for Pacific Coast Highly Migratory Species

The Pacific Fishery Management Council, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center have initiated a review of essential fish habitat (EFH) provisions in the Pacific Coast Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This call for data and information is intended to support the review. The HMS FMP, its…
Pacific Council News Spring 2020: Highly migratory species

NMFS publishes final rule on drift gillnet hard caps The National Marine Fisheries Service published a final rule on “hard caps” for certain protected species taken in the California/Oregon thresher shark/swordfish large mesh drift gillnet (DGN) fishery on February 7, 2020, which implemented a 2015 Council recommendation. Under the regulations, the DGN fishery would immediately close…
Highly Migratory Species Advisory Subpanel and Management Team Webinar on Scenario Deepening, May 20

As part of its Climate and Communities Initiative (CCI) the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) is sponsoring a series of webinars with its advisory bodies, which are open to the public. The webinar focusing on Highly Migratory Species will be held on the following dates and times: Highly Migratory Species Advisory Subpanel and Management…
National Marine Fisheries Service publishes its final “List of Fisheries” for 2020

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) published its final List of Fisheries (LOF) for 2020, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The final LOF for 2020 reflects new information on interactions between commercial fisheries and marine mammals. This final rule is effective May 18, 2020. Information regarding the LOF may be obtained from…
Highly Migratory Species Advisory Subpanel and HMS Management Team to hold webinar February 26, 2020
NMFS publishes final rule and requests comments; protected species hard caps for the California/Oregon large-mesh drift gillnet fishery

NMFS is publishing regulations under the authority of Section 303(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) to implement an immediate closure of the California/Oregon drift gillnet (DGN) fishery for swordfish and thresher shark (14 inch (36 cm) minimum mesh size) if a hard cap (i.e., limit) on mortality/injury is met or exceeded for…