• Public hearing on salmon management alternatives (Eureka)

    UPDATE 3/13/20: The public salmon hearings will be conducted by Webinar Only due to COVID-19 concerns. Please see our Press Release for additional details.

  • Public hearing on salmon management alternatives (Coos Bay)

    UPDATE 3/13/20: The public salmon hearings will be conducted by Webinar Only due to COVID-19 concerns. Please see our Press Release for additional details.

  • Public hearing on salmon management alternatives (Westport)

    UPDATE 3/13/20: The public salmon hearings will be conducted by webinar only due to COVID-19 concerns. Please see our press release for additional details.

  • Ad Hoc Sablefish Management and Trawl Allocation Attainment Committee meeting January 22-23, 2020 in Portland, Oregon

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s ad hoc Sablefish Management and Trawl Allocation Attainment Committee (SaMTAAC) met January 22-23, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. This announcement published in the Federal Register on 12/16/2019. Meeting documents The following documents were developed for that meeting: January 2020 meeting agenda Meeting Summary: SaMTAAC, October 9-10, 2019 SaMTAAC Agenda Item A.2,…

  • Pacific Council News Winter 2019: Administrative

    Appointments and Advisory Body Vacancies Dr. Melissa Haltuch was appointed to one of the vacant at-large positions on the Scientific and Statistical Committee. The Council will solicit nominations for a remaining at-large vacancy soon with the intent of filling that position at the March 2020 meeting.   The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service identified two new designees…

  • Pacific Council News Winter 2019: Habitat and ecosystem

    Habitat Report An irrigation canal distributing water to farms in the San Joaquin Valley, California. Photo: Richard Thornton/Shutterstock In November, the Habitat Committee (HC) discussed the Central Valley Project Biological Opinion, Klamath dam removal, the proposed Jordan Cove Liquefied Natural Gas project, salmon reintroduction, offshore wind energy, and critical habitat designations for Southern Resident killer…

  • Pacific Council News Winter 2019: Coastal Pelagic Species

    Two Coastal Pelagic Species Exempted Fishing Permits Forwarded In November the Council adopted two proposals to extend current exempted fishing permits for public review.  The California Wetfish Producers Association proposes aerial survey work in southern California, in cooperation with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.  They also plan to work cooperatively with the National Oceanic and…

  • Pacific Council News Winter 2019: Highly migratory species

    Council Chooses Not to Consider Shallow-Set Longline Permit Swordfish. Photo: Joe Fish Flynn/Shutterstock In November the Council chose not to continue considering a West Coast permit to use shallow-set longline fishing gear outside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) at this time. Members of the fishing industry had been asking the Council to discuss allowing…

  • Pacific Council News Winter 2019: Halibut

    Washington, Oregon Recommend Sport Halibut Season Changes Recreational fishing boats in Blaine, Washington. Photo: Cascade Creatives/Shutterstock In November, the Council adopted the following recommended changes for Washington and Oregon sport halibut fisheries. The changes are consistent with state recommendations after the states of Washington and Oregon held public meetings. No changes were proposed for California…

  • Pacific Council News Winter 2019: Salmon

    Preseason Salmon Management Schedule Set; Annual Management Cycle to be Discussed in April In November the Council adopted a 2020 salmon management schedule, including tentative dates and sites for public hearings. Hearings are planned for March 23 in Westport, Washington and Coos Bay, Oregon, and March 24 in Eureka, California. The Council also decided to begin…

  • Pacific Council News Winter 2019: Groundfish

    Council Asks NMFS to Delay Electronic Monitoring Regulations Until 2022 The Council reviewed, but did not finalize, its recommendations on the revised electronic monitoring program guidelines and the draft Electronic Monitoring Manual. Instead, the Council will send a letter to National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) stating they would like to delay implementation of the regulations…

  • 2019 newsletters

    California current ecosystem, salmon seasons, southern resident killer whales, groundfish EFH, sardine assessment, trawl logbooks, ESA workgroup, albatross, inseason adjustments, electronic monitoring, cowcod

  • Pacific Council News Fall 2019: Administrative

    Legislative Report In September the Council received a request for comments from Representative Rob Bishop regarding HR 1979 (the Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act) and HR 2236 (the Forage Fish Conservation Act.) The  Driftnet Modernization and Bycatch Reduction Act, introduced by Ted Lieu and Diane Feinstein of California, would extend current California state regulations…

  • Pacific Council News Fall 2019: Habitat and Ecosystem

    Habitat report Jordan Cove The Council has sent a letter to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on the proposed natural gas pipeline project for the Jordan Cove Liquefied Natural Gas facility. The letter comments on the agencies’ proposed changes to their Resource Management Plans, which exempt the pipeline from complying…

  • Pacific Council News Fall 2019: Highly Migratory Species

    Regional fisheries management organizations discuss bluefin tuna stock status, allocations In September the Council recommended that U.S. Commissioners to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) negotiate an equitable allocation of harvest opportunity for Pacific bluefin tuna between the Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. The WCPFC is a treaty-based organization established…

  • Pacific Council News Fall 2019: Salmon and Halibut

    Final salmon rebuilding plans approved In September the Council adopted rebuilding plans for Strait of Juan de Fuca natural coho, Queets River natural coho, and Snohomish River natural coho, subject to approval by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).  Each plan contained two alternatives for rebuilding the stock.  Under Alternative I, management would remain the same…

  • Pacific Council News Fall 2019: Groundfish

    Cowcod rebuilt; other stock assessments adopted Cowcod has been rebuilt ahead of schedule, the Council announced in September. The cowcod (Sebastes levis) stock south of 40°10’ N. latitude was managed under a strict rebuilding plan that severely constrained West Coast fisheries in California for two decades. Rebuilding cowcod was achieved through large area closures, non-retention…

  • Agenda and Meeting Notice Available for November 14-20, 2019 Council Meeting

  • Habitat Committee to meet via webinar on October 30

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Habitat Committee will hold a meeting via webinar, which is open to the public. The webinar will be held Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 9 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, and will end at noon on the same day. Public comments during the webinar will be received from attendees at…

  • Ad Hoc Southern Resident Killer Whale Workgroup to hold webinar October 29

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council)  Ad Hoc Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) Workgroup (Workgroup) will meet via webinar, and this meeting will be open to the public.  The webinar meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 29, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), or until business for the day…

  • Ad Hoc Sablefish Management and Trawl Allocation Attainment Committee October 9-10, 2019 meeting

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s ad hoc Sablefish Management and Trawl Allocation Attainment Committee (SaMTAAC) met, October 9-10, 2019 in Portland, Oregon.  This announcement published in the Federal Register on 09/12/2019 At its meeting, the SaMTAAC continued their work to develop alternatives that address obstacles to achieving the goals and objectives of the groundfish trawl catch share plan…

  • SSC to review ecosystem indicators for Annual State of the CCE Report

    At the September 2019 Council meeting the SSC will review two indicators included in the 2019 Report, “stoplight” summary of ecosystem factors affecting salmon abundance and and one candidate a spatial indicator of bottom contact by trawl gear. The SSC will also review an ongoing ecosystem research leading to forecasts of albacore distribution and abundance…

  • Salmon Advisory Subpanel to Hold Webinar August 14, 2019

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Salmon Advisory Subpanel (SAS) will hold a meeting to discuss and make recommendations on issues on the Council’s September 2019 meeting agenda.  This meeting will be held via webinar, which is open to the public.  The webinar will be held on Wednesday, August 14, 2019,  at 2 p.m. (Pacific Time)…

  • Salmon Technical Team and Model Evaluation Workgroup to Hold Webinar August 29, 2019

    The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Salmon Technical Team (STT) and Model Evaluation Workgroup (MEW) will hold a joint meeting to discuss and make recommendations on issues on the Council’s September 2019 meeting agenda.  This meeting will be held via webinar, which is open to the public.  The webinar will be held on Thursday, August 29,…