Updates

March 2020 Council meeting internet live stream

The March 2020 Council meeting will be live‐streamed on the internet during the following hours:

  • Wednesday, March 4, 2020: beginning at approximately 9:00 AM Pacific Time, ending at approximately 6:00 PM PT or when business for the day is complete
  • Thursday, March 5, 2020 through Monday, March 9, 2020: 8:00 AM Pacific Time, ending daily at approximately 6:00 PM PT or when business for the day is complete

Only the audio portion and presentations displayed on the screen at the Council meeting will be broadcast. The audio portion is listen‐only; you will be unable to speak to the Council via the broadcast.

For agenda item topics and meeting information, please see the March 2020 Council meeting webpage.

Please Note: The GotoMeeting broadcast is not a substitute for attending the Council meeting in-person. We strive to make this service fully available, but due to unforeseen technical issues (internet/power outages, GoToMeeting service issues, etc), this service may not be available during portions of the Council meeting.

Instructions to join the meeting in “listen-only” mode

  1. http://www.gotomeeting.com/online/webinar/join-webinar
  2. Enter the Webinar ID: 752-427-619
  3. Please enter your email address (required)

This is a “listen only” broadcast, you may use your computer speakers or headset to listen.

If you do not have a headset or computer speakers, you may use your telephone to listen to the meeting by dialing this TOLL number +1 (562) 247-8422 (not a toll-free number); enter the phone attendee audio access code: 771-083-667; then enter the Audio Pin: Shown after joining the webinar. The webinar is broadcast in “listen only” mode.

Technical Information

System Requirements

  • PC-based attendees: Required: Windows® 7, 8, 10, Vista, or XP
  • Mac®-based attendees: Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer
  • Mobile attendees: Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet (See the GoToMeeting Webinar Apps)

You may send an email to Kris Kleinschmidt for technical assistance.

MP3 Audio Files

Approximately five business days after the meeting has ended, you may visit the “Previous Meetings” webpage where you will find links to the MP3 files.

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 certain protected species during a rolling 2-year period.

The final rule is effective March 9, 2020.  Comments on the final rule and supporting documents must be submitted in writing by March 23, 2020.

Please see the Federal Register notice dated February 7, 2020 for the final rule and instructions on how to comment.

If you have additional questions, please contact ontacting Lyle Enriquez, NMFS West Coast Region, 501 W. Ocean Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213, or Lyle.Enriquez@noaa.gov.

Notice of availability: proposed rule for the 2020 Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan

NOAA Fisheries has issued a proposed rule for the Pacific halibut Catch Sharing Plan and annual management measures for Area 2A off Washington, Oregon, and California.  Comments on the proposed changes to the Catch Sharing Plan and domestic Area 2A Pacific halibut management measures must be received by March 9, 2020. Please see the Federal Register notice dated February 6, 2020 to view the proposed rule and instructions on how to comment.

For further information, please contact Kathryn Blair, NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region; phone: 503-231-6858, fax: 503-231-6893, or e-mail: kathryn.blair@noaa.gov.

NMFS proposes to approve and implement rebuilding plans recommended by the Council for two overfished salmon stocks

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is requesting comments on the proposed rule to implement rebuilding plans recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council for two overfished stocks: Klamath River fall-run Chinook salmon and Sacramento River fall-run Chinook salmon. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on February 4, 2020.

NMFS is requesting comments by March 5, 2020. Please see the proposed rule for instructions on how to comment.

For further information, please contact Peggy Mundy at 206-526-4323; NMFS West Coast Region, Sustainable Fisheries Division 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115.