Updates

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 until 2022, and will consider an extension of the electronic monitoring exempted fishing permit at their March meeting.  

In addition, the Council asked for more information regarding the appropriate level of video review for vessel “steam time” (when vessels are not fishing). They also asked for an analysis from NMFS so they could better understand the effect of applying vessel-specific halibut discard mortality estimates to non-reviewed trips. Finally, the Council remains concerned about the cost effectiveness of the program and would like the industry to continue to work the NMFS and Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission to examine ways for industry to fund a portion of the program.

Seven Groundfish Exempted Fishing Permits Recommended

Seven groundfish exempted fishing permits (EFPs) were recommended for consideration as part of the biennial process for setting fishing limits and regulations for 2021-2022, and set-asides were adopted as recommended by the Groundfish Management Team.  Set-asides are deducted from the annual catch limits before those limits are allocated among sectors.

Groundfish EFPs authorize vessels to engage in collection of limited experimental data through activities that would otherwise be prohibited. They are commonly used to explore ways to reduce effort on overfished species, encourage innovation and efficiency, provide access to target species while measuring the bycatch associated with those strategies, or to evaluate current and proposed management measures.

The following EFPs moved forward for public comment and possible final adoption at the June 2020 meeting: 

• West Coast Seafood Processors Association, Oregon Trawl Commission, Midwater Trawlers Cooperative, and Environmental Defense Fund: Year-round coastwide midwater rockfish EFP: Monitoring and minimizing salmon bycatch when targeting rockfish in the shorebased individual fishing quota fishery, 2021-2022
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife: Recreational fishery cowcod sampling 
• Coastal Conservation Association California/Okuma Fishing Tackle Corp.: Cowcod (Sebastes levis) fishing off the southern California coast 
• San Francisco Community Fishing Association and Dan Platt: Yellowtail rockfish jig fishing off California
• Scott Cook: Commercial midwater hook & line rockfish fishing in the Rockfish Conservation Area off the Oregon coast
• Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: Enhanced yelloweye recreational fishery biological sampling
• Real Good Fish: Monterey Bay regional EFP targeting chilipepper rockfish

The Council recommended that the EFPs be modified in response to Groundfish Management Team and Enforcement Consultant guidance. The Council will will check in on the development of the EFPs in March, and in April will consider adding a trawl sector electronic monitoring EFP to the package.

Council Receives Update on Groundfish Gear Switching, Sablefish Area Management

During the 2017 review of the trawl catch share program, the Council identified concerns about the trawl sector’s attainment of its allocations. The Sablefish Management and Trawl Allocation Attainment Committee (SaMTAAC) provided a progress report in November on its work developing alternatives to address these concerns. 

In November, the Council provided feedback on the committee’s proposed purpose and need statement and asked that the analysis look at four possible reasons for the under-attainment of the northern trawl allocations of stocks other than sablefish: 1) use of fixed gears to harvest the sablefish shoreside individual fishing quota, 2) declining trawl vessel participation, 3) lack of markets, and 4) limited infrastructure.  In June 2020, the Council will consider whether or not to adopt a range of alternatives for full analysis. 

The alternatives currently under consideration include, but are not limited to, modifying rules for using fixed gear to harvest the trawl allocation (gear-switching) as well as encouraging increased utilization of sablefish quota pounds allocated to the area south of 36° N. latitude.

The committee will meet again in Portland on January 22-23, 2020, to continue work on alternatives. 

Council Adopts Preferred Alternative to Address Salmon Take in the Groundfish Fishery

In November, the Council adopted final preferred alternatives to address the 2017 NMFS biological opinion on take of salmon listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery. These measures are intended to provide the Council and NMFS options to reduce take of salmon in the groundfish fishery, should they be needed.

The biological opinion focuses on the impact of the groundfish fishery on seven listed Chinook and coho salmon evolutionary significant units. It includes multiple measures (called Terms and Conditions) that the Council and/or NMFS must develop and implement within three years to avoid reinitiation of the ESA Section 7 consultation.  

Some measures were addressed during the 2019-2020 groundfish biennial specifications process, but two have required subsequent Council action. Both provide a way for the Council to reduce incidental salmon bycatch and keep the fishery operational. 

The first measure required the Council to develop and implement salmon bycatch mitigation measures for the groundfish fishery, which can be implemented inseason to reduce the risk of a sector exceeding its bycatch guideline. The other measure required the Council to develop a process to allow a fishery sector access to a “reserve” of 3,500 Chinook salmon. This reserve is to be accessed only when a sector exceeds, or is projected to exceed, its bycatch guideline.  

The Council’s recommendations, as shown below, will be forwarded to NMFS for their review: 

• Block area closures would be developed as a routine inseason mitigation tool for midwater trawl fisheries in the whiting and non-whiting sectors. Block area closures are based on depth contours and latitude lines, and can be set for a specific time period.
• Extension of block area closure for groundfish vessels using midwater trawl gear to the western boundary of the exclusive economic zone, and to the 700 fathom curve for vessels using bottom trawl gear south of 46⁰16’00” N. latitude (WA/OR border).
• A selective flatfish trawl net requirement would be available as a routine inseason mitigation measure for bottom trawl vessels operating in areas of high salmon bycatch.
• Pacific Whiting Cooperative Agreements would allow each whiting sector participants  to develop and submit salmon mitigation plans to NMFS. These mitigation plans would describe the suite of measures the participants intend to use to reduce incidental salmon take. Additionally, participants would be required to provide an annual season summary reporting to the Council and NMFS describing the use of salmon mitigation measures and an evaluation of the effectiveness of these avoidance measures.
• Automatic authority for NMFS to close trawl sectors at 19,500 Chinook salmon, and to close non-whiting trawl at 8,500 Chinook. 

Reserve rule: A sector may only access the Reserve if the Council or NMFS take action to minimize Chinook salmon bycatch in that sector before it reaches its Chinook salmon bycatch guideline. For the at-sea whiting sector, the requirement would be satisfied upon NMFS’ approval of those sector’s co-op salmon mitigation plans. For the shoreside whiting sector, the requirement would be satisfied upon NMFS’ approval of that sector’s co-op salmon mitigation plans. Individual vessels are not eligible to submit bycatch mitigation plans. If there are whiting vessels that are not members of a whiting co-op, then additional actions by the Council or NMFS (such as block area closures) will be needed to minimize Chinook salmon bycatch prior to allowing access to the reserve by those vessels.

Vessels fishing under an approved salmon mitigation plan may be exempt from additional salmon mitigation measures. Performance of salmon mitigation plans will be evaluated through scorecards and inseason status reporting. If the salmon mitigation measures are not enough to lower salmon bycatch, the Council may take additional measures, based on inseason review at regular Council meetings.

Inseason Adjustments

In November, the Council considered progress of groundfish fisheries and routine inseason adjustments needed for the fishery to attain, but not exceed, annual catch limits. The Council adopted the eleven recommendations made by the Groundfish Management Team for early 2020 fisheries:

Lingcod

1. For open access and limited entry fixed gear lingcod north of 42° N. lat., trip limits are 1,200 lbs monthly and 2,600 lbs bimonthly, respectively, all periods.
2. For limited entry and open access south of 40° 10′ N. lat., trip limits are 1,200 lbs bimonthly (limited entry) and 500 lbs monthly (open access), except both are closed in March/April.

Rockfish

1. Maintain (do not raise) the 2020 widow rockfish individual fishing quota (IFQ) allocation. 
2. For limited entry fixed gear, trip limits of slope rockfish and darkblotched rockfish are 6,000 lbs bimonthly each period. 
3. For Minor Nearshore Rockfish between 42° and 40°10′ N. lat. in January and February, limits are 8,500 lbs per two months, no more than 1,500 lbs of which may be black rockfish. For all other trip periods, limits are 7,000 lb / 2 months, no more than 1,500 lbs of which may be species other than black rockfish.
4. For Deeper Nearshore Rockfish south of 40°10′ N. lat., limits are 1,200 lbs bimonthly, all periods except March/April.
5. For limited entry fixed gear bocaccio ​between 40°10′ and 34°27′ N. lat., limits are 1,500 lbs bimonthly, all periods.

Other fish

1. Maintain a set-aside of 1,500 metric tons (mt) of whiting to accommodate incidental mortality in 2020 research activities and in the pink shrimp fishery.
2. Big skate trip limits are 70,000 lbs bimonthly for each period for the IFQ sector.
3. See sablefish trip limits for limited entry north and open access north below. These represent the pre-season 2019 trip limits and do not include the inseason increases.

Fishery	Recommendations
Limited entry north	1,300 lbs week, not to exceed 3,900 lbs / 2 months
Open access north	300 lbs day; or one landing per week up to 1,200 lbs, not to exceed 2,400 lb/ 2 months
Open access south	300 lbs day; or one landing per week up to 1,600 lbs, not to exceed 4,800 lb/ 2 months

2020 Harvest Specifications for Cowcod and Shortbelly Rockfish 

In September, the Council adopted final preferred alternatives for 2020 harvest specifications for cowcod south of 40°10’ N. lat. and shortbelly rockfish. The purpose of the action was to lessen the likelihood that certain fisheries would be closed early next year.  

In June and September, stakeholders had asked for relief regarding cowcod vessel limits and the shortbelly annual catch limit (ACL). They reported an unanticipated increase in the bycatch of shortbelly rockfish in the Pacific whiting fishery this year – an unexpected event, since shortbelly rarely occur north of 40°10’ N. lat. Apparently, high recruitment and an expansion of the stock’s range has greatly increased encounters of shortbelly rockfish in northern midwater trawl fisheries.  

In recognition of the stock’s importance as a forage species, the 2020 shortbelly rockfish ACL of 500 mt had been intentionally set low compared to the acceptable biological catch of 5,789 mt. Stakeholders requested an increase in the ACL to avoid disruptions if the bycatch continued to be high. In November the Council recommended increasing the 2020 ACL to 3,000 mt to reduce the risk of closing midwater trawl fisheries north of 40°10’ N. lat.  

For cowcod, trawlers south of 40°10’ N. lat. asked for a higher vessel limit, given the difficulty avoiding incidental bycatch as the stock rebuilds.  They were concerned that the fishery would be disrupted if the annual vessel limit was attained prematurely. As a result, the Groundfish Management Team and Groundfish Advisory Subpanel recommended increasing or eliminating the 2020 cowcod annual catch target to avoid such a disruption.

The Council action for cowcod south of 40°10’ N. lat. recommends removal of the 2020 annual catch target of 6 mt, coupled with a reduction of the research set-aside to 1 mt,  for an annual vessel limit of 1,264 pounds for participants in the limited entry trawl fishery south of 40°10’ N. lat.  

The final rule for these actions is expected to be released before the start of Pacific whiting fisheries in mid-May next year.

2021-2022 Harvest Specifications and Management Measures 

​In November, the Council adopted harvest specifications (overfishing limits and allowable biological catches), as well as a range of management measures necessary to implement the harvest specifications, for analysis. Over the winter, these measures will be further developed for Council review in March 2020. Preliminary preferred alternatives will be identified in April. Adoption of a range of alternatives is a step toward choosing a suite of management measures that the Council will recommend to NMFS for implementation in 2021 and 2022.

The harvest specifications for all stocks and stock complexes were adopted using default harvest control rules except for cowcod south of 40°10’ N. lat., Oregon black rockfish, petrale sole, sablefish, and shortbelly rockfish. Alternative harvest specifications are considered for these stocks.  Preliminary preferred alternatives for these stocks were identified as follows: 

• Cowcod south of 40°10’ N. lat.: annual catch limit (ACL)= acceptable biological catch (ABC) (P* =  0.4)
• Oregon black rockfish: ACL = ABC = 512 mt in 2021 and 2022
• Petrale sole: ACL = ABC (P* = 0.4)
• Sablefish: ABC (P* = 0.45) with options for the five-year average and long-term apportionment methods for determining area-specific ACLs as described by the Groundfish Management Team
• Shortbelly rockfish: ACL = 3,000 mt in 2021 and 2022

The impacts associated with these alternatives will be analyzed to inform final decisions on 2021 and 2022 harvest specifications in April 2020.

The Council also adopted a range of management measures necessary to implement the 2021-22 harvest specifications, as recommended by the Groundfish Management Team (GMT) (in Supplemental Reports 1, 2 and 3; Groundfish Advisory Subpanel, and the Tribes) for over-winter analysis. The Council also adopted a suite of management measure recommendations from California (in Supplemental CDFW Reports 1 and 2) and Washington for analysis by the GMT.  

Additional measures chosen for detailed analysis include modifications to existing allocations for lingcod south of 40°10’ N. lat., slope rockfish south of 40°10’ N. lat. including blackgill rockfish, and widow rockfish; and allowance of yellowtail rockfish retention in the salmon troll fishery south of 40°10’ N. lat. 

The Council is scheduled to review progress on the analysis of management measure alternatives at the March 2020 meeting, and in April, to identify preliminary preferred alternatives for those measures with sufficiently complete analyses.

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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 rules, and very low allowance for incidental bycatch. “This is a remarkable accomplishment,” said Council Chair Phil Anderson. “The Council’s perseverance, adherence to scientific advice, and partnering with the commercial and recreational stakeholders resulted in the rebuilding of this important groundfish species.”

Cowcod, prized by both California recreational and commercial fishermen, were declared overfished and placed under rebuilding measures in 2000. They are a long‐lived, slow‐growing species, prone to protracted rebuilding progress. Under the original rebuilding plan, the stock was expected to rebuild by 2090. Improved science and understanding of this stock’s population dynamics, coupled with favorable environmental conditions, allowed the Council’s management measures to rebuild the stock much quicker than originally anticipated.

The Council, National Marine Fisheries Service, and fishing industry stakeholders collaborated successfully to rebuild overfished West Coast groundfish stocks. Cowcod is the ninth West Coast groundfish stock to rebuild through stringent management measures, leaving yelloweye rockfish as the only Federally-managed groundfish stock managed under a rebuilding plan.

The cowcod assessment was developed by scientists at National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Science Center and was reviewed by a stock assessment review panel, which includes independent scientists, and endorsed by the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee. New harvest specifications and regulations informed by this assessment are expected to be put in place beginning in 2021.

Other assessments

The Council adopted the assessments, projections, and catch reports endorsed by the Scientific and Statistical Committee in September. For cabezon, the two California models and Oregon model all estimated depletion levels above the management target, with 2019 estimates of 49 percent (southern California), 65 percent (central/northern California) and 53 percent (Oregon). (A depletion level of 53 percent means that the stock is at 53 percent of its unfished biomass). Longnose skate had an estimated depletion of 57 percent in 2019. Big skate, which was assessed for the first time, was estimated to be at 79 percent depletion. Sablefish was estimated to be at 39 percent of “unfished spawning output” (or 39% of what the egg or larval production would be if the stock were unfished), but abundance is expected to increase, and the spawning output is projected to be above the target (40%) in 2021. The gopher/black-and-yellow rockfish complex was assessed for the first time as a complex. Spawning output has been decreasing since the mid-2000s, when the stock was estimated to be at 77 percent of the unfished level. It is now estimated at 44 percent. The petrale sole assessment was updated for the second time since 2013. Landings have increased in the last four years compared to the previous four years, consistent with the stock being rebuilt. For 2019, the depletion estimate is 39 percent; however, this is expected to decline, as recent recruitments have been below average. The 2015 widow rockfish assessment was updated; the stock is estimated to be at a depletion level of 92 percent. Finally, the yelloweye rockfish catch report stated that recent catches have all been below the 20 metric ton annual catch limit.

These assessments and projections of harvest specifications will inform management of the West Coast groundfish fishery in  2021 and beyond.

Council discusses costs, benefits of storing electronic monitoring video

Electronic monitoring was a hot topic at the September Council meeting, when the Council discussed the costs and benefits of storing video collected as part of the electronic monitoring program for various lengths of time, as well as the management, scientific, and enforcement needs of electronic monitoring programs around the country. 

The Council heard public testimony about the cost of the third party review of video and asked NMFS and the Council for more detailed information about how the program will be set up and managed by NMFS. Specifically, the industry requested review of a NMFS electronic monitoring manual that describes at what level providers will need to conduct video review (e.g., 100% or 50%), how long to store data, how to transfer data to NMFS, and other items that will help providers and participants refine cost estimates for participating in the program.

The Council recommended that NMFS consider the changes identified by the Groundfish Electronic Monitoring Policy Advisory Committee in their report on program guidelines and storage procedures. The Council plans to review revised program guidelines and a manual and further discuss the program at their November meeting.

The Council sent a letter to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission asking the Commission to help them find a path forward that would allow the Commission to continue providing video review services for the industry in the future.  

Council adopts alternatives to address take of salmon in groundfish fishery

In September the Council adopted preliminary preferred alternatives to address the 2017 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) biological opinion (BiOp) on take of salmon in the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery. 

The BiOp focuses on the impact of the groundfish fishery on seven listed Chinook and coho salmon evolutionary significant units. It included multiple measures (called Terms and Conditions) that the Council and/or NMFS must develop and implement within three years to avoid reinitiation of the Endangered Species Act Section 7 consultation.  

Some measures were addressed during the 2019-2020 groundfish biennial specifications process, but two required Council action in September.

The first measure required the Council to develop and implement salmon bycatch mitigation measures for the groundfish fishery, as necessary. These measures can be implemented inseason to reduce the risk of a sector exceeding its bycatch guideline. 

The other measure required the Council to develop a process to allow a fishery sector access to a “reserve” of 3,500 Chinook salmon. This reserve is to be accessed only when a sector exceeds, or is projected to exceed, its bycatch guideline.  

Both of these conditions provide a way for the Council to reduce incidental salmon bycatch and keep the fishery operational. 

Currently, a total take of 20,000 Chinook and 1,034 coho are allowed for the entire groundfish fishery. The BiOp set specific bycatch limits of each species for the whiting and non-whiting groundfish sectors. 

The BiOp apportioned Chinook into three parts: the whiting sector, the non-whiting sector, and the “reserve.” The bycatch guideline for the whiting and non-whiting sectors are 11,000 and 5,500 Chinook, respectively, with a “reserve” of 3,500 Chinook. If a fishery exceeds its bycatch guideline it can access the reserve Chinook. If the fishery exceeds its bycatch guideline and takes all the reserve, it will close. The entire fishery closes at 20,000 Chinook. 

Coho amounts for whiting and non-whiting are 474 and 560, respectively. Unlike Chinook, exceeding the limit for coho will not close a fishery, but it would reinitiate Endangered Species Act Section 7 consultation. 

The preliminary preferred alternatives selected by the Council to address these two measures are as follows: 

• Block area closures (BACs): Consider developing BACs for the whiting sector and non-whiting midwater trawl fisheries as a routine inseason mitigation measure. BACs are area closures based on depth contours and latitude lines, and can be set for a specific time period. (Alternative 1)
• Extension of block area closure for all trawl gears to the western boundary of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ): Develop regulations to allow for the extension of any block area closure seaward of 250 fathoms south of 46⁰16’00” N. latitude (WA/OR border) for all trawl gears to the western boundary of the EEZ (for midwater trawl) or to the 700 fathom Essential Fish Habitat Conservation Area closure (for bottom trawl). In current regulation, BACs can only be set to 250 fm.  A reason Alternative 1 was selected is it would allow the Council to address any salmon bycatch beyond the 250 fm depth contour. (Alternative 1)
• Selective flatfish trawl net requirement: Consider the requirement of selective flatfish trawl net gear as a routine inseason mitigation measure for bottom trawl vessels operating in areas of high salmonid bycatch or, potentially, in conjunction with a BAC, to reduce incidental take of salmon. (Alternative 1)
• Pacific Whiting Cooperative Operational Rules: Allow each whiting sector co-op to develop salmon mitigation plans for approval by NMFS. Require annual season summary reporting to the Council and NMFS describing high-salmon bycatch incident information and avoidance measures taken. (Alternative 2) 
• Automatic authority for NMFS to close trawl sectors and preserve 500 Chinook salmon for fixed gear and recreational fisheries: Consider adjusting the total Chinook salmon closure points for the whiting and non-whiting trawl sectors that would preserve 500 Chinook salmon for the fixed gear and recreational fishery. (Alternative 1)
• Development of Reserve rule provision: A sector may only access the Reserve if the Council or NMFS has taken action to minimize Chinook salmon bycatch in that sector prior to it reaching its Chinook salmon bycatch guideline. (Alternative 1)

For the at-sea whiting sector, the requirement for Council or NMFS action to minimize Chinook salmon bycatch for access to the Reserve would be satisfied upon approval by NMFS of each of those sector’s respective co-op salmon mitigation plans.

For the shoreside whiting sector, the requirement for Council or NMFS action to minimize Chinook salmon bycatch for access to the Reserve would be satisfied upon approval by NMFS of that sector’s co-op salmon mitigation plans, provided all participating vessels are members of a shoreside co-op with an approved salmon mitigation plan.

If there are vessels participating in the shoreside whiting fishery that are not members of a shoreside whiting co-op, then additional actions by the Council or NMFS may be needed to minimize Chinook salmon bycatch (e.g., BACs, SFFT) prior to allowing access to the reserve by that sector.

Final action on this agenda item is scheduled for November 2019. 

Council considers ways to increase vessel limit of cowcod in trawl quota fishery, annual catch limit of shortbelly rockfish

In September the Council considered increasing the 2020 annual catch limit for shortbelly rockfish to avoid the need to prematurely close fisheries due to high bycatch next year. The Council also considered eliminating the 2020 annual catch target and reducing the yield set-aside for cowcod south of 40°10’ N. lat. in order to increase the annual vessel limit of cowcod in the trawl individual fishing quota fishery.

The Council had received public comment from stakeholders in June requesting relief for both of these issues. Affected trawl participants south of 40°10’ N. lat. asked for a higher annual vessel limit of cowcod, since it is difficult to avoid incidental catch of cowcod as the stock rebuilds.  They were concerned the fishery would be disrupted if the annual vessel limit was attained prematurely. In June, the Groundfish Management Team and Groundfish Advisory Subpanel recommended increasing or eliminating the 2020 cowcod annual catch target (ACT) to avoid a disruption of the fishery.

Public comment also addressed an unexpected increase in the bycatch of shortbelly rockfish in the Pacific whiting fishery this year. Shortbelly rockfish rarely occur north of 40°10’ N. lat., but an apparent distributional shift has greatly increased encounters with them in northern midwater trawl fisheries.  Because of the stock’s importance as a forage species, the 2020 shortbelly rockfish annual catch limit of 500 mt was set intentionally low compared to the acceptable biological catch of 5,789 mt. Commenters requested an increase in the 2020 annual catch limit (ACL) to avoid fishery disruptions if the bycatch is high again next year.  

The Council adopted a range of 2020 shortbelly rockfish ACLs varying from the status quo (500 mts) to 4,184 mt, which is equal to the 2021 and 2022 acceptable biological catch of shortbelly rockfish.  The Council’s preliminary preferred alternative for a 2020 shortbelly rockfish ACL is 3,000 mt, as recommended by the Groundfish Advisory Subpanel.

The Council also adopted an alternative to the status quo ACT of 6 mt for cowcod south of 40°10’ N. lat., which would eliminate the ACT.  The three options for adjusting the yield set-aside range from no adjustment to the specified set-aside of 2 mt to a 75 percent reduction of the set-aside (0.5 mt).  The Council’s preliminary preferred alternative for this action is to eliminate the ACT and reduce the set-aside by 50 percent (1 mt). This action would increase the 2020 annual cowcod vessel limit from 858 lbs. to 1,264 lbs. None of the alternatives would change the cowcod ACL.

The Council is scheduled to take final action for both of these initiatives at their November meeting in Costa Mesa, California. 

Initial harvest specifications, management measures adopted for 2021-2022 

In September the Council adopted 2021 and 2022 groundfish harvest specifications endorsed by the Scientific and Statistical Committee.  The Council also recommended exploring alternative harvest control rules and resulting harvest specifications for cowcod south of 40°10’ N. lat., petrale sole, sablefish, shortbelly rockfish, and Oregon black rockfish. 

The Council asked for further public comment on new management measures recommended by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Groundfish Management Team, and Groundfish Advisory Subpanel.  

The Council will consider a range of alternative harvest control rules and new management measures for detailed analysis at their November meeting in Costa Mesa, California.  The Council is scheduled to recommend final 2021 and 2022 groundfish harvest specifications at their April 2020 meeting in Vancouver, Washington, and final management measures at their June 2020 meeting in San Diego, California. This sequence of decision-making is scheduled so that the new regulations can be implemented on January 1, 2021.  

Inseason adjustments to groundfish fisheries 

The Council adopted new sablefish daily trip limits as follows:

• Open access north: 300 lb/day, or one landing per week up to 1,500 lb, not to exceed 3,000 lbs/ 2 months
• Limited entry north: 1,700 lb/week, not to exceed 5,100 lb/ 2 months

The Council also recommended that NMFS extend the midwater trawl and electronic monitoring exempted fishing permits (EFPs) through 2020. The midwater trawl EFP is designed to collect information about Chinook and coho salmon in the areas south of 42° N. latitude.  This information is needed in order for the Council to consider expanding non-whiting midwater trawl into areas and times of year that are not currently available to these vessels. The Council also examined the status of electronic monitoring EFPs and encouraged NMFS to consider improvements, as described in the GEMPAC report, to this EFP. The EFP is needed to provide vessels, electronic monitoring providers, and NMFS time to transition out of an EFP and into electronic monitoring program regulations that will become effective on January 1, 2021.

Groundfish methodology review topics chosen

The Council adopted methodology review topics recommended by the Scientific and Statistical Committee for formal methodology reviews next year. These topics include: 1) a combined visual-hydroacoustic survey of Oregon’s nearshore semi-pelagic black, blue, and deacon rockfish; 2) a review of data-moderate approaches that are highly reliant on length data; and 3) a meta-analysis of productivity estimates for elasmobranchs. These methodologies will be reviewed next year and may inform future groundfish stock assessments and management decisions if endorsed.