In November 2012, the Council passed a motion to begin the public scoping process for electronic monitoring. A workshop was held in February, 2013 to begin developing electronic monitoring policy for the trawl catch share program.
In 2012, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission received funds to test the feasibility of using electronic monitoring for catch and discard accounting. The project was meant to address some key questions, including whether video monitoring could be used to effectively track an individual’s catch and discards so they could be debited from a quota account, and how much such a program would cost the industry compared to human observers. For further details, see the PSMFC website.
On March 11, a 9.0 earthquake in Japan led to a devastating tsunami that, apart from wreaking havoc in Japan, caused $48 million in damage to the ports of Santa Cruz and Crescent City. In Washington, the process of removing the Elwha, Glines Canyon, and Condit dams began.
Salmon. Ocean salmon seasons provided both
recreational and commercial opportunities coastwide. Greatly improved abundance
of Sacramento River fall Chinook fueled the first substantial ocean salmon fisheries
off California and Oregon since 2007, and Klamath and Sacramento stocks were
officially declared rebuilt. In June, the Council selected final preferred
alternatives for de minimis fishing provisions, status determination
criteria, annual catch limits, salmon stock classification, and accountability
measures.
Habitat and ecosystem. NMFS and the Council finished
their five-year review of essential fish habitat for salmon. The Council
continued to pursue its Fishery Ecosystem Plan, approving a purpose and needs
statement in June and creating an outline for the plan. The Habitat Committee
discussed a new Army Corps of Engineers policy on removing vegetation on levees
which they believed could have damaged salmon habitat. The Council encouraged
the regional marine spatial planning body to include a seat for a Council
representative. A DEIS for removing the four lower Klamath dams was released.
NMFS provided its first Integrated Ecosystem Assessment report to the Council.
Groundfish. Widow rockfish were found to be rebuilt
in an assessment presented in November. The Council adopted harvest
specifications and management measures for 2011-2012 groundfish fisheries. The
council continued to work on an adaptive management program, trawl/nontrawl
allocations, and “safe harbors” from quota share control limits as a follow up
to the trawl catch share program. The Council adopted stock assessments for 2013-2014
management; the size of the overfished bocaccio stock was found to be higher
than expected.
Coastal pelagic species: The Quinault Indian Nation
requested a sardine harvest allocation.
Highly migratory species: An assessment concluded
that the albacore stock was healthy, but another assessment found that Pacific
bluefin tuna were overfished.
Admin: Mark Cedergreen, Rod Moore and Jerry Mallet left
the Council, and Rich Lincoln and Jeff Feldner joined.
In 2011, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) implemented a Council-developed catch share program for the West Coast limited entry groundfish trawl fishery (the trawl catch share program). The program requires that each vessel acquire quota pounds to cover its catch (including discards) of nearly all groundfish species. Exceptions were made for some species that are rarely caught in the trawl groundfish fishery.
The program required some form of at-sea monitoring to ensure that discards are tracked for each vessel, and specified that this be done through 100% at-sea observer coverage. Program participants would be responsible for the full cost of observer coverage, so the industry was interested in finding a less costly way to monitor catch and discards at sea.
Some participants have experienced difficulties in securing observers in a timely or consistent manner, so vessels may prefer the flexibility to turn on an electronic monitoring (or video monitoring) system and leave port immediately instead of waiting for an observer. Such a system would work to monitor compliance with individual fishing quotas. Therefore, electronic monitoring was explored as a flexible and less expensive substitute for human observers in the catch share program.
Salmon: After two years of poor seasons, in 2010 salmon
season were opened coastwide. The commercial season in California was very
limited, but the recreational season was closer to normal. Sacramento River
fall Chinook were listed as “overfished” (although fishing was believed to be a
minor factor in the decline). The Council adopted a range of alternatives for Amendment
16 to the salmon FMP (annual catch limits).
Groundfish: Amendment 23 (which responded to the new National Standard 1 guidelines and requirements) was adopted. The Council clarified trawl rationalization regulations and worked on cost recovery and “safe harbors” amendments to the trawl catch share program. The Council adopted a rebuilding plan for petrale sole, and Council staff worked with NMFS to consider ways to improve the biennial groundfish management process.
Highly migratory species: The Council continued thinking about a limited entry program for the albacore fishery. The Council approved Amendment 2 to the HMS FMP (annual catch limits) and made recommendations on proposed leatherback sea turtle critical habitat. The Council also considered trip limit proposals for the Washington state recreational albacore fishery.
Habitat: The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
updated its management plan. The HC continued to focus on Sacramento River
water issues and began discussing the Ocean Power Technologies wave energy park
off Reedsport (which was never built). The Council reviewed essential fish
habitat for salmon and coastal pelagic species.
Ecosystem: The Ecosystem Fishery Management Plan
continued to take shape.
Coastal pelagic species: The Council approved Amendment
13 to the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan (annual catch limits).
Admin: Herb Pollard was appointed to the Council.
Elsewhere, the Gulf states struggled to contain the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the FDA considered approving genetically
modified salmon for human consumption.
Salmon: As in 2008, the Council once again adopted very restrictive salmon seasons. The commercial fishery and most recreational fisheries off the coast of California were closed in response to the collapse of the Sacramento River fall Chinook stock. However, fisheries north of Cape Falcon were better than in 2008, with much more coho opportunity. In April, the Council was briefed on the causes of the Sacramento River fall Chinook collapse, which included poor ocean conditions, degraded habitat, water withdrawals, and changes in hatchery operations. Queets River and Western Strait of Juan de Fuca coho met the Overfishing Concern threshold.
Ecosystem: The Council began the process of
developing a new Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management Plan (now called the
Fishery Ecosystem Plan). The Ecosystem Plan Development Team and Ecosystem
Advisory Subpanel were formed.
Halibut management was routine, but the total allowable catch for Area 2A was down about 22 percent from 2008. The Council adopted landing restrictions for incidental halibut catch in commercial salmon and longline sablefish fisheries.
Highly migratory species: The Council decided not to
move ahead with a West Coast high seas shallow-set longline fishery, which they
had been considering for two years. There were concerns about the take of
protected species, such as loggerhead sea turtles, in the fishery. NMFS asked
the Council to consider ways to limit albacore fishing; the Council began the process
of considering a limited entry program for the fishery.
All species: The Council worked to establish annual catch limits for all of its managed species in response to requirements in the reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Act. The new requirements were incorporated into Amendment 23 to the groundfish FMP and Amendment 16 to the salmon FMP.
Groundfish:
Essential fish habitat: The Council began reviewing essential fish habitat for groundfish and solicited proposals for changes to groundfish EFH.
Trawl catch shares: Intersector allocations for trawl and non-trawl sectors were adopted for Amendment 21 species. The Council finalized language to implement the trawl rationalization program and worked on trailing actions, including accumulation limits, eligibility criteria for ownership of individual fishing quota, and an adaptive management program. The Council discussed allocation of quota shares for overfished species and discussed allocating more canary rockfish that had been set aside for the adaptive management program.
Vessel monitoring systems (VMS): The ad hoc VMS Committee began evaluating performance of VMS systems, and the effects of VMS on small vessel fleets.
Open access: The Council recommended a preseason registration process for open access fishing vessels seeking to take certain groundfish species.
Overfished species: Petrale sole was declared overfished late in 2009. Canary rockfish and Pacific ocean perch were rebuilding more slowly than expected, but bocaccio, cowcod, darkblotched and widow rockfish were rebuilding faster than expected.
Coastal pelagic species: The Council reviewed proposals for aerial survey research on Pacific sardine and discussed CPS essential fish habitat requirements.
Habitat: The Habitat Committee focused on Klamath dam
removal, the Columbia River Biological Opinion, and the proposed Bradwood
Landing liquified natural gas terminal (which was never built). The Council
sent a letter on the Central Valley Biological Opinion. Hubbs-Sea World presented
to the Council on their offshore aquaculture demonstration project.
Admin: Dorothy Lowman, David Crabbe and Buzz
Brizendine were appointed to the Council. Council staff attended Capital Hill
Oceans Week.
Salmon: In spring 2008 the Council adopted the most restrictive salmon season ever while the Council considered a Klamath River fall Chinook rebuilding strategy and ODFW studied reintroduction of salmon into the upper Klamath River basin. In November, PacifiCorp, the states, and the Federal government signed an agreement to remove the four lower Klamath dams. Meanwhile, the Secretary of Commerce opened the way for Federal salmon disaster assistance. NMFS scientists studied the cause of the decline, reporting to the Council in 2009.
Highly migratory species: An exempted fishing permit for a single longline vessel was approved in the spring, and the Council adopted and refined alternatives for the high seas shallow-set longline fishery. In June the Council looked at management measures for a recreational thresher shark fishery, and adopted an alternative to reduce thresher shark catches in September.
Groundfish: The Council planned new stock assessments for Bocaccio, widow, yelloweye, petrale, spiny dogfish, cabezon, and bronzespotted and greenspotted rockfish. A decision on intersector allocation was delayed until 2009. In September the Council adopted an alternative that would limit access to the directed open access sector of the groundfish fishery. (See March 2009 for final action).
In spring, the Council focused on tracking and monitoring provisions that would be part of the trawl rationalization program, and in June the Council adopted its preferred alternative for trawl rationalization. Hearings were scheduled in several coastal communities in October, and in November the Council voted to rationalize the groundfish trawl fishery.
Habitat/ecosystem: The Council coordinated with the Monterey Bay and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuaries on their management strategies as Monterey Bay considered additional marine protected areas. The Habitat Committee focused on wave energy proposals and prepared a letter to the Minerals Management Service (now Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) on wave energy impacts. The Council commented on the Central Valley Recovery Plan in California.
Coastal pelagic species: The Council postponed a review of sardine allocation. Other than that, CPS management was routine.
Admin: President Obama was elected in November 2008, signaling a potential new direction for fisheries management. The MSA had been reauthorized in 2006, and the Councils and NMFS worked on implementing the new requirements, including new provisions to end overfishing. The Council reviewed new NMFS guidelines in September. The Council also reviewed its research and data needs document in June and adopted a final version in September.
