January 18, 2022 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

This letter is an update regarding our plans for the March 2022 Council meeting. As the March Council meeting date approaches, we are continuing to monitor the COVID pandemic while making plans for a partial in-person setting. These plans were outlined in an earlier letter from Chairman, Gorelnik, and entail an in-person meeting of the Council, the Salmon Technical Team, the Salmon Advisory Subpanel, and in-person accommodations to facilitate Tribal advisors as requested. Appropriate precautions will be in place, such as testing and masking. We plan to have all other Management Teams, Advisory Subpanels, the Scientific and Statistical Committee, and the public participate in the meeting remotely.

It is important to note that these plans are contingent on the status of the COVID pandemic. We are monitoring the status of the pandemic on a daily basis and are hopeful that the latest wave will soon peak and that case counts will decline rapidly from there. To facilitate adequate time for planning, we anticipate making a final decision regarding March Council meeting plans before or on February 4th. At that time, we will decide whether to continue with current plans for a partial in-person meeting, or to revert to a fully remote model like we have been doing through the course of the COVID pandemic.

We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we navigate this difficult time.

A PDF version of this announcement is available on the Council’s website.