Saving Seafood

PFMC: November 2019 Briefing Book online (November 14-20, 2019 PFMC mtg)

October 25, 2019 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Briefing Book for the November 14-20, 2019 Council meeting has been posted to the Council’s website on the “November 2019 Briefing Book” webpage.

The Briefing Book contains the meeting agenda, “situation summaries” (brief summaries that provide background for each agenda item), reports and materials for each agenda item, and public comment submitted to our e-portal. Advisory body and committee agendas and memos are also available.

For further information:

PFMC: Groundfish Management Team to Hold Webinar November 5, 2019

October 10, 2019 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s  Groundfish Management Team (GMT) will convene a webinar meeting to discuss items on the Pacific Council’s November 2019 meeting agenda.  The webinar will be held Tuesday, November 5, 2019 from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.  The webinar end time is an estimate, the meeting will adjourn when business for the day is completed.  This meeting is open to the public.

Please see the Groundfish Management Team Webinar Notice on the Council’s website for participation details.

For further information:

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer Mr. Todd Phillips  at 503-820-2426; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

PFMC: November 14-20, 2019 PFMC Meeting Notice and Agenda Now Available

October 10, 2019 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory bodies will meet November 14‐20, 2019 in Costa Mesa, California, to address issues related to groundfish, salmon, Pacific halibut, highly migratory species, coastal pelagic species, habitat, and administrative matters. The meeting of the Council and its advisory entities will be held at the Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa Hotel, 3050 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626; telephone, 714‐540‐7000.

Please see the November 14-20, 2019 Council Meeting notice on the Council’s website for meeting detail, schedule of advisory body meetings, our new E-Portal for submitting public comments, and public comment deadlines.

Key agenda items for the meeting include Council considerations to:

  • Adopt Final Salmon Methodology Changes for 2020 and Beyond
  • Adopt Final 2020 Salmon Preseason Management Schedule and Consider an Annual Management Cycle Amendment
  • Review Updated Risk Assessment and Provide Final Recommendations for Southern Residence Killer Whale Endangered Species Act Consultation, as Appropriate
  • Adopt Final Changes for the 2020 Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan and Annual Fishery Regulations
  • Adopt Final Regulations for the 2020 Commercial Directed Pacific Halibut Fishery and Scope Future Transition of Management
    Provide Final Recommendations on Revised Electronic Monitoring Guidelines and Draft Program Manual and Provide Guidance on Implementation
  • Adopt Final Preferred Alternatives for 2020 Harvest Specifications for Cowcod and Shortbelly Rockfish
  • Adopt Final 2021‐2022 Groundfish Harvest Specifications and Preliminary Management Measures
  • Adopt Pacific Whiting Yield Set‐Asides for 2020 and Final Action on Groundfish Fishery Inseason Adjustments
  • Scope a Highly Migratory Species Plan Amendment Authorizing Shallow Set Longline Gear Outside of the Exclusive Economic Zone
  • Review Methodologies for Estimating Nearshore Abundance of the Central Subpopulation of Northern Anchovy, Consider the Frequency of Review of Overfishing Limits, and Consider Alternatives for Accountability Measures

For further information:

Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff at 503-820-2280; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

PFMC: Habitat Committee to meet via webinar on October 30, 2019

October 8, 2019 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

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 the discretion of the Habitat Committee Chair.

Please see the Habitat Commitee Webinar Notice on the Council’s website for participation details.

For further information:

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer Ms. Jennifer Gilden  at 503-820-2418; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

Southern Resident Killer Whale Workgroup to meet via Webinar October 29, 2019

October 8, 2019 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

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 has been completed.  This is a public meeting and not a public hearing.  Public comments will be taken at the discretion of the Workgroup co-chairs as time allows.

Please see the SRKW Workgroup Webinar Notice on the Council’s website for participation details.

For further information:

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer Ms. Robin Ehlke  at 503-820-2410; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

Public review draft of Fishery Ecosystem Plan Chapters 1 & 2 revisions now available

October 4, 2019 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

Pacific Coast Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the U.S. Portion of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem – Proposed revisions to Chapters 1 and 2 as part of the five-year review are now available.

As part of the five-year review of its Fishery Ecosystem Plan, in September 2019 the Council adopted for public review a revision of Chapters 1 and 2 including the vision statement and purpose, goals, and objectives.  The Council will take final action to adopt these changes at its March 2020 meeting. The deadline to submit written public comment for that meeting will be in early February 2020.

Salmon Methodology Review meeting via Webinar October 22, 2019

September 30, 2019 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Salmon Technical Team and Scientific and Statistical Salmon Subcommittee will hold a joint methodology review meeting.  This meeting will be held via webinar and is open to the public.

The webinar will be held Tuesday, October 22, 2019 at 9 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, and will end at 4 p.m. or when business for the day has been completed.

Please see the Salmon Methodology Review webinar notice on the Council’s website for participation details.

A public listening station will be provided at the Council office in Portland, Oregon.

For further information:

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer Ms. Robin Ehlke  at 503-820-2410; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

Ad Hoc Sablefish Management and Trawl Allocation Attainment Committee to Meet October 9-10, 2019 in Portland, OR

September 26, 2019 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s ad hoc Sablefish Management and Trawl Allocation Attainment Committee (SaMTAAC) will hold a two-day meeting that is open to the public.  The meeting will begin Wednesday, October 9, 2019 at 8 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time and recess when business for the day is completed.  It will continue at 8 a.m. Thursday, October 10, adjourning when business for the day is completed.

Please see the SaMTAAC October 9-10, 2019 Meeting Notice on the Council’s website for full details.

For further information:

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer Jim Seger at 503-820-2416; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

PFMC: Request for Nominations for Two At-Large Vacancies on SSC

September 24, 2019 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) is seeking qualified candidates to consider for two At-Large positions on its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC). The successful candidates will serve out the remainder of the 2019-2021 Council advisory body term.

The Council relies on its SSC for independent, objective advice and analysis about verifiable scientific evidence and theoretical methodologies regarding west coast fishery management approaches and practices.  The successful candidate should have knowledge of west coast fisheries and strong scientific expertise in statistics, biology, ecosystem dynamics, economics, fisheries management, population dynamics, fishery-related social science, or other related fields. At this time the Council is particularly, but not exclusively, interested in candidates experienced in the assessment of stocks in the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan and candidates with expertise with stocks and fisheries under the Fishery Management Plan for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for Highly Migratory Species.

To ensure consideration, nominations should be received at the Council office no later than 5 pm, Pacific Time, Thursday, October 17, 2019.

The Council is committed to the principle of diversity and is particularly interested in receiving nominations from a broad spectrum of people. Eligibility or selection for these positions will not be based on race, color, national origin, handicap, age, religion, or sexual orientation.

If you have further questions, please contact Mr. Mike Burner at 503-820-2280; toll free 1-866-806-7204.

PFMC: September 2019 Council Decision Summary Document

September 24, 2019 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council met September 13-18, 2019 in Boise, Idaho. The September 2019 Council Meeting Decision Summary Document contains the highlights of significant decisions made at that meeting. Results of agenda items that do not reach a level of highlight significance are typically not described in the Decision Summary Document.