April 11-15, 2025
Council Meeting Decision Summary Documents are highlights of significant decisions made at Council meetings. Fishery management decisions made by the Council are formally transmitted to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) as recommendations and are not final until NMFS approval. Results of agenda items that do not reach a level of highlight significance are typically not described in the Decision Summary Document. For a more detailed account of Council meeting discussions, see the Council meeting record and transcripts.
Cross Fishery Management Plan
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Report
Sarah Fangman, West Coast Director of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) presented recent and upcoming activities for the six west coast NMS, including research, outreach, and management-related activities. Ms. Fangman offered to follow up with the Council on several items of interest, including the pending revisions to ONMS guidance on coordination of fishing regulations with Regional Fishery Management Councils, an upcoming effort using the groundfish trawl survey data to create a West Coast NMS deep seafloor community tracker, information related to requests to change fishing regulations in west coast NMS, and research into the economic value of corals and other structure forming invertebrates to the groundfish fishery. In addition, the Council encouraged ONMS to schedule the upcoming Olympic Coast NMS management plan review comment period to overlap with a future Council meeting if possible. Finally, the Council expressed appreciation for the continued communication and coordination between ONMS and the Council on important matters of mutual interest.
Research and Data Needs
The Council adopted their preliminary research and data needs, which included the Scientific and Statistical Committee recommendations (SSC Report 1) and the edits and recommendations from other Advisory Body reports. These will be used to generate a document representing Council preliminary research and data need priorities for review and consideration for final action, which is scheduled for the June 2025 Council meeting.
Socioeconomic Framework Workplan and Update
The Council received an update from staff on its Socioeconomic Framework project, one of three special projects for which the Council has received dedicated funding. Work on the project, which focuses on the development of a decision framework to support the Councils in identifying strategies that increase fishing community resilience and well-being, is expected to get underway this spring. During its discussion, the Council expressed support for the project’s overall goals and anticipated products, with an emphasis on the importance of generating information that helps the Council better understand West Coast fishing communities, as well as improve its ability to weigh management alternatives that impact those communities.
Adaptive Management Workplan and Update
The Council received an update from staff on its Adaptive Management project, one of three special projects for which the Council has received dedicated funding. The project’s objective is to identify innovations or process improvements that make review and implementation of Council actions more timely, efficient, and responsive to rapidly changing environmental conditions. The Council adopted a motion to guide the next steps of the project, including the development of an action plan to explore tools and approaches that increase the capacity for flexibility and adaptive management across all of the Council’s Fishery Management Plans. The Council also prioritized the Groundfish Fishery Management Plan for application of select adaptive management and flexibility tools in the near term, while further considering the potential benefits of those or similar tools to other Council-managed fisheries.
Council Operations and Priorities
The Council received a report from staff on the ongoing efforts to improve Council operations in response to the Council’s long-term budget prognosis, staff and advisor workload, and the need to address these challenges while maintaining and enhancing the Council’s decision-making process. Of note, the Council will implement a new briefing book production period that calls for briefing books to be made available approximately two weeks prior to each Council meeting. Staff received additional feedback for implementing the recommendations and will provide an additional update in November 2025.
Salmon Management
Methodology Review Preliminary Topic Selection
The salmon methodology review ensures that any new or updated methods used in salmon management are reviewed prior to implementation. The review is a multi-step process that begins in April and concludes in November. In April, the Council reviews the list of candidate topics identified and adopts preliminary topics. At the April 2025 Council meeting, the Council considered reports by the Scientific and Statistical Committee, Salmon Technical Team (STT), and Sacramento River Fall Chinook Workgroup (SRWG), as well as a presentation by Council member Marc Gorelnik, and adopted three preliminary topics for review.
- The Oregon Production Index Hatchery (OPIH) forecast methodology, including the index exponential-decay-weighting approach adopted for use in 2025 and additional aspects of the OPIH forecast methodology, such as breaking the forecast into component stocks, as time and staffing allows;
- Proposed SRWG Topic 1: Derivation of natural-area SMSY for Sacramento River fall Chinook;
- Proposed SRWG Topic 3: Methods for deriving a total (natural areas plus hatchery) escapement objective based on consideration of natural production and hatchery needs.
In September, the Council will be updated on the topics ready for review and notified of any support needed from management entities to complete the review materials. The Salmon Methodology Review will take place in October, and at their November meeting, the Council will receive the results of this review from the Scientific and Statistical Committee and STT.
Additionally, the Council directed Council staff, in consultation with the STT and SRWG, to develop a roadmap outlining the appropriate steps and sequence for a comprehensive review of the SRWG’s recommendations for evaluating the Sacramento River fall Chinook reference points, the conservation objective, and the harvest control rule. The roadmap will be presented at the September 2025 Council meeting.
Review of Essential Fish Habitat – Scoping
The Council endorsed the scope and call for information (CFI) described in D.5 Attachment 1 and Attachment 2 and recommended that the salmon Essential Fish Habitat Review Team move forward with Phase 1 of the review process, as described in Council Operating Procedure 22. While the Council also expressed support for the proposed workplan, it was recognized that uncertainties exist regarding National Marine Fisheries Service and Council capacity to carry out the workplan as envisioned. The review team will issue the CFI soon with a 60-90 day comment period. Data and information received from the CFI, as well as any other information compiled by the review team, will be synthesized in fall 2025 and will inform the Phase 1 report tentatively schedule for Council consideration at its April 2026 meeting. At that point the Council will determine whether to proceed with the development of proposed changes to salmon essential fish habitat (Phase 2) and if so, will establish the scope for Phase 2.
Final Action on 2025 Management Measures
The Council adopted management measures for 2025 ocean salmon fisheries and will transmit its recommendations to National Marine Fisheries Service for implementation by May 16, 2025. Detailed management measures and a press release are posted on the Council’s webpage.
Habitat Issues
Current Habitat Issues
The Habitat Committee’s (HC) Supplemental HC Report 2 includes information and updates on current habitat issues. The HC noted that the Columbia River Systems Operations (CRSO) Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) public scoping meetings and comment period have been delayed. An updated timeline is expected sometime soon. The HC also discussed the California Senate Bill (SB) 605 Wave & Tidal Energy Draft Phase II Consultant Report and offered to work with the Marine Planning Committee to complete a succinct comment letter via the Council’s quick response procedure. Finally, the HC heard an update on the Klamath River as it adjusts to the removal of the lower four dams. The HC will continue to track Klamath River habitat, water quality, and compliance issues and brief the Council as necessary.
Pacific Halibut Management
Incidental Catch Limits for the 2025 Salmon Troll Fishery – Final Action
Under the Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan, the salmon troll fishery receives a portion of the non-tribal commercial halibut allocation for incidental retention. The Council has adopted halibut retention limits for the ocean salmon troll fishery, effective May 16, 2025, through the end of the 2025 salmon season, and resuming April 1, 2026, unless modified by inseason action or 2026 management measures.
Beginning May 16, 2025, vessels may retain one Pacific halibut per two Chinook salmon, with a maximum of 35 halibut per trip. Additionally, one halibut may be landed regardless of the ratio requirement (1+1 per 2, 35). These limits have been in place since 2019 and will continue to guide incidental halibut retention.
Coastal Pelagic Species Management
Exempted Fishing Permits (EFP) for 2025-26 – Final Action
The Council adopted the final exempted fishing permit (EFP) recommendations for the 2025-26 fishing year. This recommendation included the renewal of the proposal submitted by the California Wetfish Producers Association to allow fishing for Pacific sardine for biological samples in the nearshore (Attachment 1).
Pacific Sardine Assessment, Harvest Specifications, and Management Measures for 2025-26 – Final Action
The Council adopted harvest specifications and management measures for the northern subpopulation of Pacific sardine for the 2025-26 fishing year, based on a stock biomass of 30,158 mt projected in the 2025 update assessment (Attachment 1). Specifications followed the guidelines of the revised Pacific sardine rebuilding plan adopted by the Council in November 2024. These specifications included an overfishing limit (OFL), acceptable biological catch (ABC) with a tier 2 sigma (uncertainty level), a P* uncertainty buffer, an annual catch limit (ACL), and an annual catch target (ACT).
| OFL | 4,645 mt |
| P* Buffer | 0.45 mt |
| ABC (Tier 2) | 3,957 mt |
| ACL | 2,200 mt |
| ACT | 2,100 mt |
Accountability measures adopted included:
- Incidental landing limit in CPS fisheries of 20 percent.
- If the ACT of 2,100 mt is attained, a per-trip limit of 1 mt of Pacific sardine applies to all CPS fisheries.
- An incidental per-landing allowance of 2 mt of Pacific sardine in non-CPS fisheries until the ACL is reached.
Pacific Mackerel Specifications and Management Measures for 2025-27 – Final Action
The Council adopted harvest specifications and management measures for Pacific mackerel for the 2025-26 and 2026-2027 fishing years, based on a stock biomass of 61,737 mt projected in the 2025 catch-only stock assessment (Attachment 1). These specifications included an overfishing limit (OFL), acceptable biological catch (ABC) with a tier 2 sigma (uncertainty level), a P* uncertainty buffer, an annual catch limit (ACL), a harvest guideline (HG), an annual catch target (ACT), and an incidental landing allowance.
2025-26 Pacific Mackerel Harvest Specifications (mt)
| Biomass | 61,737 |
| P* | 0.45 |
| OFL | 12,965 |
| ABC0.45 (Tier 2) | 10,084 |
| ACL (=ABC) | 10,084 |
| HG | 9,143 |
| ACT | 8,143 |
| Incidental | 1,000 |
2026-27 Pacific Mackerel Harvest Specifications (mt)
| Biomass | 67,954 |
| P* | 0.45 |
| OFL | 14,270 |
| ABC0.45 (Tier 2) | 11,099 |
| ACL (=ABC) | 11,099 |
| HG | 10,448 |
| ACT | 9,448 |
| Incidental | 1,000 |
Accountability measures adopted included:
- Incidental set-aside of 1,000 mt each fishing year, and associated ACTs 1,000 mt less than the corresponding HGs.
- For each separate fishing year, should the directed fishery realize the ACT, National Marine Fisheries Service should close the directed fishery and shift to an incidental-only fishery for the remainder of the fishing season.
- 45 percent incidental landing allowance when Pacific mackerel are landed with other CPS, with the exception that up to 3 mt of Pacific mackerel per landing could be landed in non-CPS fisheries.
Science and Management Priorities
The Council reviewed the list of coastal pelagic species (CPS) science and management priorities detailed in Attachment 1, adding topics recommended by the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) in their Supplemental SSC Report 1, adopting this list, and prioritizing the following items and their subtopics:
- Pacific sardine Stock Structure
- Stock Assessment Frequency
- Managing Annual Opportunity
Items added to the topics list by the SSC included two subtopics under Managing Annual Opportunity: (1) More responsive harvest control rules and (2) Review of overfishing limits for other CPS.
The Council recommended first scheduling an agenda item for the Pacific Sardine Stock Structure topic as the highest priority item and including consideration of the harvest control rule parameters EMSY and DISTRIBUTION within this topic. The Council did not recommend an additional scientific workshop or other similar process, but rather a review of current science to develop a range of alternative stock definitions to include in the CPS Fishery Management Plan.
Administrative Matters
Membership Appointments and Council Operating Procedures
The Council appointed Katie Davis to one of the four National Marine Fisheries Service seats on the Coastal Pelagic Species Management Team.