2021 proposed changes to the Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan and annual regulations, including the non-tribal directed commercial fishery

The Council adopted for public review proposed changes to the current Area 2A Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan (CSP) and annual fishing regulations in Washington, Oregon, and California recreational fisheries for the 2021 season as follows: In the Columbia River subarea allow the retention of yellowtail, widow, canary, redstriped, greenstriped, slivergray, chilipepper, bocaccio, and blue/deacon […]

Pacific Council News Fall 2020: Halibut

Council adopts 2021 Catch Sharing Plan changes, annual regulations In September the Council adopted proposed changes to the 2020 Area 2A Pacific halibut Catch Sharing Plan and annual fishing regulations for West Coast recreational fisheries for public review. In addition to status quo, the options include: In the Columbia River subarea, allowing the retention of […]

Pacific Council News Fall 2020: Salmon

Upper Columbia United Tribes begin reintroducing salmon above Chief Joseph, Grand Coulee The Upper Columbia United Tribes have begun a process to reintroduce anadromous fish above Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams.  The tribes have been working with state and Federal agencies on the project. In a report to the Council in September, Rodney Cawston, […]

Pacific Council News Fall 2020: Highly migratory species

Nineteen exempted fishing permits for deep-set buoy gear forwarded At its September meeting the Council reviewed 20 exempted fishing permit (EFP) applications to use standard and linked deep-set buoy gear, and recommended that National Marine Fisheries Service issue all but one.  Four of the applications proposed using deep-set buoy gear at night, but the Council […]

Pacific Council News Fall 2020: Groundfish

Primary fixed-gear sablefish fishery extended under emergency rule Under an emergency action, NMFS is extending the primary (tier) limited entry fixed-gear sablefish fishery from October 31 to December 31, 2020 in response to requests from the Groundfish Advisory Subpanel, fishing industry, and members of the public. A portion of this sablefish sector also participates in […]

Pacific Council News Fall 2020

An interview with Don Hansen, Part 2: Memories of management Getting into fishery management was interesting. From the second meeting on, I was there, until now. So I’ve been with fishery management for a long, long time. [Those first Council meetings] were different! Believe me, they were different. You sat around a table and the […]

Pacific Council News Fall 2020: Habitat, ecosystem, and related stories

Climate and Communities scenario presented; workshops to follow The Council endorsed the Climate and Communities Core Team’s) final climate scenario document in September. The Council has been conducting a climate change scenario planning exercise for over a year as part of the Fishery Ecosystem Plan Climate and Communities Initiative.  At a January workshop that included […]