Saving Seafood

Launching new oral testimony sign up via E-Portal

November 5, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

We are excited to announce the next evolution of the E-Portal for public comment. The Pacific Council launched the E-Portal to allow users to submit their public comments electronically. Then once at the Council meeting, participants would fill out a yellow card to sign up for public testimony on an Agenda Item.  Now that we’ve moved our meetings virtually, we have digitized the yellow sign up card and tied it into our already familiar E-Portal.

Check out the video below to see how you can sign up for public testimony via the E-Portal starting with our November 2020 Council meeting.

Oral testimony sign ups will go live at 8am on 11/13/2020 via the E-Portal. See our November Council Meeting page for additional information.

Read the full release here

CALIFORNIA: The Pacific sardine war hits a lull, but the tides are rising

November 4, 2020 — With catch limit regulations staying at the status quo, the commercial fishing industry has apparently landed a victory in the fight over Pacific sardine management.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council, which oversees fishing of Pacific sardines, voted unanimously in September to maintain the current sardine fishery management process that calls for reassessments after each year’s stock assessments.

At the moment, the direct commercial sardine fishery is closed. Sardines may only be harvested in the live bait fishery, small-scale fisheries (or operations), as incidental catch, and with exempted permits approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service. These open sardine fisheries are subject to an annual catch limit of about 16% of the sardine population measured in 2019, or 4,514 metric tons.

Conservationists had hoped the council would tighten catch limits for fear of the sardine population collapsing further.

Read the full story at The Mercury News

PFMC: ATTENTION: Phishing camping via text using Marc Gorelnik’s name

November 4, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

Please be aware that this morning we have identified a phishing campaign using Marc Gorelnik’s name. It appears someone is attempting to request your assistance to send money via Cash app (or other electronic payment method) on behalf of Marc Gorelnik.

At this time, all interactions have come via text message from an unknown number. There is no evidence of any accounts being hacked or masked.

As many phishing campaigns go, it is most likely an individual/group utilizing the publicly facing phone numbers on websites/Rosters and the fact that in this case Marc’s name is next to the role “Chairman” of the Council.

Please disregard these messages, and stay vigilant to any communications asking for you to send money electronically.  We have reached out to Marc to notify him of this event, and will continue to monitor things moving forward.

Read the full release here

PFMC: Call for data and information – Essential Fish Habitat Review for Coastal Pelagic Species

October 30, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council, National Marine Fisheries Service, and the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center have initiated a review of essential fish habitat provisions in the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan.  This call for data and information is intended to support the review.  Information and data sources can include published scientific literature, unpublished scientific reports, information from interested parties, and previously unavailable or inaccessible data.  Information relevant to the CPS EFH review should be submitted no later than Monday November 30th, 2020.

Please see the “Call for data and information” announcement on the Council’s website for further details..

November 2020 Briefing Book available online (November 2020 PFMC meeting)

October 23, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Briefing Book for the November 9-10, 12-13, & 16-20, 2020 Council meeting has been posted to the Council’s website on the “November 2020 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: November 9-10; 12-13 and 16-20, 2020 PFMC Meeting Notice (Online) and Agenda Now Available

October 12, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC or Council) and its advisory bodies will meet November 9‐10, 12‐13 and 16‐20, 2020 by webinar only, to address issues related to groundfish, Pacific halibut, salmon, highly migratory species, coastal pelagic species, and administrative matters.

Please see the November 9-10; 12-13; and 16-20, 2020 Council meeting notice on the Council’s website for further updates and details regarding webinar participation; schedule of advisory body meetings, our E-Portal for submitting public comments, and public comment deadlines. There will be no meetings scheduled on November 11, or during the weekend of November 14‐15, however, the meeting will continue daily on Monday, November 16 at 8 a.m. through Friday, November 20, 2020. Meetings of advisory bodies will also be conducted by online meetings based on the schedules in the agenda. There will be one opportunity for public comment daily in each of the online meetings.

Instructions for how to connect to the online meetings will be posted on the Council’s November 2020 Meeting webpage prior to the first day of the meeting.

For further information:

PFMC makes recommendations on Executive Order 13921: Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth

October 8, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

On May 7, the President signed Executive Order 13921, Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth.  The Order focuses on the importance of seafood; combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; removing regulatory burdens; and streamlining aquaculture permitting. It implements the Port State Measures agreement and other measures to combat IUU fishing, and makes NOAA the lead on certain aquaculture projects.

The Order requests that each Council submit a prioritized list of actions by November 2 to reduce burdens on domestic fishing and to increase production within sustainable fisheries. The Pacific Council’s list, determined in September, includes modifying the non-trawl rockfish conservation areas by reducing the areas, adjusting troll incidental landing limits, and allowing use of midwater jig gear; and increasing utilization in the whiting mothership sector. The Council will also request that the Secretary of Commerce work with the Department of Interior to modify U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules to reclassify sea urchins and squid as shellfish.

Additionally, the Council identified several crucial funding needs: ongoing survey work needed for groundfish and coastal pelagic species stock assessments, increased funding for creel surveys and biological sampling of ocean salmon fisheries, and funding for electronic monitoring.

The Order calls for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (working with other agencies) to propose nationwide permits for finfish aquaculture, seaweed aquaculture, and combined aquaculture (finfish and seaweed) projects; and calls for Federal agencies including Councils to identify at least two “Aquaculture Opportunity Areas” (AOAs) that are suitable for commercial aquaculture every year for five years. A programmatic environmental impact statement will then identify suitable species, gear, and reporting requirements for those locations. Public input will be solicited at several points during the process.

Diane Windham of NOAA’s Aquaculture Program briefed the Habitat Committee on the selection of two AOAs in Federal waters. These areas are described as areas having high potential for commercial aquaculture. NOAA selected Southern California and the Gulf of Mexico for further evaluation based on existing spatial information and industry interests. Specific locations and spatial configurations will be determined through public processes involving stakeholders and government bodies.

The Council will request NMFS conduct an essential fish habitat consultation on the AOAs early in the process, as part of the programmatic environmental impact statement, and will emphasize the importance of communication and coordination between Federal and state processes in regard to AOAs. Part of the consideration AOAs should include is a review of fishing regulations and fishery patterns with respect to siting aquaculture projects. Any public comment periods on AOA, specific proposed sites, or environmental review documents should include dates that overlap a scheduled meeting of the Pacific Council.

PFMC: Groundfish Management Team to hold online meeting November 6, 2020

October 2, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Groundfish Management Team (GMT) will hold an online meeting to discuss items on the Pacific Council’s November 2020 meeting agenda.  This meeting is open to the public.  The meeting will be held Friday, November 6, 2020, starting at 9 a.m. (Pacific Standard Time) and ending at 12 p.m., or when business for the day is complete.

Please see the meeting notice on the Council’s website for participation details.

For further information:

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

PFMC: Request for Nominations for a Vacancy on the Coastal Pelagic Species Advisory Subpanel Representing the Conservation Community

October 2, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) is seeking qualified candidates to consider for a vacant Conservation position on its Coastal Pelagic Species Advisory Subpanel (CPSAS).  The successful candidate will serve out the remainder of the 2019-2021 Council advisory body term. To ensure consideration, nominations should be received at the Council office no later than 5 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday, October 19, 2020.

For more information please see the vacancy announcement on the Council website.

For further information:

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer Kerry Griffin at 503-820-2409; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

PFMC: SSC Groundfish subcommittee to hold online meeting October 23, 2020

October 1, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Scientific and Statistical Committee Groundfish Subcommittee (SSC Groundfish Subcommittee) will hold an online meeting, which is open to the public.  The meeting will be held Friday, October 23, 2020, starting at 2 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Time) and ending at 4 p.m., or until business for the day is complete.

Please see the Meeting notice on the Council’s website for participation details.

For further information:

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer John DeVore at 503-820-2413; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.