NOAA Fisheries has published a notice of decision (NOD) on approving the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s proposed amendment to the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan (Amendment 24).
Amendment 24 to the Salmon FMP clarifies the technical process for reviewing updates to the models used to determine the Chinook salmon abundance threshold (threshold) that may trigger additional management measures to limit the impact of ocean salmon fisheries on Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW). The whales are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Chinook salmon, some of which are listed as threatened under the ESA, are their preferred prey. This action is administrative in nature and does not change the approach used to establish the threshold, the method described in the Salmon FMP to periodically update it based on new information or the fishery management responses currently described in the Salmon FMP. There are no implementing regulations with this proposed FMP amendment.
Amendment 24 does not include implementing regulations; therefore, there is no final rule related to this amendment.
For the specific details associated with Amendment 24, please visit our website.
For more information, contact
Shannon Penna, Anadromous Harvest Management, at (562) 980-4239.
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