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Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan

West Coast

About

The Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) describes how the Pacific Fishery Management Council develops decisions for management of the groundfish fishery off California, Oregon and Washington. Since it was first implemented in 1982, the Council has amended the FMP numerous times in response to changes in the fishery, reauthorizations of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and litigation.

More Information

Actions

Current Recently Finalized Historical Actions

Emergency Action to Temporarily Extend the 2021 Sablefish Primary Fishery

This emergency rule temporarily extends the 2021 Limited Entry Fixed Gear (LEFG) sablefish primary fishery season from October 31, 2021, to December 31, 2021. At its September 2021 meeting, industry members requested the Pacific Fishery Management…
Emergency Rule
,
West Coast
Comments Close
11/29/2021

Emergency Action to Temporarily Remove Seasonal Processing Limitations for Pacific Whiting Motherships and Catcher-Processors

On October 25, 2021, NOAA Fisheries extended an Emergency Rule (86 FR 58810) in the Federal Register to temporarily allow at-sea Pacific whiting processing vessels to operate as both a mothership (MS) and a catcher-processor (C/P) during the 2021…
Temporary Rule
,
West Coast
Published
10/25/2021

Paperwork Reduction Act Renewal, Opportunity for Comment, Vessel Monitoring System

This is a request for a revision and extension of a currently approved information collection. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) implemented a Vessel Monitoring Program in 2004, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and…
Notice
,
West Coast
Published
01/11/2021

Proposed Rule to Delay Implementation of West Coast Groundfish Electronic Monitoring Program

This proposed rule would revise regulations to delay implementation of the Electronic Monitoring (EM) Program for the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program. The proposed rule would delay implementation of the EM program by one year, from…
Proposed Rule
,
West Coast
Published
08/28/2020

Regulatory Revisions to Vessel Movement, Monitoring, and Declaration Management for the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery

NOAA Fisheries proposes revisions to reporting and monitoring provisions for vessels participating in the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery. This proposed action would: Increase the position transmission rate for certain vessels using NOAA…
Proposed Rule
,
West Coast
Published
10/10/2019

2021 Rule to Delay West Coast Groundfish Electronic Monitoring (EM) Program Regulations

This Interim Final Rule revises regulations to delay implementation of the EM Program in the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Program until January 1, 2024.  NOAA Fisheries made this change to provide additional time to address issues raised by…
Interim Rule
,
West Coast
Published
10/06/2021

Salmon Bycatch Minimization Measures for the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery

NOAA Fisheries is implementing salmon bycatch minimization measures to minimize incidental take of Endangered Species Act-listed salmon by vessels in the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery.  The final rule establishes additional management tools to…
Final Rule
,
West Coast
Published
02/23/2021

Amendment 29 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan & 2021-2022 Harvest Specifications and Management Measures

This final rule establishes the 2021–22 harvest specifications for groundfish taken in the U.S. exclusive economic zone off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act…
Final Rule
,
West Coast
Effective
01/01/2021

Final Rule to Delay Implementation of West Coast Groundfish Electronic Monitoring Program

This final rule revises regulations to delay implementation of the Electronic Monitoring (EM) Program for the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program. Implementation of the EM program will be delayed by one year, from January 1, 2021, to…
Final Rule
,
West Coast
Effective
12/23/2020

Amendment 21-4 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan

NOAA Fisheries implemented the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Program in January 2011. The Catch Share Program established an individual fishing quota system for vessels catching groundfish with trawl gear. In 2017, the Pacific Fishery…
Final Rule
,
West Coast
Effective
01/16/2020

Inseason Adjustments to Biennial Groundfish Management Measures

This final rule announces routine inseason adjustments to management measures in Pacific Coast commercial groundfish fisheries. This action is intended to allow commercial fishing vessels to access more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting…
Final Rule
,
West Coast
Effective
01/02/2020

Amendment 28 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan

Amendment 28 changes bottom trawl fishing closures to minimize adverse effects of fishing to Pacific Coast groundfish essential fish habitat (EFH), re-opens historically important fishing grounds to groundfish bottom trawling, and prohibits fishing with…
Final Rule
,
West Coast
Published
11/19/2019

Fisheries off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Electronic Monitoring Program

NOAA Fisheries has issued a final rule that makes electronic monitoring (EM) an option for midwater trawl vessels in the Pacific whiting fishery and fixed gear vessels in the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) fishery beginning in 2021, consistent with the…
Final Rule
,
West Coast
Effective
07/29/2019

2019-2020 Biennial Harvest Specifications for Pacific Coast Groundfish

This rule establishes the 2019-2020 harvest specifications and management measures for groundfish taken in the U.S. exclusive economic zone off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation…
Final Rule
,
West Coast
Effective
01/01/2019

Amendment 21-3 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan

This rule changes the management of the Pacific whiting at-sea sectors' (i.e., the Mothership [MS] and Catcher/Processor [C/P] sectors) allocations for darkblotched rockfish and Pacific ocean perch (POP) by managing the allocations as set-asides rather…
Final Rule
,
West Coast
Effective
02/07/2018

Fisheries Off West Coast States; Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 1; Amendments to the Fishery Management Plans for Coastal Pelagic Species,

Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 1 (CEBA 1) amends the Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council's) four fishery management plans (FMPs): the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) FMP, the Pacific Coast Groundfish FMP, the FMP for U.S. West Coast…
Final Rule
,
West Coast
Effective
05/04/2016

Fisheries Off West Coast States; List of Authorized Fisheries and Gear

This action updates the Federal list of authorized fisheries and gear issued under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA, at 16 U.S.C. 1855(a)). The List of Fisheries includes a description of fisheries allowed to operate in…
Final Rule
,
West Coast
Effective
01/22/2015

Last updated by West Coast Regional Office on 09/25/2020