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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 in federal waters off California, Oregon and the outer coast of Washington (does not include inland waters). 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

Under Development Implemented Actions

2025 Harvest Specifications for Pacific Whiting and 2025 Tribal Allocation

Tribal Pacific whiting allocation for 2025 and whiting set-aside for research and incidental mortality in non-groundfish fisheries in 2025
Proposed Rule,
West Coast
Comments Close
04/30/2025

Amendment 34 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan: Groundfish Exclusion Area for Coral Research and Restoration

Amendment to modify groundfish exclusion areas
Proposed Rule,
West Coast
Published
10/23/2024

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

Request for comments on information collection related to an ongoing Vessel Monitoring System.
Notice,
West Coast
Published
01/11/2021

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

Proposed rule for Electronic Monitoring (EM) Program for the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program.
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.
Proposed Rule,
West Coast
Published
10/10/2019

Shelf rockfish inseason adjustment for the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery

Inseason action for 2025 commercial groundfish fisheries catching shelf rockfish
Final Rule,
West Coast
Published
03/06/2025

Amendment 33 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan: 2025-2026 Groundfish Harvest Specifications and Management Measures

Amendment 33 of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan, 2025-2026 harvest specifications
Final Rule,
West Coast
Published
12/16/2024

Amendment 32 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan: Modifications to Non-Trawl Sector Area Management Measures

Modifications to non-trawl sector area management measures for Pacific Coast groundfish
Final Rule,
West Coast
Published
12/01/2023

Amendments to West Coast Groundfish Electronic Monitoring Program

Revisions to regulations that apply to Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program participants and electronic monitoring (EM) service providers
Final Rule,
West Coast
Published
11/22/2023

Amendment 31 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan

Amendment 31 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which proposes to define the geographic units of 20 stocks for 14 species of groundfish, a subset of 80+ species managed by the FMP
Final Rule,
West Coast
Published
11/16/2023

2023 Harvest Specifications for Pacific Whiting and 2023 Tribal Allocation

Harvest allocations for the 2023 Pacific whiting fishery
Final Rule,
West Coast
Effective
05/31/2023

Regulatory Amendment to Increase Pacific Whiting Utilization in the At-Sea Sectors

Rulemaking to address operational flexibility in the Pacific whiting fishery
Final Rule,
West Coast
Published
12/16/2022

Amendment 30 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan & 2023-2024 Harvest Specifications and Management Measures

Amendment 30 of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan, 2023-2024 harvest specifications
Final Rule,
West Coast
Published
12/16/2022

2022 Federal Logbook Requirement for Pacific Coast Groundfish Non-Trawl Fisheries

Final rule for implementation of logbook requirements for Pacific Coast Groundfish non-trawl fishing
Final Rule,
West Coast
Published
10/03/2022

Electronic Monitoring (EM) Program Regulations for Bottom Trawl and Non-Whiting Midwater Trawl Vessels

Availability of a final rule
Final Rule,
West Coast
Published
10/03/2022

2022 Harvest Specifications for Pacific Whiting and 2022 Pacific Whiting Tribal Allocation

NOAA Fisheries is announcing a final rule for the 2022 Pacific whiting fishery.
Final Rule,
West Coast
Published
06/02/2022

Emergency Action to Temporarily Extend the 2021 Sablefish Primary Fishery

Provide operational flexibility for vessels in the sablefish primary fishery to fully harvest their catch limits despite high economic uncertainty in 2021
Emergency Rule,
West Coast
Effective
10/29/2021

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

Emergency Rule, effective October 25, 2021,  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 Pacific whiting fishery.
Temporary Rule,
West Coast
Published
10/25/2021

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

Implementation of the EM program delayed until at least January 1, 2024
Interim Rule,
West Coast
Published
10/06/2021

Salmon Bycatch Minimization Measures for the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery

Salmon bycatch minimization measures to minimize incidental take of Endangered Species Act-listed salmon by vessels in the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery. 
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

Amendment 29 of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan.
Final Rule,
West Coast
Effective
01/01/2021

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

Final rule to delay implementation of West Coast groundfish electronic monitoring until January 2022.
Final Rule,
West Coast
Effective
12/23/2020

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

Final rule for Amendment 21-4, implementing changes to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Program, which established an individual fishing quota system for vessels catching groundfish with trawl gear.
Final Rule,
West Coast
Effective
01/16/2020

Inseason Adjustments to Biennial Groundfish Management Measures

Final rule for 2019–2020 Pacific Coast groundfish fishery biennial adjustments.
Final Rule,
West Coast
Effective
01/02/2020

Amendment 28 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan

NOAA Fisheries publishes a final rule on November 19, 2019 (84 FR 63966) implementing changes to area closures for commercial vessels fishing in federal waters off Washington, Oregon, and California, effective January 1, 2020.
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 (but delayed)
Final Rule,
West Coast
Effective
07/29/2019

2019-2020 Biennial Harvest Specifications for Pacific Coast Groundfish

Final rule establishing 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.
Final Rule,
West Coast
Effective
01/01/2019

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

Final rule changing the management of the Pacific whiting at-sea sectors' allocations for darkblotched rockfish and Pacific ocean perch.
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 Highl
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 t
Final Rule,
West Coast
Effective
01/22/2015

Last updated by West Coast Regional Office on 12/14/2023