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West Coast Take Reduction Team

By November 30, 2025, NOAA Fisheries will establish a new Take Reduction Team (Team) to address the incidental mortality and serious injury of humpback whales in sablefish pot fishery along the West Coast of the U.S.

West Coast

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West Coast Take Reduction

On July 26, 2023, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California adopted a Stipulated Settlement Agreement (Agreement) between NOAA Fisheries and the Center for Biological Diversity to resolve claims in the matter of Center of Biological Diversity v. Raimondo (3:22–cv–00117–JD). Under the Agreement, NOAA Fisheries expressed its intent to issue a scoping notice by November 1, 2023 seeking information relevant to establishing a Take Reduction Team under Section 118 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act that would, at a minimum, consider the Category II Federal sablefish pot fishery, and may also be expanded to consider other fisheries in the Pacific Ocean that interact with relevant humpback whale stocks.

As part of this agreement, NOAA Fisheries committed to issue a notice establishing a Team by October 31, 2025, and to convene the first Team meeting by November 30, 2025. The agency published a notice on September 29, 2023 (88 FR 67254) seeking input on whether other Category I or II fisheries, beyond the Federal sablefish pot gear fishery, that incidentally kill or seriously injure the Central America/Southern Mexico-CA/OR/WA and Mainland Mexico-CA/OR/WA stocks of humpback whales, should be addressed by the Team.

Additional information relevant to establishing this Team includes information about the factors associated with risks of humpback whale or other large whale entanglements in U.S. commercial fisheries in the Pacific Ocean. This information could include available scientific or commercial data about the conduct of these fisheries, along with biological and ecological influences, and any other factors that affect the nature of interactions between large whales and U.S. commercial fishing gear. Finally, the agency sought to identify interested stakeholders who may wish to serve as TRT members.

Establishment and Scope of the West Coast Take Reduction Team

On November 4, 2025, the NOAA Fisheries published a notice establishing a Take Reduction Team (TRT) to address the incidental mortality and serious injury of the Central America/Southern Mexico-CA/OR/WA stock and Mainland Mexico-CA/OR/WA stock of humpback whales in the WA/OR/CA sablefish pot fishery (90 FR 49237). 

TRT Meetings

Meeting 1: Virtual - November 20, 2025, 2:00 - 5:00 PM PST

Meeting 2: Virtual - December 2, 2025, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM PST

Meeting 3: Virtual - December 10, 2025, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM PST

Meeting 4: March 30 to April 2, 2026

  • Location: Hilton Vancouver Washington, 301 W 6th St, Vancouver, WA 98660
  • Agenda (PDF, 3 pages)

Review Briefings

At each of the sessions below, we’ll provide a synopsis of the information presented earlier and create time for questions and discussions.

Virtual - February 6, 2026, 12:00 - 2:00 PM PST

Virtual - February 12, 2026, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST

Virtual - February 26, 2026, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST

  • Agenda: 1st hour, Whale biology (repeat of 2/12 session); 2nd hour, Fisheries (repeat of 2/6 session)

Risk to Whales Briefing

These sessions provide information and insights into the risk to whales by taking a closer look at the spatial and temporal overlap between whales and the sablefish pot fishery.

Option 1: Virtual - February 23, 2026, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST

Option 2: Virtual - March 2, 2026, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM PST

Discussions to Prepare for March 2026 In-Person Meeting

Virtual - February 24, 2026, 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM PST

  • Agenda: Framing Discussion on Potential Measures to Reduce Entanglements
  • Slide presentation (PDF, 24 pages)

Virtual - March 10, 2026,10:00 AM - 1:00 PM PST

Virtual - March 11, 2026,12:00 - 2:00 PM PST

For more information, please contact Lauren Saez (Lauren.Saez@noaa.gov).

Team Members

Sablefish Pot Fishery

  1. Harrison Ibach, Eureka, CA (Alternate: Lisa Damrosch)
  2. Tim Obert, Monterey Bay, CA (Alternate: Bill Blue)
  3. Georgon “Poggy” Lapham, Newport, OR (Alternate: Clint Perrone)
  4. Stuart Schuttpelz, Reedsport, OR (Alternate: Jeff Middleton)
  5. Ben Clampitt, Edmonds, WA (Alternate: Paul Clampit)
  6. David Lethin, Rosburg, WA (Alternate: Robert Alverson)

Conservation/Environmental Groups

  1. Kate Kauer, The Nature Conservancy (Alternate: Peyton Moore)
  2. Kristen Monsell, Center for Biological Diversity (Alternate: Ben Grundy)
  3. Andrea Treece, Earthjustice (Alternate: Geoff Shester, Oceana)
  4. Sierra Weaver, Defenders of Wildlife (Alternate: Jane Davenport)

Tribal Representatives

  1. Jennifer Hagen, Quileute Tribe (Alternate: Frank Geyer)
  2. Brian Hoffman, Hoh Indian Tribe (Alternate: Kimberly Bray)
  3. Cleve Jackson, Quinault Indian Nation (Alternate: Chet Tweed)
  4. Jasper McCutcheon, Makah Tribe (Alternate: Jonathan Scordino)

Researcher/Scientist

  1. John Calambokidis, Cascadia Research Collective (Alternate: Jennifer Tackaberry)
  2. Leigh Torres, Oregon State University (Alternate: Lindsay Wickman)
  3. Waldo Wakefield, Oregon State University

State Resource Managers

  1. Joanna Grebel, CA Department of Fish and Wildlife (Alternate: Caroline McKnight)
  2. Heather Hall, WA Department of Fish and Wildlife (Alternate: Corey Niles)
  3. Jessica Watson, OR Department of Fish and Wildlife (Alternate: Justin Ainsworth)

Fishery Management Organizations

  1. Caren Braby, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (Alternate: Barry Thom)
  2. Rebecca Lent, Pacific Fisheries Management Council (Alternate: Brad Pettinger)

Federal Resource Managers

  1. Laura Ingulsrud, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (Alternate: Jessica Morten)
  2. Kristy Long, NMFS Office of Protected Resources (Alternate: Eric Patterson)
  3. Andy Read, Marine Mammal Commission (Alternate: Lori Schwacke)
  4. Chris Yates, NMFS West Coast Region, PRD (Alternate: Dan Lawson)

More Information

 

Last updated by Office of Protected Resources on 03/24/2026