The Pacific Fisheries Management Council and Advisory Bodies Convene This Month to Discuss West Coast Fisheries Management Plans
The Pacific Fisheries Management Council is set to convene September 12-19, 2011 in San Mateo, California to discuss amendments to management plans for west coast groundfish fisheries. The council will also discuss management issues for highly migratory species, salmon, Pacific halibut, and habitat matters.
Of interest on the agenda is a public hearing to be held on Thursday September 15th regarding secretarial amendment 1 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program fisheries management plan. Amendment 1 proposes to establish one new rebuilding plan, modify seven existing plans, modify the default proxy values for FMSY and BMSY as they apply to the flatfish species, and the harvest control rule policies.
Also of interest will be the discussion on the proposed ecosystem based management initiative for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS).
The initiative aims to maintain and restore marine ecosystem health within the MBNMS by facilitating ecologically and economically sustainable uses including fishing within sanctuary waters. More information can be found on the MBNMS website. To follow the proceedings of the meeting the agenda can be found on the PFMC website as well as instructions on how to stream the meeting live over the internet. Look for a summary of the meetings outcomes on our website in the upcoming weeks.
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