Inseason Management Adjustments to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery

December 5, 2006

Release from:
NOAA

NOAA Fisheries has announced inseason changes to management measures in the commercial and recreational Pacific Coast groundfish fisheries. These actions are intended to allow fisheries to access more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting overfished and depleted stocks. The changes were recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council, in consultation with Pacific Coast Treaty Indian Tribes and the States of Washington, Oregon, and California , at its November 2006 meeting. At that meeting, the Pacific Council recommended: 1) requesting industry to take voluntary action to reduce petrale sole catches if catch rates appear too high in December; 2) decreasing the limited entry fixed gear and open access daily-trip-limit fishery for sablefish south of 36[deg] N. lat. beginning December 1; and 3) prohibiting retention of cabezon in the recreational fishery in federal waters off Oregon.

Send comments to GroundfishInseason11.nwr@noaa.gov by December 29, 2006.

For more information, read the Federal Register notice or contact Gretchen.Arentzen@noaa.gov.