Search Results for keywords:"fisheries management"

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), part of the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has announced the opening of the fishing season for sablefish with fixed gear under the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program and the Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program. This season will run from March 20, 2025, to December 7, 2025, aligning with the Pacific halibut season, although the exact opening and closing hours differ. The actions are taken to promote conservation and management of fishery resources as per federal laws and regulations. This rule was issued quickly without public comment to ensure the simultaneous opening of the sablefish and halibut fisheries, which is essential for effective management and reducing bycatch.

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) are organizing a public meeting to review the stock assessment update for the multispecies bottomfish complex in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). This meeting will be held online through WebEx on April 2 and April 3, 2025. The assessment update uses information through 2023 and builds on a 2019 evaluation to provide new insights for fisheries management. Participants can watch the review proceedings at a satellite site in Saipan or online, with opportunities for public comments and questions.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council is hosting online meetings for the Groundfish Management Team (GMT) and the Groundfish Advisory Subpanel (GAP) on April 4, 2025. These meetings will cover topics related to the Pacific Council's April 2025 meeting agenda and additional items. The GAP will meet from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pacific Time, and the GMT will meet from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific Time. The meetings are open to the public, and further details are available on the Pacific Council's website.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Pacific Fishery Management Council are organizing an online pre-assessment workshop to review data and models for a stock assessment of yellowtail rockfish, planned for 2025. This meeting, which is public, aims to discuss the best approaches for assessing the fish stock and will occur on January 30, 2025. Workshop participants will not make management decisions but will develop recommendations for stock assessment teams. The results will later be reviewed at a meeting in Spokane, WA, in September 2025. Special accommodations are available for attendees who request them in advance.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council is organizing an online meeting focused on Pacific halibut management. This meeting will take place on January 16, 2025, and the public is welcome to attend. The main goal is to prepare recommendations for the International Pacific Halibut Commission's annual meeting in Vancouver. People interested in attending should visit the Council’s website or contact Mr. Kris Kleinschmidt for details on how to join the meeting.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is hosting the second SEDAR 91 Assessment Webinar for the U.S. Caribbean Spiny Lobster on February 28, 2025. This is part of a series of meetings aimed at assessing the Caribbean spiny lobster fishery, involving various data collection and analysis steps. These assessments are conducted to evaluate the health of fish stocks in the Southeast Region. The meeting is open to the public, and registration can be done by contacting the SEDAR coordinator, Emily Ott.

The New England Fishery Management Council is holding a webinar to discuss actions affecting fisheries in the exclusive economic zone. The meeting, scheduled for March 7, 2025, will focus on the Risk Policy Working Group's recommendations for the Council's formal consideration. This group will also be working on the Risk Policy weightings process, refinements to the Risk Policy Matrix, and other related issues. The meeting will be accessible to those with disabilities, and the Council will discuss any urgent issues not on the agenda if necessary.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is temporarily adjusting the 2025 recreational fishing season for gag fish in the South Atlantic to protect the fish population. This rule means the fishing season will start on May 1, 2025, but will close early on June 26, 2025, after projections showed the catch limit would be reached by that date. During this closure, anglers cannot catch or keep any gag fish until the new season begins on May 1, 2026. The decision aims to prevent overfishing as it did in 2024 and was not subject to public comment because the necessary rules were already established.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is reopening nominations for the Permanent Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). This committee, composed of 15-20 members, advises on fisheries management in the Pacific. Nominations, including a letter of interest and a resume, need to be submitted by April 30, 2025, either by new candidates or those previously submitted. Members will serve a two-year term starting August 3, 2025, and are expected to attend meetings, either virtually or in Honolulu.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council plans to hold public hearings about Amendment 10 to the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan for the Atlantic. This amendment suggests new management measures to revise catch limits, modify allocations between sectors, and adjust accountability measures for dolphin and wahoo fisheries. The hearings will occur via webinar on January 26-28, 2021. The public can register for these hearings online and provide comments through an online form by February 5, 2021.