The Pacific Fishery Management Council has proposed Amendment 23 to update the plan for rebuilding the Pacific sardine population off the west coast, which has been declared overfished. This amendment aims to revise the rebuilding strategy to align with a court order, setting new catch limits based on the sardine population size each year. The proposed plan is expected to rebuild the sardine stock within 17 years, providing stability and growth opportunities for small fisheries. Public comments on this proposal will be considered before the final decision is made.
Simple Explanation
The people taking care of fish near the West Coast are planning a new way to help a type of fish called the Pacific sardine get healthy again because there aren't enough of them. They want to change the rules about how many sardines people can catch each year and are asking everyone what they think before making a final decision.