Final action on the Cook Inlet salmon fisheries management plan is on the agenda when the North Pacific Fishery Management Council holds its December meeting in two virtual sessions, first on December 4th and then from December 7th through December 11th. The public review draft on the Cook Inlet fishery is online under the agenda for the meeting at www.npfmc.org.
Other major items on the council schedule include final specifications for the Bering sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska groundfish harvest final specifications, a committee report on charter halibut and an initial review of BSAI Pacific cod trawl catcher vessel.
The council meeting, normally held in Anchorage every December, is being held virtually for the safety of all participants because of the global novel coronavirus pandemic.
The federal fisheries management council has posted on its website schedules, times and dates about the council meeting, as well as its advisory council and scientific and statistical committee meetings. All meetings, except for executive sessions, are open to the public. The council is also strongly encouraging written public comment for virtual meetings to avoid any potential for technical difficulties to compromise oral testimony.
The council’s website offers links for testimony signup for the council, AP and SSC meetings. The deadline for written comments is 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27. Oral testimony signup links will be active during the meeting, but those wishing to testify must sign up before the end of the staff report on each agenda item. All written materials for the meeting, including motions, will be posted on the electronic agenda. To join the meetings by clicking on the orange “meeting” tab on the council website page.