NPFMC Meets in Seattle Through February 12

The February meeting of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) is under way in Seattle, Washington, with final action scheduled on small sideboard issues.

In June, the council adopted a purpose and need statement, and alternatives for analysis to revise federal regulations prohibiting directed fishing for species with sideboard limits insufficient to support directed fishing by non-exempt American Fisheries Act (AFA) vessels and crab vessels. National Marine Fisheries Service would no longer publish these AFA and crab rationalization program sideboard limits in the annual harvest specifications. This proposed action would also remove the sideboard limit on AFA catcher/processors for Central Aleutian Islands Atka mackerel.

The agenda also includes issues related to the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands crab and Gulf of Alaska catcher vessel Chinook salmon prohibited species catch limit adjustments.

The meeting hosted at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel is open to the public, except for executive sessions. The agenda can be found at http://legistar2.granicus.com/npfmc/meetings/2018/2/971_A_North_Pacific_Council_18-02-05_Meeting_Agenda.pdf.

Those who can attend in person can listen to the online broadcast by logging to https://npfmc.adobeconnect.com/february2018.

Motions will be posted online following the meeting.