Transcript Slide 1

Pacific Fishery Management Council
Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management
at the
Pacific Fishery Management Council
Perspectives from the Front Line
Donald O. McIsaac, Ph.D.
Pacific Fishery Management Council
Executive Director
May 1, 2009
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Pacific Fishery Management Council
Fishery Regulatory Process
Council Process
Research/Science
Public Input
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Council Recommendations
to NOAA
US
Coast Guard
U.S. Department of Commerce
Approves and Codifies Federal Fishery Regulations
Enforcement
Pacific Fishery Management Council
Pacific Council is Poised to Start EBFM: Why?
1. Improve Fishery Management Performance of Existing
Fishery Management Plans, via a More Comprehensive
Scientific Approach
Coastal Pelagic Species
Groundfish
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Salmon
Highly Migratory Species
Pacific Fishery Management Council
Pacific Council is Poised to Start EBFM: Why?
2. Expand Fishery Management Capabilities to Species
and Habitats Not Currently in Council FMPs
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
Marine Protected Areas In Federal Waters
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Pacific Fishery Management Council
Limited EBFM Concepts in Current Practice
at the Pacific Fishery Management Council
•Harvest Ban on All Species of Euphausiids
•Harvest Control Rules for Coastal Pelagics
•Marine Protected Areas
•Oregon Coastal Coho Harvest Control Rule
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Pacific Fishery Management Council
Existing EBFM Concepts
Harvest Ban on All Species of Krill (Euphausiids)
•
•
•
Recognizes Importance of Krill in Marine Food Web
Helpful to Overfished Rockfish and Salmon Species Listed
under the ESA.
Implementation Challenges May Have Been Avoided Under
and Ecosystem Fishery Management Plan
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Pacific Fishery Management Council
Existing EBFM Concepts
Harvest Control Rules for Coastal Pelagics
HGyear+1 = (Biomassyear – Cutoff) * Fraction(5%-15%) * Distribution
Exploitation Fraction
•Pacific Sardine-150,000mt
•Minimizes Potential for Overfishing
•Precautionary Forage Species Policy
20%
2001
2000
1999
1998
15%
10%
5%
0%
16.0
16.5
17.0
17.5
18.0
18.5
Sea Surface Temperature (°C)
3-Year Moving Average
Environmental Component
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19.0
Pacific Fishery Management Council
Existing EBFM Concepts
Marine Protected Areas
Rockfish Conservation Areas
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Essential Fish Habitat Closures
Pacific Fishery Management Council
Existing EBFM Concepts
Coho Salmon Harvest Control Rule
Oregon Coastal Natural Coho Harvest Matrix
MARINE SURVIVAL INDEX
(based on return of jacks per hatchery smolt)
Low
PARENT SPAWNER STATUS
Medium
High
Allowable Total Fishery Impact Rate
High:
#15%
#30%
#35%
Medium:
#15%
#20%
#25%
#15%
#15%
#15%
Low:
#10-13%
Uses Smolt to Jack Survival as an Indicator of
Marine Ecological Conditions
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Pacific Fishery Management Council
Existing EBFM Concepts
Multi-Species Management
Pacific Council Does Not Strictly Manage with a Single Species Focus
•Krill Harvest Ban – Multiple Species Benefits
•Salmon Bycatch Management in Pacific Whiting Fishery
•Incidental Groundfish Take in Salmon Fishery
•Protected Species Interactions
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Pacific Fishery Management Council
Current Status
The Pacific Council is Poised to Start Sophisticated
EBFM
Fall 2006
Initial Process and Exploration of EBFM Concepts
Spring 2007
Developing an Ecosystem FMP Proposed, Plan
Development Team Goals/Membership Identified
Summer 2007 Funding Not Approved
2008
Funding Not Approved
2009
Funding Currently Being Considered
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Pacific Fishery Management Council
E-FMP Development in 2007
“Evolutionary, not revolutionary”
Build on Existing Concepts:
•Ecosystem Principles Advisory Panel Report (1999)
•John Field and Robert Francis, Considering ecosystembased fisheries management in the California Current
(2006)
•PSMFC sponsored panel and report Strengthening
Scientific Input and Ecosystem-Based Fishery
Management for the Pacific and North Pacific Fishery
Management
•Council White Paper Development of an Ecosystem
Fishery Management Plan
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Pacific Fishery Management Council
Umbrella FMP
• Discusses regulatory role
• Defines geographic scope
• Specifies management unit species
•FMP Interrelated, species interactions
•Ecosystem Information
“tiered
actions”
Annual
“State of the
Ecosystem”
Report
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Marine
Reserves
EA or EIS
Forage
Species
EA or EIS?
Other
EAs/EISs
Pacific Fishery Management Council
Barriers to Implementation
•Funding
•Potential Legal Questions on EBFM Implementation
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Pacific Fishery Management Council
Barriers to Implementation
Funding
•$400K Requested for Initiation of E-FMP, Yet to Be Granted
•10’s of Millions Spent within NOAA on EBFM
•On Development, Research, Monitoring, and Modeling, but little on
Implementation
•The Pacific Council Process is the Proper Regional Forum for
EBFM Implementation on the West Coast
• Formal Policy Adoption
• Actual Fishing Regulations
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Pacific Fishery Management Council
Barriers to Implementation
Potential Legal Questions on EBFM Implementation
•Do E-FMPs Need to meet MSA Section 303 Requirements?
•Benchmarks such as MSY and OY for all components
•OFL and ACLs
•Management Authority over Ecosystem Components
•Can E-FMPs Include Fishery Management Authority?
•MSA Reauthorization Provided Little Specific Guidance
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Pacific Fishery Management Council
What Next?
Contingent Upon Funding
•Form a Plan Development Team - 10 members:
•1 from each coastal state; 1 tribal; 1 each from the
NMFS NWR, SWR, NWFSC, and SWFSC; and 2 from NOS;
•From An Advisory Subpanel- 10 members:
•2 fishery reps. for each of the 4 FMPs, a conservation
representative, and a representative of coastal
communities;
•Initial Charge: Develop (1) description of the purpose and
need, and (2) a list of goals and objectives of an Ecosystem
FMP
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Pacific Fishery Management Council
What Next?
Contingent Upon Funding
•Two-Year Process to Develop an E-FMP
•Scientific Review – SSC and Peer Review
•Full Council Process
•Public Input
•Government Agency and Tribal Input
•Transparent Decision Making
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Pacific Fishery Management Council
In Closing
•True EBFM Implementation and Application on the West
Coast Must include the Council Process
• A systematic approach for a full regulatory process
via a formal FMP is poised for development
•Funding and Potential Legal Questions are Current
Barriers
Who is in charge?
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