The following Agenda is subject to change.
Please be respectful and courteous with your comments.
INSTRUCTIONS PLEASE READ:
FOR WRITTEN COMMENTS:
Written comments are accepted in Advance of the meeting start date.
To submit a Written Public Comment, click on the Agenda Item below you wish to comment on. Fill in your name, organization,
E-mail address (for confirmation E-mail to be sent), and either type in your Public Comment OR Attach it.
FOR ORAL TESTIMONY:
You can sign up for oral testimony in the E-Portal starting 8am on the first day of the meeting.
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IF IN PERSON: When your name is called, walk up to the pulic testimony table to present your comment.
Visit the June Council Meeting page and our FAQ page learn more.
If you have questions or concerns please contact Kris.Kleinschmidt@noaa.gov & Hayden.York@noaa.gov in advance of your agenda item.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
The E-Portal will open on 5/1/24 and close at 5pm Pacific Time on 6/3/24. Comment received between 5/1 and 5/16 by 5pm Pacific Time
will become visible on 5/17 when Briefing Book materials are posted. Comments received between 5/17 and 6/3 will be viewable upon approval and no later than the start of the Council meeting.
You may attach written comments to support your oral testimony, but they will not be visible until after public comment has ended and you have testified.
If you wish to present a PowerPoint Presentation please sign up for comment check the box you will have a PowerPoint or Visual Aid, and
email the Presentation to PFMC IT Staff (Kris Kleinschmidt & Hayden York) no later than 5pm the day before the agenda item is scheduled. You will recieve a confirmation email when your submission was recieved.
A. Call to Order | ||
A1 | Opening Remarks, Roll Call, Agenda | |
B. Open Comment Period | ||
B1 | 4 Comments | Comments on Non-Agenda Items |
C. Administrative Matters | ||
C1 | 0 Comments | Council Coordination Committee (CCC) Update |
C2 | 1 Comment | Council Operations and Priorities |
C3 | 0 Comments | Legislative Matters |
C4 | 0 Comments | Fiscal Matters |
C5 | Approval of Council Meeting Record | |
C6 | 0 Comments | Membership Appointments and Council Operating Procedures - 2025-27 Advisory Body Composition and Respectful Workplace Policies |
C7 | 0 Comments | Future Council Meeting Agenda and Workload Planning |
D. Habitat Issues | ||
D1 | 0 Comments | Current Habitat Issues |
E. Salmon Management | ||
E1 | 0 Comments | Sacramento River Fall Chinook Workgroup – Progress Report |
E2 | 0 Comments | Queets River Spring/Summer Chinook Rebuilding Plan – Progress Report |
F. Groundfish Management | ||
F1 | 0 Comments | National Marine Fisheries Service Report |
F2 | 9 Comments | Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Coral Research and Restoration Closures - Final Action |
F3 | 0 Comments | Final Stock Assessment Plan and Terms of Reference |
F4 | 0 Comments | Stock Definitions for Species Assessed in 2025 and 2027 – Range Of Alternatives |
F5 | 1 Comment | Fixed Gear Marking and Entanglement Risk Reduction – Final Action |
F6 | 0 Comments | 2025-26 Harvest Specifications, Management Measures, and Exempted Fishing Permits – Final Action |
F7 | 0 Comments | Inseason Management |
G. Highly Migratory Species Management | ||
G1 | 1 Comment | National Marine Fisheries Service Report |
G2 | 0 Comments | International Management Activities |
G3 | 0 Comments | Exempted Fishing Permits |
G4 | 1 Comment | Drift Gillnet Bycatch Performance Report |
H. Cross Fishery Management Plan | ||
H1 | 0 Comments | Marine Planning |
H2 | 0 Comments | NMFS Regional Equity and Environmental Justice (EEJ) Plan and EEJ Committee - Update |
I. Coastal Pelagic Species Management | ||
I1 | 0 Comments | Stock Assessment Terms of Reference and Accepted Practices - Final Action |
Original Comment
Welcome to sd and more record bluefin
Original Comment
Dear PFMC, There are numerous concerns that I have and would like the PFMC to consider: 1) In regard to the Southern Resident Pacific (SRP) orca whale pod, there are only 73 members. In 2023 , 11 killer whales were killed in the Bering Sea by “trawl nets” and one killer whale was killed in gear from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. These “incidental” entanglements are not acceptable in my opinion, period. The population of the SRP pod has been in decline for over 20 years! In addition, the pod has been reported as “starving” for many years due to low Chinook salmon stocks. I believe that the NOAA is absolutely incompetent in their management of the SRP pod. Who is responsible for their “trawl net” deaths and was the responsible person(s) fined/banned from fishing in this manner? I would like the PFMC to step up, to enforce better monitoring and better protection of the orca whales. 2) It was reported in the news that the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) killer whale pod has been seen swimming father north than ever before. Scientists believe that warmer ocean temperatures are encouraging the ETP to swim northward. What is being done to monitor/mitigate the impact of these orcas on the environment? The diet of the ETP is different, they feast on sea lions, porpoises, sharks, etc. There is an abundant food supply for the ETP in Southern CA which may be at risk. There is a very small population of fur seals, for one example. 3) Due to literature posted on the PFMC, it is my understanding that the PFMC supports the development of offshore wind turbines (OWT) in the Pacific Ocean. I am opposed to OWT for numerous scientific reasons, which I believe the PFMC rightly adhere to. The OWT cause noise and vibrations in the ocean that interferes with the navigation of all marine life. Further, there is the risk of lubricant spills as OWT are unable to tolerate wind speeds above 55 MPH. Further, there will be a worrisome increase in maritime activity that will further exasperate the problem with noise and vibrations from the engines on ships. Please, I believe the PFMC has an obligation to protect the Pacific Ocean. 4) Further, how can the PFMC support OWT in Morrow Bay, where sea otters are struggling to survive in the fragile kelp beds off the shore?! How can it be that the PFMC does not acknowledge the recklessness of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) decision to establish the 2nd OWT in Morrow Bay?! Numerous people are concerned by the ludicrous decision to place OWT in Morrow Bay! Please, as the PFMC, protect our sea otters from OWT. 5) I am very concerned about PFMC’s decisions and how they impact small coastal mammals. There are numerous small coastal mammals that are rarely mentioned and hardly identified along the CA coast. I am referring to the CA Mink, the CA Fisher, the River Otters, the Humboldt Marten, etc. These small coastal mammals are rarely every addressed by the CA Fish and Game Committee and the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife. I believe these small coastal mammals need to be accounted for by all government decisions. 6) There are 7 species of Pacific salmon and ALL of them are either endangered or threatened.! What kind of management are they receiving?! How can 830,000 Chinook fry die on their way to the Klamath River as they swim out to the Pacific Ocean?! How can multiple agencies make a gross mistake by not testing the condition of the river before releasing ALL the fry to their subsequent death.?! This matters immensely to other marine mammals (in the Pacific Ocean) depending upon the salmon to eat (including the SRP who are starving?)! I haven’t read any reports on the impact of the 830,000 dead fry upon other sea mammals. Your consideration will be appreciated.
Original Comment
Chair Pettinger and members of the PFMC, I do not see this item on the agenda for June and I believe it may be of interest to the Council and members of the public. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is hosting two related online workshops on marine carbon dioxide removal and marine energy. Apparently the marine carbon dioxide removal proposes to use the ocean as a CO2 sink. The marine energy proposal is everything but wind, and much of that has been presented to the Council in the past. Please excuse that I have simply attached the Washington Sea Grant and PNNL email here, but it contains all the information. I have requested the workshops be recorded so someone us can hear what is going on when we are not right in the middle of salmon fishing. By the way, the weather so far has been terrible and my catch rate correspondingly low.