DRAFT COUNCIL MEETING TRANSCRIPTS 258Th Session of the Pacific Fishery Management Council March 2-5 & 8-11, 2021 Online
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DRAFT COUNCIL MEETING TRANSCRIPTS 258th Session of the Pacific Fishery Management Council March 2-5 & 8-11, 2021 Online Meeting due to the COVID-19 Pandemic Verbatim transcripts of the Pacific Fishery Management Council are prepared for reference and are limited to Council discussions during the Council Action portion of each agenda item. These transcripts are not reviewed and approved by the Council and are not intended to be part of the formal Council Meeting Record. Contents A. Call to Order ............................................................................................................................................. 4 4. Agenda .................................................................................................................................................... 4 B. Open Comment Period............................................................................................................................. 5 1. Comments on Non-Agenda Items ......................................................................................................... 5 C. Administrative Matters ............................................................................................................................ 7 1. Report of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) ............................................................... 7 2. Marine Planning Update ....................................................................................................................... 8 3. Legislative Matters ............................................................................................................................. 18 4. Approval of Council Meeting Record ................................................................................................. 24 5. Membership Appointments and Council Operating Procedures ........................................................... 25 6. Future Council Meeting Agenda and Workload Planning.................................................................... 26 D. Habitat Issues ........................................................................................................................................ 44 1. Current Habitat Issues ........................................................................................................................ 44 E. Salmon Management ............................................................................................................................. 46 1. National Marine Fisheries Service Report ........................................................................................... 46 2. Reintroduction of Salmon Above Grand Coulee Dam ......................................................................... 47 3. Review of 2020 Fisheries and Summary of 2021 Stock Forecasts ....................................................... 50 4. Identify Management Objectives and Preliminary Definition of 2021 Management Alternatives ......... 57 5. Recommendations for 2021 Management Alternative Analysis........................................................... 62 6. Further Direction for 2021 Management Alternatives ......................................................................... 67 7. Further Direction for 2021 Management Alternatives ......................................................................... 70 8. Adopt 2021 Management Alternatives for Public Review ................................................................... 76 9. Appoint Salmon Hearing Officers ...................................................................................................... 82 F. Pacific Halibut Management .................................................................................................................. 83 1. Annual International Pacific Halibut Commission (IHPC) Meeting Report ......................................... 83 2. Incidental Catch Recommendations: Options for Salmon Troll and Final Action on Recommendations for Fixed Gear Sablefish Fisheries.............................................................................................................. 84 G. Groundfish Management ....................................................................................................................... 86 1. National Marine Fisheries Service Report ........................................................................................... 86 Council Meeting Transcript Page 1 of 177 MARCH 2021 (258th Meeting) 2. Workload and New Management Measure Priorities .......................................................................... 88 3. Pacific Whiting Utilization in the Mothership Sector ........................................................................ 109 4. Inseason Adjustments – Final Action ................................................................................................ 116 5. Electronic Monitoring Program Update ............................................................................................ 117 6. Emergency Rule to Consider Changing Seasonal Processing Limitations in the At-Sea Whiting Fishery 125 H. Highly Migratory Species Management ................................................................................................ 136 1. National Marine Fisheries Service Report ......................................................................................... 136 2. Review of Essential Fish Habitat – Phase 2 ...................................................................................... 137 3. Recommend International Management Activities ............................................................................ 143 4. Deep-Set Buoy Gear Permit Clarifications ........................................................................................ 144 5. Biennial Harvest Specifications and Management Measures ............................................................. 150 I. Ecosystem Management ...................................................................................................................... 152 1. California Current Ecosystem and Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) Report and Science Review Topics...................................................................................................................................................... 152 2. Climate and Communities Initiative Workshop Report ..................................................................... 155 3. Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) Five-Year Review – Final Action ..................................................... 164 Sam Rauch Presentation on Monday, March 8, 2021 ................................................................................... 168 Council Meeting Transcript Page 2 of 177 MARCH 2021 (258th Meeting) Meeting Transcript Summary Verbatim transcripts of Council Actions are available on the Council website. The transcripts may be accessed at https://www.pcouncil.org/council-meetings/previous-meetings/. Council Meeting Transcript Page 3 of 177 MARCH 2021 (258th Meeting) A. Call to Order 4. Agenda Marc Gorelnik [00:00:00] We'll move on then to approval of the March agenda. Let me first see if.....we'll get that up. Well, you all have copies of the agenda. It's on the website. It was in the briefing book. So, let me see if there are any suggested changes to the agenda, additions or deletions? And I'm not seeing any suggestion so at this point I'll entertain a motion to approve the agenda? Phil Anderson. Thank you. Phil Anderson [00:00:50] Thanks Mr. Chairman. I move that the…we approve our Council agenda under Agenda Item A.4. Marc Gorelnik [00:01:01] Thank you Phil. Bob Dooley your hand is raised is that to second? Bob Dooley [00:01:07] Yes, it is. Marc Gorelnik [00:01:09] Okay. Any discussion? Not seeing any I'll call the question. All those in favor of the motion to approve the March meeting agenda say 'aye'. Council [00:01:21] Aye. Marc Gorelnik [00:01:25] Those opposed, no? The motion passes, well any abstentions I don't imagine. The motion passes unanimously so thank you everyone for that. I believe that concludes this portion of the agenda, the call to order and unless, well Corey Niles has his hand raised followed by Phil Anderson. Corey Niles [00:01:59] Thanks Mr. Chair. I just didn't get my hand up fast enough before that vote there. I just wanted to acknowledge that we will be hearing a request to maybe to alter the agenda here under the open public comments and just maybe whether or not, the team didn't discuss it earlier but just flagging that we are interested in hearing that and expect to be taking that up later in the agenda. Marc Gorelnik [00:02:30] Okay, and I guess procedurally we can do that later if there is a reason to amend the agenda, but I guess right now we don't have that so, or proceed at least for now on the agenda as published. Anything further on this agenda item? All right. Council Meeting Transcript Page 4 of 177 MARCH 2021 (258th Meeting) B. Open Comment Period 1. Comments on Non-Agenda Items Brad Pettinger [00:00:00] And Council discussion on B.1? With that do we....any Council members want to weigh in? Nobody? I know....Corey Niles. Corey. Corey Niles [00:00:07] Thank you Mr. Vice Chair. Yeah, sorry having problems with my mute and raise hand buttons this morning. I do hope we can have a bit of discussion on the testimony we heard here about the emergency rule. We've had some virtual hallway talk about some ideas and so I wanted to get Chuck's reaction and Ryan's, see Ryan's