DRAFT COUNCIL MEETING TRANSCRIPTS 256th Session of the Pacific Fishery Management Council September 8-11 & 14-18, 2020 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 5. Agenda .......................................................................................................................................................... 4 B. Open Comment Period .................................................................................................................................. 8 1. Comments on Non-Agenda Items ............................................................................................................. 8 C. Administrative Matters ................................................................................................................................ 12 1. National Marine Fisheries Service Report ............................................................................................... 12 2. Executive Order 13921: Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth – Final Recommendations ............................................................................................................................................ 15 3. Legislative Matters ................................................................................................................................... 33 4. Fiscal Matters .......................................................................................................................................... 34 5. Approval of Council Meeting Record ..................................................................................................... 39 6. Membership Appointments and Council Operating Procedures ............................................................. 40 7. Future Council Meeting Agenda and Workload Planning....................................................................... 48 D. Groundfish Management ............................................................................................................................. 70 1. Gear Switching and Sablefish Area Management Scoping ..................................................................... 70 2. Workload and New Management Measure Priorities – Including the Scoping of Mothership Utilization Issues ............................................................................................................................................................... 83 3. Impact Analyses Methodology Review ................................................................................................. 106 4. Assessment Methodology Review – Final Action ................................................................................. 107 5. Inseason Adjustments – Final Action .................................................................................................... 109 6. Update on Humpback Whale Endangered Species Act Consultation ................................................... 114 7. Emergency Action To Consider A Season Extension For The 2020 Limited Entry Fixed Gear Primary Sablefish Fishery ........................................................................................................................................... 121 E. Highly Migratory Species Management .................................................................................................... 131 1. Recommend International Management Activities ............................................................................... 131 2. Exempted Fishing Permits ..................................................................................................................... 133 3. Biennial Harvest Specifications and Management Measures – Preliminary ......................................... 139 4. Essential Fish Habitat Review ............................................................................................................... 141 F. Ecosystem Management ............................................................................................................................ 143 1. Climate and Communities Initiative Update ......................................................................................... 143 2. Fishery Ecosystem Plan Five–Year Review .......................................................................................... 145 DRAFT Council Meeting Transcript Page 1 of 199 September 2020 (256th Meeting) G. Coastal Pelagic Species Management ....................................................................................................... 148 1. Pacific Sardine Rebuilding Plan – Final Action .................................................................................... 148 H. Salmon Management ................................................................................................................................. 156 1. Reintroduction of Salmon Above Grand Coulee Dam .......................................................................... 156 2. Amendment 20: Management Schedule and Klamath Management Zone Boundary Change – Final Action ............................................................................................................................................................ 160 3. Southern Resident Killer Whale Endangered Species Act Consultation ............................................... 167 I. Pacific Halibut Management ..................................................................................................................... 172 1. 2021 Catch Sharing Plan and Annual Regulations ................................................................................ 172 2. Transition of Area 2A Fishery Management ......................................................................................... 181 3. Commercial-Directed Fishery Regulations for 2021 ............................................................................. 185 J. Habitat Issues ............................................................................................................................................. 195 1. Current Habitat Issues ........................................................................................................................... 195 DRAFT Council Meeting Transcript Page 2 of 199 September 2020 (256th 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/. DRAFT Council Meeting Transcript Page 3 of 199 September 2020 (256th Meeting) A. Call to Order 5. Agenda Marc Gorelnik [00:00:00] That concludes the ED report and will take us to our next agenda item, which is approval of the agenda. We have, Chuck had mentioned we have no proposals to review under Agenda Item D.3 so I guess I'll open the floor for discussion on the agenda and see if there is a motion to approve the agenda or to amend the agenda before approval. Corey Niles. Corey Niles [00:00:41] Thanks Mr. Chair and first to get some discussion going here. I do think we have, we are interested in having a discussion here about modifying the agenda. The issue that's been brought to our attention and I know it's been brought to the GMT and NMFS's attention and others as well as that the market and economic conditions of the pandemic have affected all of us, but it is affecting sablefish, the fishery up in Alaska and the timing of when they finish up there and are able to come down here and prosecute their tier fishery, so this issue came up just a day or two ago after the written public comment deadline had closed, but we expect that Bob Alverson will be coming up under B.1 to ask us to consider this change to the, to extend the season length from October 31st to the end of the year, so I'm going on too long here, but I believe one idea that would allow the Council to consider the merits, that idea, we would have to modify the agenda to even take that up, the question of whether we should do a change and we could do that most naturally under the D.2, I believe, if I have my agenda right here where we talk about workload implications in general. So I'll stop here quickly and see if staff had a reaction, if we have an interest in take, in considering this request in looking for the, if others are supportive of where and how to do best. Marc Gorelnik [00:02:42] Thank you Corey. Well, I'll look to staff for some guidance here. Chuck Tracy [00:02:47] Thanks Mr. Chair. Thanks Mr. Niles. So if there is a request that the Council wants to consider for picking emergency action on something like that they could take that up similar to how we did back in April on the whiting mothership catcher processor issue, so that would involve the Council considering the need for and modifying the agenda to set up a new agenda item and so there'd have to be sufficient justification for that but that could be done. I think it would be good to if that, if there is consideration of that to include some discussion about the workload