Agenda Item H.1.a EWG Report 1 September 2021 ECOSYSTEM WORKGROUP REPORT ON THE FISHERY ECOSYSTEM PLAN 5-YEAR REVIEW UPDATE At the March 2021 meeting, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) reviewed a first draft of the Fishery Ecosystem Plan’s (FEP’s) Chapter 4, Environmental Change, Human Activities, and Social-Ecological Dynamics in the California Current Ecosystem. For this September 2021 meeting, the Council asked the Ecosystem Workgroup (EWG) to update Chapters 3 and 4 based on comments received at the March meeting, and provide a first draft of Chapter 5, Ecosystem Science in the Council Process. With this advance briefing book report, the EWG provides the complete and updated draft FEP. On September 2, 2021, the EWG Chair will provide a public advisory body briefing session on the revisions to the draft FEP since March 2021. The full EWG will meet prior to the Council’s September 2021 meeting to discuss whether to recommend revisions to Chapters 2, Ecosystem Issues in the Council Process. While drafting Chapter 5, on ecosystem science, we realized that the existing annual ecosystem status report process in Chapter 2 may need to be amended or supplemented to ensure that the Council has more complete access to emerging ecosystem and climate science. We will also discuss potential revisions to and a redrafting process for the FEP Appendix on Ecosystem Initiatives, and to the new standalone document PFMC Guidance on Agency Activities in the California Current Ecosystem (see outline at Agenda Item I.3.a, EWG Report 2, March 2021). For this September 2021 meeting, the EWG recommends that the Council: • Review and provide guidance on the contents of Chapter 5; • Accept the attached draft FEP, with any changes to be made following the September meeting, as a Public Review Draft FEP, to be made available for that public review before January 1, 2022; • Provide guidance to the EWG on drafting revisions to the FEP Appendix. PACIFIC COAST FISHERY ECOSYSTEM PLAN For the U.S. Portion of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem Final Revised Draft September 2021 Pacific Fishery Management Council 7700 NE Ambassador Place, Suite 101 Portland OR 97220 Revised Final Draft AKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii Revised Final Draft LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS CCE California Current Ecosystem CCIEA California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment CCLME California Current Large Marine Ecosystem CDFW California Department of Fish and Wildlife CEPA 1 Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 1 CPFV Charter passenger fishing vessel CPS Coastal pelagic species CRITFC Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission CSVI Community Social Vulnerability Indicator CVA Climate vulnerability assessment DLCD Department of Land Conservation and Development (Oregon) DPS Distinct Population Segment EBFM Ecosystem-based fishery management EC species Ecosystem component species EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone EFH Essential Fish Habitat ENSO El Nino/Southern Oscillation ESA Endangered Species Act ESR Ecosystem Status Report ESU evolutionarily significant unit F Fishing mortality FAD fish aggregating device FEP Fishery Ecosystem Plan FGC Fish and Game Commission (California FMEP Fisheries Management and Evaluation Plan (Idaho) FMP Fishery Management Plan GIS Geographic information system HAB harmful algal bloom HMS Highly migratory species IEA Integrated Ecosystem Assessment km kilometers LED Light emitting diode m meters MBTA Migratory Bird Treaty Act MEA Millennium Ecosystem Assessment MFMP Marine Fisheries Management Plan (Oregon) MLMA Marine Life Management Act (California MMPA Marine Mammal Protection Act MPA Marine protected area MSA Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act MSE Management strategy evaluation iii Revised Final Draft MSY maximum sustainable yield nm nautical mile NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration NPC North Pacific Current NPGO North Pacific Gyre Oscillation NWIFC Northwest Indian Fish Commission OCMP Oregon Coastal Management Program ODFW Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife OY Optimum yield PacFIN Pacific Fishery Information Network PDO Pacific Decadal Oscillation PSMFC Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission RCA Rockfish conservation area SAFE Stock status and fishery evaluation (document) SFA Sustainable Fisheries Act SSC Scientific and Statistical Committee SST Sea surface temperature U&A Usual and Accustomed [places] USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service VMS Vessel monitoring system WDFW Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife WFWC Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission iv Revised Final Draft TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 Vision, Purpose, Goals and Objectives ..................................................................................... 9 1.1 Vision for the California Current Ecosystem ................................................................................ 9 1.2 Purpose of the Fishery Ecosystem Plan ........................................................................................ 9 1.3 Goals and Objectives .................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 2 Ecosystem Issues in the Council Process ................................................................................ 12 2.1 Schedule and Process for Developing and Amending the FEP and the Ecosystem Initiatives ... 12 2.2 Ecosystem Initiatives, 2013-2019 ............................................................................................... 13 2.3 Ecosystem Status Reports ........................................................................................................... 13 2.4 Geographic Range of the FEP ..................................................................................................... 14 Chapter 3 California Current Ecosystem Overview ................................................................................ 15 3.1 Major Biogeographic Subregions of the CCE ............................................................................ 16 3.1.1 Northern Subregion: Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington to Cape Blanco, Oregon ........... 17 3.1.2 Central Subregion: Cape Blanco to Point Conception, California ...................................... 17 3.1.3 SouthernSsubregion: Point Conception to U.S. - Mexico border ....................................... 18 3.2 Oceanographic and Geological Features of the CCE .................................................................. 19 3.2.1 Geological Features of the CCE .......................................................................................... 19 3.2.2 Oceanographic Features of the CCE ................................................................................... 20 3.3 Biological Components of the CCE ............................................................................................ 23 3.3.1 Phytoplankton, Plants, Kelp and Structure-Forming Invertebrates ..................................... 23 3.3.1.1 Phytoplankton and microalgal blooms ............................................................................ 23 3.3.1.2 Seagrasses ....................................................................................................................... 25 3.3.1.3 Macro-algal (kelp) beds .................................................................................................. 25 3.3.1.4 Structure-Forming Invertebrates ..................................................................................... 26 3.3.2 Low Trophic Level Species ................................................................................................ 28 3.3.2.1 Small pelagic fish and squid ........................................................................................... 28 3.3.2.2 Ichthyoplankton .............................................................................................................. 28 3.3.2.3 Krill and Copepods ......................................................................................................... 29 3.3.2.4 Gelatinous zooplankton ................................................................................................... 29 3.3.2.5 Shrimp and other crustacean zooplankton ...................................................................... 30 3.3.2.6 Unicellular microzooplankton ......................................................................................... 30 3.3.3 Mid to High Trophic Level Fishes and Invertebrates ......................................................... 30 3.3.3.1 Groundfishes ................................................................................................................... 31 3.3.3.2 Anadromous Species ....................................................................................................... 32 3.3.3.3 Highly Migratory Species ............................................................................................... 36 3.3.3.4 Invertebrates .................................................................................................................... 38 v Revised Final Draft 3.3.4 High Trophic Non-Fish Vertebrates: Mammals, Birds, and Reptiles of the CCE .............. 38 3.3.5 Trophic Interactions in the CCE ......................................................................................... 40 3.4 Fisheries of the CCE ................................................................................................................... 42 3.4.1 Historical