Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management at the Pacific Fishery Management Council

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

2. Pacific Fishery Management Council Fishery Regulatory Process Council Process Research/Science ScientificReview Advisory Body Expertise Public Input Fishery Management Policy Fishery Regulations Council Recommendations to NOAA U S Coast Guard U.S. Department of Commerce Approves and Codifies Federal Fishery Regulations Enforcement

3. 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 Salmon Highly Migratory Species Groundfish

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Pacific Fishery Management Council Existing EBFM Concepts Harvest Control Rules for Coastal Pelagics HGyear+1 = (Biomassyear – Cutoff) * Fraction(5%-15%) * Distribution • Pacific Sardine-150,000mt • Minimizes Potential for Overfishing • Precautionary Forage Species Policy Environmental Component

8. Pacific Fishery Management Council Existing EBFM Concepts Marine Protected Areas Rockfish Conservation Areas Essential Fish Habitat Closures

9. Pacific Fishery Management Council Existing EBFM Concepts Coho Salmon Harvest Control Rule Uses Smolt to Jack Survival as an Indicator of Marine Ecological Conditions

10. 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

11. Pacific Fishery Management Council CurrentStatus

12. 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 ecosystem-based 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

13. Pacific Fishery Management Council Umbrella FMP • Discusses regulatory role • Defines geographic scope • Specifies management unit species • FMP Interrelated, species interactions • Ecosystem Information Annual “State of the Ecosystem” Report Marine Reserves EA or EIS Forage Species EA or EIS? Other EAs/EISs “tiered actions”

14. Pacific Fishery Management Council Barriers to Implementation • Funding • Potential Legal Questions on EBFM Implementation

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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?