[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6291741,"mediaKeyId","2529450-2ab207e5c64695c76e8f6a37908eeee7","parentId",2529450,"title","Pacific Council pauses work on cumulative‑impacts framework and will review California Energy Commission sea‑space report","audioSeconds",2377,"startMs",689000,"endMs",3066000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2529450-2ab207e5c64695c76e8f6a37908eeee7&start=689&end=3066","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2529450-2ab207e5c64695c76e8f6a37908eeee7/thumbnail_689000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6291741/Washington/Pacific-Council-pauses-work-on-cumulativeimpacts-framework-and-will-review-California-Energy-Commission-seaspace-report","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6291741-a9e6120d070be46f8c67251a488675d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770823621&Signature=L~qNo4h6fkAltLhXXBOS16CX8veWXXKDtHsA8I7kVQpBvTRaLz8kTky8D9dqMj0oHeACKAcLa0enwdfogEnhtXZlI4mUNWPJiDgZTSrsH~VUH0Fjhqcr6bQ4VUxauzEQD8h3EAqdf0UThXOsa4MDqsmr4iKpgyM8N7RuoZEyhoOYMsGgSDOOCXaWWc7F3EIX1fzdBlymDQrIYC~HJUgIQMazbAHwcICaPVhilolw3vRjJWos9p3o4-zh3~D2ivcKuWKRxGj~Ma05wrgNmsH9Jp7I-7iKN5GdqMBYB2o7Ay66WF0JnACzpm61E5nC~~0iXD5OMBDlrxsmiEQcryFt~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Fishery Management Council, Pacific","date","2025-03-08T20:23:28Z","article","The Pacific Fishery Management Council opened its marine planning discussion by reviewing recent federal and state actions affecting offshore renewable energy and sea‑space planning.

Council staff member Carrie (overview) and planner Mike Conroy told members the council’s Marine Planning Committee (MPC) has tracked several developments, including a presidential memorandum that \"temporary[ly] withdraw[s] all areas on the [outer] Continental Shelf from offshore wind leasing\" and that \"forbids the issuance of new or renewed approvals, rights of way permits, leases, or loans for onshore or offshore wind projects pending the completion of a comprehensive assessment and review of federal wind leasing and permitting practices.\" Conroy said the memo \"has no immediate impact on the leases off California.\"

Why it matters: the memorandum pauses any new BOEM leasing and the identification of new call areas while a Department of Interior‑led review is completed, which could slow or change the federal offshore wind planning schedule on the West Coast.

The council also received an overview of the California Energy Commission (CEC) work to identify suitable sea space for wave and tidal energy under Senate Bill 605. Conroy summarized CEC staff assumptions for wave energy: developers will likely consider sites \"within 10 nautical miles of the California shoreline and in waters less than 55 ish fathoms, a hundred meters in depth,\" and the draft consultant maps show overlap between potential wave resource areas and important fishing grounds, including Dungeness crab and commercial salmon grounds. Conroy said the CEC expects a phase‑2 consultant draft to be released near the end of this month, with a 30–45 day comment period that will overlap the council’s April meeting.

Advisory bodies and council direction: the Habitat Committee (Dr. Corey Green), the Salmon Advisory Subpanel (Megan Waters) and the Marine Planning Committee recommended pausing further development of the council’s cumulative impacts framework (CIF) given the federal pause on offshore wind and the difficulty of getting federal agencies to participate in recent MPC meetings. The Habitat Committee said it \"does not see a need to provide comments from a habitat perspective on the CEC draft phase 2 consultant report until there is an actionable item.\" The SAS and Habitat Committee both suggested holding off further CIF work until there is clarity on federal policy and on whether projects will move forward.

Council discussion and next steps: council members and staff agreed the council should \"stand by\" for the CEC draft and asked staff and the MPC/Habitat Committee chairs to review the consultant report when it is released and recommend whether the council should submit comments via the council’s quick‑response process. Council staff summarized the action as: the council appreciates the work on the CIF but will not proceed further on it now; staff will review the CEC consultant report on release and, working with committee chairs as appropriate, recommend whether to develop a comment letter.

Other updates: the MPC also noted two Department of Energy laboratory reports on offshore wind transmission planning for the West Coast, status updates on the PacWave project (onshore construction through spring; operations forecast next spring), and that several state and local processes (including a Washington coastal roundtable and a proposed Grays Harbor concept) remain at an early, conceptual stage.

Ending: Council staff and the MPC will monitor the DOI review and the CEC draft report; advisory bodies recommended pausing CIF development until there is greater regulatory certainty and federal participation.

Sources and attribution: quotes and attributions in this article come from council staff and advisory body representatives who spoke at the meeting: Carrie (staff overview), Mike Conroy (MPC presentation), Dr. Corey Green (Habitat Committee), Megan Waters (SAS), and Travis Hunter (GAP).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","March 2025 PFMC Council Meeting Day 3: 03/08/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Pacific Fishery Management Council on its marine planning agenda paused further work on a council-developed cumulative impacts framework and told staff to review a California Energy Commission draft identifying \"suitable sea space\" for wave and tidal energy before deciding whether to send comments.","taxTitle","Fishery Management Council, Pacific, Governor's Office - Boards & Commissions, Executive, Washington","taxId",24240,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6291736,"Council asks at‑sea cooperatives for active in‑season communication as whiting year begins",6728,3835000,10563000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2529450-2ab207e5c64695c76e8f6a37908eeee7&start=3835&end=10563","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2529450-2ab207e5c64695c76e8f6a37908eeee7/thumbnail_3835000.jpg","/articles/6291736/Washington/Council-asks-atsea-cooperatives-for-active-inseason-communication-as-whiting-year-begins","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6291736-606502b652097df85655be945956d9d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770823621&Signature=mU1UIlG6s9OHunUtQTXvC4B8dnB-PYSvsQuSNX5qRuHBQgmKTTEFQaSqzuCy3loKM0B5vyRvjpXkZ3ybBSmDKbcC3jZHAAeYBqwxb~F9CP3MDWbHx~eYogu-T61D23nkDRTd2ZFI3KL8w8SOjhEnp~LUnrPeBGtk8TPEN5Tkj0Ic7LvVWLEFiIq2JsSYPEyZpbgfISebnJU1MlV545QOCWFYpJSbMShwUuq-BoGQF5WPB92DjnxaQFBvCRzymhQ5NEiFVKax~pOut-9n7EidbZli5wCyLNf-OVbAGiaF~myKoUmrcS8A7Jy9WrPkr7uuIetgR2XALpZWDVwFord3kg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pacific Fishery Management Council considered implementation of the 2025 Pacific whiting fishery and expectations for at‑sea set‑aside (ATSI) management amid concerns from advisory panels and industry representatives.

Todd Phillips, who presented the agenda item overview, reminded the council that Pacific whiting is jointly managed by the United States and Canada under the Pacific Whiting Treaty and that the usual process starts with the Joint Technical Committee’s stock assessment followed by review by the Scientific Review Group and the Joint Management Committee (JMC). This year the JMC and its advisory panel meet midweek and their outcomes will not be available in time for the council to provide formal guidance on the coastwide total allowable catch (TAC). Phillips said the council should ‘‘consider making a formal statement that it does not intend to comment on the 2025 JMC recommendations due to the timing of that those advisory bodies meeting.’’

Why it matters: the JMC recommendation normally informs the council’s advice to the Secretary of Commerce; because the JMC meets during the council meeting this year, the council cannot complete its usual review ahead of final TAC decisions.

Advisory‑body reports and concerns: the Groundfish Advisory Subpanel (GAP), represented by Jeff Lackey and Chris Cooper, urged the council to ask the JMC and National Marine Fisheries Service to schedule future JMC and advisory panel meetings to occur before the March council meeting so the council can make timely recommendations. The GAP also urged NMFS to make every effort to open the whiting fishery on May 1, 2025.

ATSI set‑asides and cooperative management: GAP members and industry speakers emphasized that at‑sea set‑asides are the council’s preferred tool to manage non‑target groundfish mortality in the mothership (MS) and catcher‑processor (CP) sectors, but several cooperatives have exceeded their set‑aside amounts in recent seasons. The GAP recommended clarifying council expectations that \"each sector is expected to make every effort to manage to their pro rata share of the at‑sea set asides in 2025, particularly for species like canary and shortspine thornyhead where there is currently no ACL buffer in the system.\" The GAP also asked that council reports show MS and CP sector catch separately and include pro‑rata columns (41.38% mothership / 58.62% CP) so advisory bodies and the public can compare sector performance against their shares.

Industry testimony: Heather Mann, executive director of the Midwater Trawlers Cooperative, told the council the mothership sector has tried to limit bycatch to protect multigenerational shore‑side businesses and asserted the catcher‑processor sector \"fishes in areas that the mothership sector closes voluntarily for bycatch.\" Mann said confidentiality rules have limited public vessel‑level reporting in some years and warned that continued exceedances \"could erode council trust in set aside management and or cooperative management.\"

Data and confidentiality: GAP members and staff discussed a Magnuson‑Stevens Act confidentiality issue that prevented publication of mothership sector catch in 2024’s PacFIN reports until some processors signed waivers. Staff said the regulation requires submission of vessel‑level coop data but does not by itself require public posting; some confidential versions are available to council members via the member dashboard.

Risk and stock assessment context: the Ecosystem Work Group (Tommy Moore) described the inclusion of a risk table in this year’s whiting stock assessment and SRG review; the risk table uses ecosystem indicators and highlighted that, despite an assessment suggesting high biomass, fishermen reported difficulty finding fish and unusual distributions, which complicates in‑season management and avoidance strategies.

Council expectations and actions: council discussion centered on in‑season communication, transparency and cooperative efforts. NOAA staff (Ryan Wolf) noted limited automatic authority for NMFS to take in‑season regulatory actions and said in‑season measures (for example, geographically targeted closures) have been analyzed and could be implemented only after council recommendation or an emergency process. Council members asked the at‑sea cooperatives to increase in‑season communication, to share steps they will take if they approach their pro‑rata set‑aside shares, and to keep NMFS informed. Council staff also told members it would seek to restore the usual JMC schedule in future years so council advice on TACs can be timely.

Ending: Council members expressed support for using set‑asides to retain flexibility while pressing cooperatives to communicate and act in season to avoid exceedances. Staff and the council’s treaty representative will proceed with available flexibility for next‑week JMC negotiations and monitor developments; the council will consider further follow‑up if in‑season conservation risks emerge.","At the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s meeting, staff and advisory panels discussed the 2025 Pacific whiting fishery, emphasizing timing issues with the U.S.–Canada Joint Management Committee, the role of at‑sea set‑asides for non‑target mortality, and concerns about recent set‑aside exceedances. Advisory bodies urged stronger in‑season coop","actionData","errors"]

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Pacific Council pauses work on cumulative‑impacts framework and will review California Energy Commission sea‑space report

Council asks at‑sea cooperatives for active in‑season communication as whiting year begins