[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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",[32,76,88],{"_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",6294629,"mediaKeyId","2521818-13f0d55c0cdbda869dacae0416528bf7","parentId",2521818,"title","NOAA staff cuts and hiring freeze prompt alarm from scientists, union and conservation groups","audioSeconds",1954,"startMs",806000,"endMs",2760000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2521818-13f0d55c0cdbda869dacae0416528bf7&start=806&end=2760","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2521818-13f0d55c0cdbda869dacae0416528bf7/thumbnail_806000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6294629/Washington/NOAA-staff-cuts-and-hiring-freeze-prompt-alarm-from-scientists-union-and-conservation-groups","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6294629-5246632db344354ca8508b16a53a3543/orig.mp4?Expires=1775300095&Signature=WtNKxwzPjBud2lGNJA-Y95NUx~JjYCO41p-Cw7aZMqlSSx0mSDhXRNgP8dOsyQU4pr1hp907d~6TOEQIwCcouY6dCMpI5lXkZ2i8jlNjss36U6wAojFMo8YaofrNGPWJKf-XbHNwp5lJBwuhXVt3G5Yi8kQ6hwnBfJgMRKovQeJ71pzjentaoTzQQsbY1x9QQVzRF6eGJtUtrCOqeOP5aOu6jw2J0ImzsvX7JqUbkOjpj3LOqtURkxSFoW-oR5OMHcOY4Br8h6VBpAhxpMoVoZkFRbzno7T2X8jSe172D9OBeNQPahZMcCvURaQlgSsAaDKwlgEcRP~mSlErU8Ny2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Fishery Management Council, Pacific","date","2025-03-07T01:25:30Z","article","The Pacific Fishery Management Council heard extensive testimony on March 6 about how recent personnel actions at NOAA Fisheries and a temporary hiring freeze are affecting science and survey work that supports fisheries management.

At the meeting, Chantelle Wetzel, speaking for the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, Local 8‑8a, said probationary firings and other workforce reductions have already trimmed scientific capacity at U.S. science centers and will have immediate effects on data collection and assessments. “The proposed large scale reductions in force will decimate our institutional knowledge, capacity, and expertise,” Wetzel said. She told the council the Alaska Fisheries Science Center lost 10 bargaining‑unit employees in the probationary firings and the Northwest Fisheries Science Center lost nine.

Why it matters: NOAA Fisheries scientists at the Northwest and Alaska science centers produce the surveys, stock assessments and analyses that feed council rulemaking and catch limits. Witnesses said even a single missed survey year can complicate assessments and reduce managers’ confidence in the data used to set annual catch levels.

NOAA perspective: Jennifer Kwan, West Coast regional administrator for NOAA Fisheries, told the council the agency is operating amid an administrationwide hiring and regulatory freeze and that many detailed instructions are still pending at headquarters. “We are in choppy waters,” she said, and urged patience while the agency and its regional staff work to interpret new executive guidance and keep programs running. Kwan said NOAA has two tribal liaisons in place and that the agency is coordinating to ensure treaty and other legal obligations are met.

Union and conservation testimony: In addition to the union testimony, representatives from Oceana urged the council to oppose cuts and to push for funding to maintain scientific capacity. “With the accelerating impacts of climate change, increasing demands on ocean ecosystems, it's more important than ever that NOAA and the Fishery Management Councils are fully funded and fully functioning,” Ben Ichknapp of Oceana said.

Industry and scientists: Fishery participants and some council members noted immediate operational impacts. Several fishermen and industry managers said survey and observer losses reduce data needed to validate stock assessments and can close markets when harvest opportunities suddenly shrink.

Council response and next steps: Council members and NOAA staff discussed the immediate need to document impacts on individual surveys and assessments. Executive Director Merrick Burton and NOAA staff said they are tracking grant approvals and temporary limits on travel and purchasing that arose during early January budget interruptions, and that the council will be updated as additional detail becomes available.

Ending note: Witnesses urged the council to “sound the alarm” to state and federal elected officials and to document where the loss of staff will most immediately affect assessments, surveys or enforcement. The council requested that NOAA and the regional science centers provide additional detail about which data streams and assessments are most at risk for the next meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","March 2025 PFMC Council Meeting Day 1: 03/06/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Pacific Fishery Management Council heard extensive testimony on March 6 about how recent personnel actions at NOAA Fisheries and a temporary hiring freeze are affecting science and survey work that supports fisheries management.","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},6294618,"IPHC keeps Area 2A catch at 1.65 million lb; council sets sablefish halibut ratio and seeks public review on salmon troll limits",6241,10105000,16346000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2521818-13f0d55c0cdbda869dacae0416528bf7&start=10105&end=16346","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2521818-13f0d55c0cdbda869dacae0416528bf7/thumbnail_10105000.jpg","/articles/6294618/Washington/IPHC-keeps-Area-2A-catch-at-165-million-lb-council-sets-sablefish-halibut-ratio-and-seeks-public-review-on-salmon-troll-limits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6294618-e10b6a832ebd33a7da95af9355c68248/orig.mp4?Expires=1775300095&Signature=Qi2wZiny6mKgBX~2eSEl3HMIkPcayoJ7QqVQyhQkGRXbWspUDWZlfBdFv8Oh1frD7OSM6orRab0juZk67CnwvaqeNEkinJS2KweUGmaYeezE5DnXBrmQOc9fzNOyP8WwPLmK2C9mJPx6WN8yHfpLmk9MVFPYpu9ungRD~Ilmwl7FyMwEhOw2SkZOy-b1a9EIs70X9bWKShgOdxAV2~ThYQQ1vF0MWCYu-yrxZXUgR5Q1R5gSsgpBJoGu3GP3HRaJY38SF10X4DT5-bRY8mmK4iU~AJQ8YvVHreuVAy1CbDJKaaf7EHrxN2zGtTa7ucpTYtLuhSh6FmnwJfxWIDQFRQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The council received the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) report and related U.S. delegation updates and took two halibut actions on March 6: it set a final incidental halibut landing ratio for the 2025 primary sablefish fixed‑gear fishery north of Point Chehalis, Washington, and it approved a package of alternatives for public review on salmon‑troll incidental halibut limits.

IPHC outcomes: The IPHC adopted coast‑wide mortality limits that reduced the overall TCEY by about 15.8 percent compared with 2024, reflecting low stock indicators coastwide. Area 2A’s TCEY of 1,650,000 pounds was held at the same level as 2024. IPHC staff reported survey declines in several metrics and highlighted continued concern about poor recruitment in recent cohorts.

Council decisions:
- Sablefish fixed‑gear fishery (north of Point Chehalis): The Groundfish Management Team and Groundfish Advisory Subpanel recommended a precautionary incidental halibut limit given an increase in the sablefish allocation and the possibility that a small number of vessels could take a disproportionate share of halibut. The council adopted a final limit of 75 pounds of Pacific halibut (dressed) per 1,000 pounds of sablefish (dressed) plus two additional halibut per trip. The motion was made by Council Member Corey Ridings and passed unanimously.
- Salmon troll incidental limits: The Salmon Advisory Subpanel proposed a set of alternatives for the period beginning May 16 through the end of the 2025 salmon troll fishery; the council adopted those alternatives for public review, and it later added a fourth alternative (a 25‑fish per trip cap) to increase the scope of public comment. The alternatives are intended to preserve incidental retention as an incidental opportunity, to avoid encouraging directed halibut harvest while giving flexibility if salmon opportunity is strong in 2025.

Why this matters: Area 2A accounts for a small share of total halibut mortality because the stock’s center of abundance is farther north, and IPHC staff told the council that reducing fishing in Area 2A would have limited coast‑wide conservation benefit. The council’s sablefish decision is intended to distribute halibut opportunity across more vessels and avoid an early closure of the primary sablefish fishery should a few vessels take a large share of incidentally encountered halibut.

Next steps: The salmon‑troll alternatives will be released for public review. State and NOAA staff will monitor landings and in‑season indicators; the council may act in season if landings approach the Area 2A allocation.","The International Pacific Halibut Commission kept the Area 2A allocation at 1,650,000 pounds for 2025. The Pacific Fishery Management Council set a 75‑lb per 1,000‑lb plus two trip limit for incidental halibut in the primary sablefish fixed‑gear fishery and approved a package of salmon‑troll alternatives for public review.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6294624,"Council adopts 2025 salmon abundance forecasts; states recommend adjusted weighting for Oregon‑Production‑Index coho forecast",486,1401000,1887000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2521818-13f0d55c0cdbda869dacae0416528bf7&start=1401&end=1887","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2521818-13f0d55c0cdbda869dacae0416528bf7/thumbnail_1401000.jpg","/articles/6294624/Washington/Council-adopts-2025-salmon-abundance-forecasts-states-recommend-adjusted-weighting-for-OregonProductionIndex-coho-forecast","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6294624-e1cd630e586ef91798733cc4292e0c2f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775300095&Signature=W00hUsoa4vh5TxSIQ3iN62574KuOxfRdsjKlFj~ajfLqJ6LBdret0xZX3Jdqz0QB6hIIqcK5Jk~5DPhXP95RwbcSHd3gvQlBXu8ZcFKAIKbBPACFjNbDqNGwEi1hZi4jUf2s1ipz1KCSWFGGg6d~bqOqL-DMZxlHvnUbOLDajjat-vpgNTLdDmShYc2ODAjNNh3FVEqpZ93Urh3nlBlOS3OLYNxCzfyqUknqyy2DWDT3qgw1YJpecm6wBKXvomo3qp5hJmy0o4m9lrvyKjpbUVU2L~YFQEyrMPppO4xN0rzOKjsbeOwpKJKKPGpSC8Ds~g9mHUnEeza2LoKsSgGmOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pacific Fishery Management Council on March 6 adopted the council staff’s 2025 preseason stock abundance forecasts, acceptable biological catches (ABCs) and annual catch limits (ACLs) for salmon, with one specific exception: the council accepted an alternate Oregon Production Index Hatchery (OPIH) coho forecast recommended by the states of Oregon and Washington.

What the council adopted: A motion to adopt the 2025 abundance forecasts, ABCs and ACLs (agenda item E2) was made by Council Member John North and seconded by David Sones. The motion included a specific exception: for the OPIH (hatchery coho) forecast, the council adopted Washington and Oregon’s recommended forecast of 493,640 adult coho rather than the value produced by the initial preseason model run.

Why the OPIH forecast changed: At a February technical meeting, scientists raised concerns that the ARIMA ensemble forecast adopted in late 2023 gave undue weight to a lagged Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index that in 2024 diverged from regional sea‑surface temperature indicators, producing a record‑low OPIH forecast (312,551) that conflicted with other indicators — notably the Oregon Coast Natural coho forecast. Washington and Oregon scientists tested alternatives to improve forecast performance over a 15‑year retrospective and found that applying exponentially decaying year weights (most recent years weighted more heavily, a 25% decay rate) reduced mean absolute percent error in hindcasts and produced a higher OPIH forecast (493,640). The states recommended adopting the adjusted forecast for 2025 and returning the methodology to formal review during the normal methodology cycle.

Scientific and advisory views: The Salmon Technical Team (STT) and the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) discussed forecast performance. The SSC recommended that forecasts include standardized uncertainty measures and suggested using frameworks (for example, Satterthwaite and Shelton 2023) to identify forecasts that need targeted methodological work. The Salmon Advisory Subpanel supported the state proposal to weight recent years more heavily for 2025, noting the socioeconomic risk of an incorrectly low coho forecast.

Klamath and other stocks: The STT reported Klamath River fall Chinook remain overfished and that the Klamath rebuilding plan is still active; the stock’s 2025 forecast was much lower than in 2024, prompting concern about de minimis exploitation limits under the control rule. The council and NOAA staff noted the 2024 field conditions and survey complications in the Klamath Basin as contributing factors.

Council action and next steps: The council adopted the forecasts and ACLs as presented in Preseason Report 1, with the states’ OPIH forecast substituted by the jointly recommended 493,640 figure. The council asked NOAA and regional science centers to provide clearer uncertainty metrics and to continue work on forecast methodology review; several participants urged that the methodology change be examined further in the upcoming methodology review cycle.

Ending: The council’s adoption sets the regulatory starting point for 2025 fisheries planning. Members instructed staff and agencies to provide additional documentation of forecast performance and to address the SSC request for standardized uncertainty reporting.","The Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted the 2025 salmon stock abundance forecasts, ABCs and ACLs on March 6, substituting a state‑recommended alternate forecast for Oregon Production Index hatchery coho.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

NOAA staff cuts and hiring freeze prompt alarm from scientists, union and conservation groups

IPHC keeps Area 2A catch at 1.65 million lb; council sets sablefish halibut ratio and seeks public review on salmon troll limits

Council adopts 2025 salmon abundance forecasts; states recommend adjusted weighting for Oregon‑Production‑Index coho forecast