Council staff on June 15 presented the planning timeline the council will use to develop 2027–28 groundfish harvest specifications and associated routine management measures. The schedule sets key decision points for assessments, catch‑only projections, SSC review and council deliberations to meet the January 1, 2027 implementation date.

What staff presented: council staff circulated a revised schedule (supplemental revised attachment 1) to reflect timing changes to update assessments and STAR panel reviews. The schedule lists deadlines and critical council actions from summer 2025 through late 2026 so staff, advisory bodies and members can complete assessment review, adopt OFLs/ABCs/ACLs and finalize routine measures such as trip and bag limits.

SSC and GMT input: the Scientific and Statistical Committee asked the groundfish subcommittee to review update assessments, catch‑only projection outputs and five full assessments during an August meeting; the SSC will treat STAR panel reports and draft assessments in August and expects to finalize its QC results in September. The GMT recommended the council adopt the proposed schedule and reminded members that if the council chooses to include new, non‑routine management measures in the biennial package (for example, delegation agreements or new regulatory measures), the council should consider the analysis workload and implementation deadlines because those items will require additional analysis beyond routine trip/possession limits.

Why it matters: the biennial harvest specification process sets OFLs, ABCs and ACLs and the routine measures used by managers and sectors. Adhering to the schedule allows the council to publish regulations and implement new management measures by 01/01/2027. The council may also choose to front‑load scoping on routine measures during summer months to allow the GMT to draft measure alternatives for council review in fall and winter.

Next steps: the GMT recommended the council adopt the proposed schedule; staff proposed to provide further presentation materials and briefings to the council and advisory bodies in September to support council decisions in November 2025. The council will consider formal adoption of the schedule during the meeting sequence and direct GMT staff as needed for any prioritized management measures.