Council prioritizes work plan: moves trawl EFP items, GAP flexibility package and recreational disposal rule onto track

The Pacific Fishery Management Council on March 20 updated its groundfish workload list and prioritized a series of management measures the Groundfish Advisory Panel and Groundfish Management Team recommended. The council also adopted a set of GAP proposals that the GAP characterized as a package of flexibility tools to address severe constraints faced by West Coast fisheries this year.

Key outcomes

- The council prioritized items to move from the “proposed” list to the active workload, including trawl EFP regulatory items and administrative clarifications the GMT had recommended. - The council also supported and prioritized a GAP‑proposed set of flexibility tools — specifically: a pathway to mid‑biennium harvest‑specifications changes (the “green‑light” idea); consideration of a phased ABC control rule; options for carryover of unused ACL from one year to the next; and consideration of a multiyear ACL or rolling two‑year catch option. GAP members said the package is meant to provide immediate and longer‑term options to reduce acute socioeconomic stress when assessments deliver large quota reductions. - Council members asked staff to scope the items for feasibility and return to the council with schedule and resource implications; staff warned that rule drafting and implementation resources are constrained and that NMFS may need more lead time to engage in rulemaking.

Why it matters: Several West Coast groundfish stocks had large downward revisions in recent assessments. GAP members told the council the sudden drops created sharp, immediate hardships across all sectors and ports — affecting crew income, processors and community businesses. GAP representatives argued that policy tools such as a structured “phase down” (or “phase in” in the case of positive assessments), carefully controlled carryover of unused ACL amounts and a mid‑biennium mechanism would let managers and communities adapt more gradually while still protecting stock rebuilding objectives.

What advisers said: The GMT proposed adding specific trawl‑related EFP items to the prioritized list and recommended a few targeted additions (including an item to develop discard‑mortality rates for trawl and bottom‑longline gear for species with high constraints). The SSC urged caution on policy choices that change ABC buffers and emphasized any time‑varying sigma or P* changes must be tied to clear risk analyses. GAP members emphasized that the package is meant to complement, not replace, existing conservation measures.

Votes and motions: Multiple substantive motions were handled on the agenda: council members approved changes to the GMT workload list (removing completed items and moving trawl EFP items into the prioritized list), adopted GAP items d1–d4 for prioritization (the “flexibility package”), and approved giving higher priority to a deregulatory, low‑workload change to allow states to permit the commercial reuse or sale of recreationally caught fish waste (B8). All motions passed unanimously during the meeting.

Next steps: Council staff will scope the prioritized items and present schedules and staffing needs to the council; they also will coordinate with NMFS counsel and with advisory bodies prior to drafting any rule text. The council asked staff to come back with concrete, near‑term options for June and to report which tools are feasible for mid‑biennium use. Advisory bodies will be asked to refine analytical scopes and help identify datasets to support rapid analysis where needed.

Ending: The workload decision gives managers a set of policy tools to examine in the coming months and signals the council’s intent to pursue flexibility that could soften abrupt reductions and give fishing communities time to adapt while maintaining conservation metrics.