Council revises COP 27 to update allocation‑review triggers and terminology

At its Sept. 24 session the Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted edits to Council Operating Procedure (COP) 27, which governs how allocation reviews are initiated and handled for fisheries such as groundfish and Pacific halibut. The changes strike outdated references, update species lists by allocation type, remove specific calendar‑year references to review cycles and clarify terms used for set‑asides and deductions.

Why it matters

COP 27 governs the council’s approach to allocation questions — for example, how shares are distributed among commercial, tribal, recreational and other sectors and when a formal allocation review is triggered. The revisions were proposed to reflect ongoing management changes over the past two decades, including earlier framework amendments that superseded some older allocation language.

What the council changed

Notable edits adopted in COP 27 include:

- Removal of Amendment 6 language that is largely superseded and no longer consistent with current frameworks (the council concluded Amendment 21 and other actions now set the relevant allocation framework).

- Updating how species are referenced (identifying species by allocation type rather than by older lists) and removing specific review years to make the process less prescriptive and more adaptable.

- Clarifying terminology for deductions and set‑asides so that future allocation analyses use consistent language and reflect current practices.

Advisory input

The Groundfish Management Team and Groundfish Advisory Subpanel provided input during the meeting. The GMT noted items that should be refined to avoid inadvertently constraining follow‑on…