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 The changes strike outdated references, update species lists by allocation type, remove specific calendar‑year references to review cycles and clarify terms used for set‑asides and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proposed to reflect ongoing management changes over the past two decades, including earlier framework amendments that superseded some older allocation language.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- Removal of Amendment 6 language that is largely superseded and no longer consistent with current frameworks (the council concluded Amendment 21 and other actions now set the relevant allocation framework).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 groundfish actions; the GAP provided wording suggestions and rationale. The council adopted the COP 27 revisions as presented.

Next steps

Staff will update the COP text in the council’s consolidated procedures to reflect the adopted edits and ensure internal consistency across council documents. The revisions are intended to reduce schedule confusion and clarify initiation criteria for future allocation reviews.

Ending

Council members said the COP 27 edits remove outdated material and better align the allocation‑review process with current management realities for groundfish and halibut.

Actions

Motion: Adopt revisions to COP 27 (Process for Initiating Allocation Reviews) as presented in I3 attachment 4. - Mover: Councilmember Marci Remco - Second: Councilmember Rebecca Lent - Outcome: Approved unanimously

Speakers

- Marci Remco — Councilmember (mover) - Rebecca Lent — Councilmember (second) - James Phillips — Groundfish Management Team - Susan Chambers — Groundfish Advisory Subpanel (report)

Authorities

- Council Operating Procedure 27 (COP 27) — Process for initiating allocation reviews

Discussion_vs_Decision

- Discussion: Need to remove obsolete references and provide clear initiation criteria while preserving the council’s ability to consider allocation studies that improve access and profitability. - Decision: Adopt the COP 27 revisions; staff to incorporate the edits into the consolidated COPs.

Proper names

- COP 27 (Council Operating Procedure 27)

topics:[{"name":"allocations","justification":"COP 27 defines how allocation reviews are initiated for groundfish and halibut and affects sector shares and access.","scoring":{"topic_relevance":0.90,"depth_score":0.55,"opinionatedness":0.05,"controversy":0.40,"civic_salience":0.75,"impactfulness":0.65,"geo_relevance":1.00}}],

searchable_tags:["COP27","allocation","groundfish","halibut"],

meeting_context:{"engagement_level":{"speakers_count":6,"duration_minutes":20,"items_count":1},"implementation_risk":"low","history":[{"date":"2024-03","note":"Amendment 21 and other recent allocations framework updates reduced relevance of some Amendment 6 language."}]},

sections":{"lede":"The Pacific Council updated Council Operating Procedure 27 to remove outdated allocation language and clarify initiation criteria for allocation reviews affecting groundfish and Pacific halibut.","nut_graf":"The revisions remove references superseded by later framework actions (for example, Amendment 21), update species identification by allocation type, eliminate fixed review years and clarify deductions and set‑aside terminology to reduce procedural confusion and improve future allocation analyses.","ending":"Staff will incorporate the COP 27 edits into the consolidated council operating procedures and return the updated procedures for recordkeeping and future reference."},

topic_primary":"allocations","topics":[{"name":"allocations","justification":"COP 27 edits affect how the council initiates allocation reviews and thus sector access and management.","scoring":{"topic_relevance":0.90,"depth_score":0.55,"opinionatedness":0.05,"controversy":0.40,"civic_salience":0.75,"impactfulness":0.65,"geo_relevance":1.0}}],

speakers":[{"name":"Marci Remco","role_title":"Councilmember","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Pacific Fishery Management Council","first_reference":{"timecode":"02:45:00","transcript_line_range":[15112,15152]}},{"name":"Rebecca Lent","role_title":"Councilmember","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Pacific Fishery Management Council","first_reference":{"timecode":"02:48:30","transcript_line_range":[3206,3247]}},{"name":"James Phillips","role_title":"Groundfish Management Team","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"GMT","first_reference":{"timecode":"00:35:24","transcript_line_range":[2124,2156]}},{"name":"Susan Chambers","role_title":"Groundfish Advisory Subpanel vice chair","affiliation_type":"citizen","affiliation_name":"GAP","first_reference":{"timecode":"00:40:28","transcript_line_range":[2428,2451]}}],

authorities":[{"type":"policy","name":"Council Operating Procedure 27","citation":"PFMC COP 27","referenced_by":["cop27-allocation-reviews"]}],

actions":[{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"I3","project_slug":"cop27_allocation_changes"},"motion":"Adopt revisions to COP 27 as shown in I3 attachment 4.","mover":"Marci Remco","second":"Rebecca Lent","vote_record":[],"tally":{"yes":15,"no":0,"abstain":0,"absent":0,"recused":0},"legal_threshold":{"required":"simple_majority","met":true,"notes":"Approved unanimously."},"effective_dates":{"effective_on":"2025-09-24","sunset_on":"1970-01-01"},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Staff to update consolidated COPs for consistency.","implementation":{"assignee_dept":"Council staff","follow_up_tasks":[{"task":"Incorporate COP 27 edits into consolidated COP documents","due_date":"2025-11-15","status":"planned"}],"reporting_requirements":"Provide updated COPs at a future meeting."}}],