Council adopts short‑term changes to COP 20 to speed Highly Migratory Species EFPs

The Pacific Fishery Management Council on Sept. 24 adopted revisions to Council Operating Procedure (COP) 20 to speed up and clarify how exempted fishing permits (EFPs) for highly migratory species are reviewed by the council and NOAA Fisheries. The Fisheries Innovation Workgroup (FIW) and HMS advisory bodies developed near‑term, targeted edits focused on meeting timing and process clarity; the council approved those changes for immediate use and allowed staff to make editorial updates for consistency across COPs.

Why it matters

EFPs allow applicants to test new gears, methods or data collection approaches that are outside existing regulations. The HMS EFP process has been identified as an area where faster council review could create new domestic fishing opportunities, improve experimental gear uptake and reduce the time between application and field evaluation.

What the council changed

The FIW proposed three core changes to COP 20 that the council adopted:

- Change the regular council review schedule for HMS EFP applications from June/September to November/March, aligning council consideration closer to the fishing season and enabling applicants to have council input for the next year’s season.

- Allow certain EFPs to be taken through a one‑meeting council review process when appropriate, reducing a previously standard two‑meeting cycle for non‑controversial or previously evaluated proposals.

- Allow applicants to submit EFP proposals for council acceptance at either of the two designated review meetings (November or March), increasing flexibility for applicants and staff scheduling.

The FIW also recommended a set of additional clarifying edits to COP 20 (for example, wording that distinguishes NOAA authority to approve EFPs from the council’s role in making recommendations, and clarifications on data‑collection expectations) to improve process transparency and reduce confusion. The council adopted the near‑term changes and directed staff to make editorial updates as needed to ensure consistency across COPs.

Advisory bodies and management team input

The HMS Advisory Subpanel and the HMS Management Team both expressed support for adopting the FIW recommended changes and for continued FIW work on longer‑term improvements, such as performance goals and metrics for EFPs. The HMS groups stressed the value of in‑person advisory meetings for complex discussions and recommended in‑person council consideration when agenda items warrant more detailed deliberation.

Quotes

"We view [EFP guidance] as critical to creating new and expanded HMS fishing opportunities," Mike Conroy, vice‑chair of the HMS Advisory Subpanel, told the council.

Next steps

The FIW will continue work on performance metrics and goals for HMS EFPs and return with further recommendations (staff indicated more edits could be proposed for March). Staff were directed to tidy language and ensure COP 20 revisions do not create unintended inconsistencies with other COPs; final consolidated COP edits will be returned for formal adoption at a future meeting.

Ending

Council members said the short‑term changes help fishermen and NOAA move EFPs into field testing faster while preserving science‑based review and NOAA’s legal approval role.

Actions

Motion: Adopt revisions to COP 20 (Protocol for Consideration of Exempted Fishing Permits for Highly Migratory Species) as proposed in agenda item I3 attachment 3. - Mover: Councilmember Krista Svensson - Second: Councilmember Rebecca Lent - Outcome: Approved unanimously

Speakers

- Josh Madeira — FIW co‑chair / HMS AS (presented the FIW recommendations) - Mike Conroy — HMS Advisory Subpanel (vice chair) - Amber Rhodes — HMS Management Team - Krista Svensson — Councilmember (mover)

Authorities

- Council Operating Procedure 20 (COP 20) — Protocol for HMS EFPs (revisions adopted)

Discussion_vs_Decision

- Discussion: Need to speed EFP review while ensuring NOAA retains approval authority and data collection requirements are clear. - Direction: Adopt COP 20 near‑term edits, staff to make editorial consistency changes across COPs and return consolidated COP updates for final adoption. - Decision: COP 20 revisions adopted.

Proper names

- Fisheries Innovation Working Group (FIW) - Highly Migratory Species Advisory Subpanel (HMS AS) - National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA/NMFS)

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searchable_tags:["COP20","EFP","HMS","FIW"],

meeting_context:{"engagement_level":{"speakers_count":6,"duration_minutes":40,"items_count":1},"implementation_risk":"low","history":[{"date":"2025-06","note":"Council asked FIW to produce near‑term COP 20 edits and a longer‑term work plan for HMS EFPs."}] },