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Pacific Council adds emergency rule discussion to revisit 2026 groundfish ACLs after industry pleas
Summary
Following multiple public testimonies from trawl and groundfish sectors about abrupt specification cuts, the council voted unanimously to add an agenda item to consider an emergency rule that would raise 2026 ACLs for canary rockfish, shortspine thornyhead and petrale sole.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council on Sept. 19 voted unanimously to reopen its published agenda and add an in‑season emergency rule discussion to consider increasing 2026 annual catch limits for canary rockfish, shortspine thornyhead and petrale sole.
The decision followed a string of public comments from groundfish industry representatives who said steep quota reductions adopted after recent stock assessments had left fleets unable to operate efficiently. Elena Novak of the Oregon Trawl Commission told the council the cuts had produced "a tremendous financial pressure on the industry" and urged "additional small amounts of short spine, canary, and petrale ACLs in 2026 to allow for more operational flexibility." Heather Mann of the Midwater Trawlers Cooperative said an emergency rule was the only viable way to deliver relief for 2026: "Emergency rulemaking is the only viable path within the confines of our regulatory system to allow these benefits to be realized by harvesters, processors, and communities in 2026."
Council members debated procedural requirements and staff support before Asia Shumalo moved to add an emergency‑rule agenda item to be considered later in the meeting. Executive director Burden said staff would prepare a situation summary and that the Scientific and Statistical Committee and technical teams had been queued to review revised projections and offer advice. The motion passed with unanimous assent.
What happens next: Council staff said they will update the agenda and prepare scientific and allocation analyses ahead of the emergency item. If the council later recommends an emergency action, NMFS would evaluate whether it meets the statutory criteria under the Magnuson‑Stevens Act and associated guidelines before taking regulatory steps.
Why it matters: Testimony from multiple sectors described repeated, costly fleet movements and constrained access to target species after rapid quota reductions. Industry representatives argued modest, targeted increases for 2026 could preserve economic activity while posing little conservation risk, but council and scientific bodies will need to assess stock impacts and statutory thresholds before any emergency rule is implemented.
