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• The public draft of the SONCC coho salmon recovery plan is now available for review.  Comments will be accepted through March 5, 2012.  Public meetings are planned and the dates and locations will be posted here.

01/05/12
 

• NMFS announces inseason adjustments to groundfish fishery management measures in the commercial and recreational fisheries, beginning on January 1, 2012.  These changes are described in more detail in the Public Notice.
  
  You can also access this Public Notice on our website at:www.nwr.noaa.gov.

12/19/11
 

• NMFS announces publication of a Secretarial Amendment affecting the Pacific coast groundfish fishery off Washington, Oregon, and California.  For additional details concerning lingcod area management in the IFQ fishery and for 2012 primary sablefish tier limits, see the Public Notice.

12/19/11
 

• Reapportionment of Nonwhiting from Mothership to Catcher/Processors 

12/14/11
 

• The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Ad Hoc Groundfish Essential Fish Habitat Review Committee (EFHRC) will hold a work session January 17 - 18, 2012; which is open to the public. View the EFHRC meeting notice.

12/14/11
 

• The Winter 2011 issue of Pacific Council News is now available on the Council's website. You may view past issues of the Council's newsletter by visiting the Council's Newsletter Archives webpage.

12/08/11
 

• On Dec 7, 2011, NMFS published a Federal Register notice announcing the availability of 5-year reviews (hyperlink to the reports) for 4 Distinct Population Segments of ESA-listed steelhead in California.

12/07/11
 

• December 6, 2011 - NOAA Releases Regional Saltwater Recreational Fishing Plans: NOAA today released the first regional saltwater recreational fishing action plans designed to help improve fishing opportunities and address recreational fishing priorities in each of the nation’s six coastal regions and for the angling community that fishes for tunas and other highly migratory species.

12/06/11
 

• The Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Council) Highly Migratory Species Management Team (HMSMT) will hold a work session January 10 - 12, 2012, which is open to the public. Visit the Council's website to view the HMSMT Meeting Notice.

12/02/11
 

• The National Marine Fisheries Service announces year-end information for the Trawl Rationalization Program

12/01/11
 

• NMFS is issuing regulations under the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950, as amended, to implement decisions of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). At its 82nd Meeting in July 2011, the IATTC adopted a number of resolutions, some of which require rulemaking to implement domestically in the United States. This rule implements three of these decisions: the Resolution on Tuna Conservation 2011-2013 (C-11-01); the Resolution Prohibiting Fishing on Data Buoys (C-11-03); and the Resolution Prohibiting the Retention of Oceanic Whitetip Sharks (C-11-10). This action is necessary for the United States to satisfy its obligations as a member of the IATTC.
  • RIR_2011 Tuna Measures Draft
  • Small Entity Compliance Guide
  • Final Rule_published in FR

11/04/11
 

• Statement by Eric Schwaab at the Pacific Fishery Management Council Meeting, Nov. 3, 2011; Costa Mesa, California

11/03/11
 

• Black Abalone Critical Habitat Rule - The rule designates critical habitat for black abalone within five segments of the California coast between the Del Mar Landing Ecological Reserve to the Palos Verdes Peninsula, as well as on the Farallon Islands, Año Nuevo Island, San Miguel Island, Santa Rosa Island, Santa Cruz Island, Anacapa Island, Santa Barbara Island, and Santa Catalina Island. This designation includes rocky intertidal and subtidal habitats from the mean higher high water (MHHW) line to a depth of -6 meters (relative to the mean lower low water (MLLW) line), as well as the coastal marine waters above the rocky bottom in these areas.  The rule took effect on November 28, 2011.
   
  • Final Rule (Federal Register Link)
  • Final rule and supporting documents (regulations.gov)
  • Final rule, supporting documents, reference list (NMFS Southwest Region web page for abalone)

10/28/11
 

• Final Rule to Designate Critical Habitat for Black Abalone, issued October 27, 2011

10/28/11

• News Archive

The Southwest Region is one of the National Marine Fisheries Service's six regional offices and six research centers located throughout the United States. Its programs assess, manage, and promote the conservation of living marine resources through these divisions.

Serving the Southwestern United States, and Islands of the Pacific Ocean since 1964, the Southwest Region continues to ensure that the living marine resources of the Pacific are used wisely.

• Sustainable Fisheries Division

• Habitat Conservation Division

  • Santa Rosa Office

• Protected Resources Division

  • Santa Rosa Office

  • Sacramento Area Office

• Southwest Fisheries Science Center

• On August 15, 2011, the National Marine Fisheries Service published a Federal Register notice announcing the 5-year review reports for 6 species of ESA listed salmon and steelhead in California.

• Application for Exempted Fishing Permit; 2011 Pacific Sardine Fishing Season

• Seeking Comments on National Standard 10 Guidelines: the primary source of NMFS guidance for the consideration of safety issues in fishery management - 05/17/11

• Pacific Coast Salmon Essential Fish Habitat Five-year Review - Public Review Draft Report - 11/17/10

• 2010 Coastal Pelagic Species Catch Share Workshop Proceedings - 11/09/10

• Preliminary Proposals for Adjustments of Various OCAP RPA Actions - 11/08/10

• Fishing Restrictions in the Longline and Purse Seine Fisheries in the Eastern Pacific Ocean in 2009 – 2011

• Instructions for U.S. Albacore Vessels Wanting to Fish in Canadian Waters - 2010 (PDF)

• Guide for Complying with the Vessel Fishing Requirements of the U.S.-Canada Albacore Treaty - April 2010 (PDF)

• Application for Exempted Fishing Permit; 2010 Pacific Sardine Fishing Season; Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan - 05/27/10 (PDF)

• NMFS San Joaquin River Spring-run Chinook Salmon Reintroduction - 04/15/10

• FERC Watershed Profiles - 03/24/10

• Final Klamath Project Operations Biological Opinion - 03/18/10

• RiverRAT, a science synthesis and tools for evaluating effects of stream management actions - 01/25/10 (PDF)

• Report from a symposium on the importance of floodplain for juvenile salmonid rearing, and the potential of abandoned gravel pits - 01/25/10 (PDF)

• NMFS Central Valley Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Plan Public Review Draft - 10/07/09

• California/Oregon Drift Gillnet Fishery

• California Pelagic Longline Fishery

• North-Central California Coast Salmonid Watershed Characterizations

• NOAA Fisheries Report to the Board of Forestry on Salmonid Enumeration (PDF)

• Southern California Steelhead Range Extension Notice (PDF)

• Caulerpa In Southern California Coastal Waters

• Plastic Perils of the Pacific - A short film for kids

• Sediment Removal Guidelines (PDF)

• San Francisco Bay Environmental Work Windows for Dredging and Disposal

• NMFS Biological and Conference Opinion on the Long-Term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project and Related Documents - 06/04/09

• NMFS Draft 2008 Biological Opinion on the Long-Term Central Valley Project and State Water Project Operation, Criteria, and Plan 12/11/08 (PDF)
  • NMFS Draft OCAP Cover Letter 12/11/08 (PDF)

• Russian River Biological Opinion - 10/01/08 (PDF)
  • Cover Letter (PDF)

• Final Opinion - Vern Freeman Diversion Dam - 07/23/08 (PDF)

• Final Opinion - Santa Felicia Relicensing - 05/05/08 (PDF)

• Click Here for Information about the RC Programmatic Biological Opinion 06/21/06

• Scoping Report for the Mendocino Redwood Company HCP EIR/EIS (PDF)