Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan
About
The Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) describes how the Pacific Fishery Management Council develops decisions for management of the groundfish fishery in federal waters off California, Oregon and the outer coast of Washington (does not include inland waters). Since it was first implemented in 1982, the Council has amended the FMP numerous times in response to changes in the fishery, reauthorizations of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and litigation.
More Information
Actions
Amendment to modify groundfish exclusion areas
Published
Request for comments on information collection related to an ongoing Vessel Monitoring System.
Published
Proposed rule for Electronic Monitoring (EM) Program for the West Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program.
Published
NOAA Fisheries proposes revisions to reporting and monitoring provisions for vessels participating in the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery.
Published
Amendment 33 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan: 2025-2026 Groundfish Harvest Specifications and Management Measures
Amendment 33 of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan, 2025-2026 harvest specifications
Published
Amendment 32 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan: Modifications to Non-Trawl Sector Area Management Measures
Modifications to non-trawl sector area management measures for Pacific Coast groundfish
Published
Amendments to West Coast Groundfish Electronic Monitoring Program
Revisions to regulations that apply to Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program participants and electronic monitoring (EM) service providers
Published
Amendment 31 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan
Amendment 31 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which proposes to define the geographic units of 20 stocks for 14 species of groundfish, a subset of 80+ species managed by the FMP
Published
2023 Harvest Specifications for Pacific Whiting and 2023 Tribal Allocation
Harvest allocations for the 2023 Pacific whiting fishery
Effective
Regulatory Amendment to Increase Pacific Whiting Utilization in the At-Sea Sectors
Rulemaking to address operational flexibility in the Pacific whiting fishery
Published
Amendment 30 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan & 2023-2024 Harvest Specifications and Management Measures
Amendment 30 of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan, 2023-2024 harvest specifications
- Inseason adjustments to biennial groundfish management measures (89 FR 84296, O…
- Temporary Rule; emergency action extended (89 FR 67326, August 20, 2024)
- Inseason adjustments to biennial groundfish management measures (89 FR 59681, J…
- Temporary rule; emergency action; request for comments (April 1, 2024, 89 FR 22…
- Inseason adjustments to biennial groundfish management measures (April 1, 2024,…
Published
2022 Federal Logbook Requirement for Pacific Coast Groundfish Non-Trawl Fisheries
Final rule for implementation of logbook requirements for Pacific Coast Groundfish non-trawl fishing
Published
Electronic Monitoring (EM) Program Regulations for Bottom Trawl and Non-Whiting Midwater Trawl Vessels
Availability of a final rule
Published
2022 Harvest Specifications for Pacific Whiting and 2022 Pacific Whiting Tribal Allocation
NOAA Fisheries is announcing a final rule for the 2022 Pacific whiting fishery.
Published
Emergency Action to Temporarily Extend the 2021 Sablefish Primary Fishery
Provide operational flexibility for vessels in the sablefish primary fishery to fully harvest their catch limits despite high economic uncertainty in 2021
Effective
Emergency Action to Temporarily Remove Seasonal Processing Limitations for Pacific Whiting Motherships and Catcher-Processors
Emergency Rule, effective October 25, 2021, to temporarily allow at-sea Pacific whiting processing vessels to operate as both a mothership (MS) and a catcher-processor (C/P) during the 2021 Pacific whiting fishery.
Published
2021 Rule to Delay West Coast Groundfish Electronic Monitoring (EM) Program Regulations
Implementation of the EM program delayed until at least January 1, 2024
Published
Salmon Bycatch Minimization Measures for the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery
Salmon bycatch minimization measures to minimize incidental take of Endangered Species Act-listed salmon by vessels in the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery.
Published
Amendment 29 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan & 2021-2022 Harvest Specifications and Management Measures
Amendment 29 of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan.
Effective
Final Rule to Delay Implementation of West Coast Groundfish Electronic Monitoring Program
Final rule to delay implementation of West Coast groundfish electronic monitoring until January 2022.
Effective
Amendment 21-4 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan
Final rule for Amendment 21-4, implementing changes to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Catch Share Program, which established an individual fishing quota system for vessels catching groundfish with trawl gear.
Effective
Inseason Adjustments to Biennial Groundfish Management Measures
Final rule for 2019–2020 Pacific Coast groundfish fishery biennial adjustments.
Effective
Amendment 28 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan
NOAA Fisheries publishes a final rule on November 19, 2019 (84 FR 63966) implementing changes to area closures for commercial vessels fishing in federal waters off Washington, Oregon, and California, effective January 1, 2020.
Published
Fisheries off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Electronic Monitoring Program
NOAA Fisheries has issued a final rule that makes electronic monitoring (EM) an option for midwater trawl vessels in the Pacific whiting fishery and fixed gear vessels in the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) fishery beginning in 2021 (but delayed)
Effective
2019-2020 Biennial Harvest Specifications for Pacific Coast Groundfish
Final rule establishing the 2019-2020 harvest specifications and management measures for groundfish taken in the U.S. exclusive economic zone off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California.
Effective
Amendment 21-3 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan
Final rule changing the management of the Pacific whiting at-sea sectors' allocations for darkblotched rockfish and Pacific ocean perch.
Effective
Fisheries Off West Coast States; Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 1; Amendments to the Fishery Management Plans for Coastal Pelagic Species,
Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 1 (CEBA 1) amends the Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council's) four fishery management plans (FMPs): the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) FMP, the Pacific Coast Groundfish FMP, the FMP for U.S. West Coast Highl
Effective
Fisheries Off West Coast States; List of Authorized Fisheries and Gear
This action updates the Federal list of authorized fisheries and gear issued under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA, at 16 U.S.C. 1855(a)). The List of Fisheries includes a description of fisheries allowed to operate in t
Effective