WPRFMC Calls for Action on Fisheries Issues as 2025 Federal Transition Looms

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC/Council) said it concluded its 201st meeting on an optimistic note ahead of the Federal administration change scheduled for January 2025. 

“The Council found that the incoming administration provides a chance to make U.S. fisheries in the Pacific great again,” it wrote in a December 18 press release. WPRFMC handles Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. 

WPRFMC said that after it landed an increase in longline bigeye tuna quotas last year, US fisheries in the Pacific...

NEFMC: Groundfish Council Gives Thumbs Up on Amendment 25, Preps for Final Action on Framework 69

The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) took final action on Amendment 25 to the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) during its September 24-26 meeting in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

The NEFMC said that the 2023 Atlantic Cod Research Track Assessment found that Atlantic cod would be better assessed as four stock units. However, the FMP refers to only two stocks for Atlantic cod, Amendment 25 would incorporate the four new stock units, as described below...

West Coast Groundfish Survey Reveals Gloomy Economic Outlook for 2024

Positively Groundfish, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the sustainable and economic success of the West Coast groundfish fishery, recently released the findings of its annual Economic Outlook Survey. The survey, conducted with industry participants, indicates a growing sense of economic concern and pessimism among leaders in the groundfish industry as they look ahead to the coming year, according to Positively Groundfish.

Key takeaways from the survey results include:

1. We see accelerating pessimism across the industry, with 55% expecting a worse year ...