NOAA Fisheries has published a notice of decision (NOD) on approving the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s proposed amendment the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan (Amendment 23), which replaces the current harvest control rule (HCR) for Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast (SONCC) coho salmon with two new HCRs.
Amendment 23 replaced the current HCR, which guides how the Council develops annual management measures for ocean salmon fisheries, with two HCRs. The first HCR will limit total fishery exploitation rates (ERs) on each of five individual representative population units within the SONCC coho salmon Evolutionarily Significant Unit to 15 percent annually, except for the Trinity River population (represented by the Upper Trinity River, Lower Trinity River, and South Fork Trinity River populations). The second HCR will limit the total ER on the Trinity River population unit to 16 percent. Both HCRs account for all ocean and inland sources of fishery mortality annually and included landed and non-landed mortality of adult SONCC coho salmon.
Amendment 23 does not include implementing regulations; therefore, there is no final rule related to this amendment.
For the specific details associated with Amendment 23, please visit our website.
For more information
Contact Shannon Penna, Anadromous Harvest Management, at (562) 980-4043.
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