West Coast Trawlers' Network | Information and resources for the groundfish trawl fleet

Subscribe via RSS

Coastwide Buoy Data

Subscribe to West Coast Waypoints

Upcoming Events

Thu, 06/21/2012 June Council Meeting
San Mateo, June 21-26
Thu, 09/13/2012 September Council Meeting
Boise, September 13-18
Fri, 11/02/2012 November Council Meeting
Costa Mesa, November 2-7

Fleet Feedback

Suggestions or comments are welcome. Contact us.

Workshop Panel Session Videos Now Available

For fishermen who were not able to make it to our Portland workshop in February, we have now posted all panel sessions and presentations below. The panelists' Powerpoints have been edited into the videos. If you would like to be provided a copy of a stand-alone Powerpoint, please send a request to Amy Loewen, at aloewen@edf.org. We hope you find these sessions as interesting and informative as did the workshop attendees.

Announcment regarding whiting adjustments, carryovers, etc.

The National Marine Fisheries Service announces adjustments to quota share accounts for Pacific whiting in the Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program; adjustments to vessel accounts for surplus carryover in the Shorebased IFQ Program; and allocation of Pacific whiting for the Mothership and Catcher/Processor Coop Programs.

See the attached public notice for details. If you have...

Groundfish Public Notice on EDC forms

April Council meeting decision summary document available

The Pacific Fishery Management Council met April 1-6, 2012 in Seattle, Washington. The April 2012 Council Meeting Decision Summary Document summarizes the decisions made during that meeting.

Download the April 2012 Council Meeting Decision Summary Document
For previous decisions, visit the Council Meeting...

NMFS Announces Commercial LE Primary Sablefish Fishery Season & Tier Limits

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces the commercial limited entry fixed gear sablefish primary fishery’s tier limits for the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery off Washington, Oregon, and California. These tier limits were previously published in the Federal Register on December 13, 2011 (76 FR 77415).

April Briefing Book Available Online

The Briefing Book for the April 2012 Council meeting has been posted to the Council’s website on the “Current Briefing Book” webpage. The Briefing Book contains “situation summaries” (brief summaries that provide background for each agenda item), reports and materials for each agenda item, and written public comment.

April 2012 Council Meeting Internet Audio Stream

The April 1-6, 2012 meeting of the Pacific Fishery Management Council will be streamed live on the internet. The live audio will be broadcast starting with the &#147Informational Groundfish Briefing&#148 scheduled to start Sunday, April 1 at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Get the April meeting agenda.

...

TRAGEDY STRIKES

The West Coast trawl industry is in mourning, after learning of the sinking of the Lady Cecelia and the loss of her entire crew. Those of us associated with West Coast Trawlers' Network are deeply saddened, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the families.

April Council Meeting Information

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory bodies will meet March 31-April 6, 2012 in Seattle, Washington to address issues related to salmon, Pacific halibut, groundfish, coastal pelagic species, and habitat matters.

Key agenda items include Council considerations to:

March 2012 Council Meeting Decision Summary Document Available for Download

The Pacific Fishery Management Council met March 2-7, 2012 in Sacramento, California. The March 2012 Council Meeting Decision Summary Document summarizes the decisions made during that meeting.

Download the March 2012 Council Meeting Decision Summary Document
For previous decisions, visit the Council...

Oregon fishermen weather a season of change, see a brighter future

Portland Oregonian, January 8, 2012

Plan ahead when considering permit or quota financing

The folks at the California Fisheries Fund asked us to pass along the following information.

Are you thinking about buying more quota share or a trawl permit? How about leasing some quota?

The California Fisheries Fund is a revolving loan fund that supports fishermen, fishing-related businesses and ports that are working to improve the sustainability of West Coast fisheries. CCF helps fishermen succeed in the catch share program by financing loans for permit...

NMFS announces launch of new account balances pages

On December 1st, NMFS announced the launch of new account balances pages on the IFQ Groundfish website. Tabs at that site now open up new pages that provide Quota Share Account Balances and Vessel Account Balances.

Pacific whiting JTC meeting

The National Marine Fisheries Service announces the first bilateral meeting of the Pacific Whiting Joint Technical Committee (JTC) to begin implementation of the Whiting Treaty will be held in Seattle on Monday and Tuesday, November 28-29, 2011. Meeting details are in the PDF below.

OPB News: Trawlers dealing with biggest changes in 50 years

Vince Patton | November 9, 2011 | Warrenton, OR

Trawl fishing on the west coast is a very different business this year. That’s because trawlers need to follow new rules that set individual quotas for how many fish they can catch. The industry calls it the biggest change in 50 years.

The goal is to reduce-over fishing, and to stop trawlers from throwing out fish they don’t want. The program is also designed to make the fishing business more predictable. But...

All six West Coast senators sign letter of support for West Coast trawlers and observer cost-relief

November 4, 2011

U.S. Senators from Washington, Oregon and California joined together in sending a letter to the Secretary of Commerce (the agency that contains NMFS and NOAA) urging that West Coast fishermen's share of observer costs not exceed 20% in 2012, and that NOAA dedicate $3.9 million in FY12 to cover the remainder of observer costs.

Many commercial fishermen support catch share management programs

In October, 2011, seven leading fishermen's organizations that operate on the West Coast and in the North Pacific joined with other groups from around the country and sent a letter to members of Congress in strong support of the regional fishery management council process. They wrote "in ardent opposition to any legislative effort to pre-empt Regional Fishery Management Councils from pursuing the most appropriate conservation and management measures to...

Positive signs on observer cost-relief for West Coast trawl fishermen

NOAA's Eric Schwaab testifies at PFMC meeting; lawmakers prepare strong letter of support

Council fall newsletter availabe for download

The Fall issue of the Pacific Council News is now available here (download). This issue covers new stock assessments, changes to the halibut catch sharing plan, dam removal, Columbia and Sacramento salmon updates, and more.

November 2011 Briefing Book Available Online

The Briefing Book for the November 2011 Council meeting has been posted to the Council’s website on the “Current Briefing Book” webpage. The Briefing Book contains “situation summaries” (brief summaries that provide background for each agenda item), reports and materials for each agenda item, and written public comment.

New Grants Available Through NFWF Fisheries Innovation Fund

Note: This is the second in a series of grants being made by the Fisheries Innovation Fund. The first set of awards included grants to the Fishermen's Marketing Association and Buccaneer Fisheries, here on the West Coast, for work in the areas of electronic monitoring and halibut excluder design and testing.

West Coast Groundfish Quota Program Workshop, Keynote Address: Sam Rauch, Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA

Introduced by Dorothy Lowman, Fisheries Consultant and Member, Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Session 1: Overview of 2011 Fishery - Program Performance: Successes & Challenges

A review of the groundfish fleet's first year under catch shares, featuring: Frank Lockhart, NMFS Northwest Region; Dayna Matthews, NMFS Office of Law Enforcement, NW Region Catch Shares Program Manager; Mark Cooper, Vessel Owner and Board Member, Midwater Trawlers' Cooperative; Joe Bersch, President, Phoenix Processor Limited Partnership; Brad Pettinger, Director, Oregon Trawl Commission; Andrew Bornstein, Bornstein's Seafoods; Tom Libby, California Shellfish Company, Inc. and Point Adams Packing Company.

Session 2A: Constraining Species Management - Managing Risk Through Individual Strategies and Formal/Informal Arrangements

This session features Bob Dooley, owner/operator, F/V Pacific Prince and President, United Catcher Boats; Dave Fraser, IMARIBA West Fisheries Consulting; Michelle Norvell, Manager, Fort Bragg Groundfish Association; and Ralph Brown, owner, F/V Little Joe.

Session 2B: Maximizing Opportunity and Value Through Gear Modification

Panelists for Session 2B include: Mark J.M. Lomeli, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission; John Gauvin, Gauvin & Associates; Kevin Dunn, Captain, F/V Iron Lady; Omar Allinson, Captain, F/V Miss Leona; Sara Skamser, Owner, Foulweather Trawl.

Session 3: Finding, Valuing and Financing Quota Transactions

Panelists for this session include: Phoebe Higgins, California Fisheries Fund; Michael Clayton, Executive Director of the CapLog Group; Pete Leipzig, Jefferson State Trading Company; Sarah Towne, NMFS NW Region; and Evan Heriot, Northwest Farm Credit Services.

Session 4A: Monitoring and Catch Accounting: At-Sea Monitoring and Dockside Monitoring

Panelists for Session 4A: Janell Majewski, West Coast Observer Program, NWFSC; Paul Kujala, Captain, F/V Cape Windy; Michael Lake, Alaska Observers, Inc.; Tim Carroll, Saltwater, Inc.; and Crystal Adams, Hallmark Fisheries.

Session 4B: Catch Accounting

Session panelists include: Steve Freese, Permits & Economics Branch Chief, NMFS NW Region; Lisa Damrosch, Bettencourt Fisheries; Dave Fraser, IMARIBA West Fisheries Consulting; and Matt Merrifield, The Nature Conservancy.

Session 4C: Moving Toward a More Cost-Effective System - Incorporation of Electronic Technologies

Panelists for Session 4C: Frank Lockhart, Assistant Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries, NMFS NW Region; Michelle McClure, Director, FRAM Division, NMFS NWFSC; Dayna Matthews, NMFS Office of Law Enforcement, NMFS NW Division, Catch Shares Program Manager; Pete Leipzig, Executive Director, Fisherman's Marketing Association; Howard McElderry, Archipelago Marine Research Ltd.; and Geoff Bettencourt, Bettencourt Fisheries.

Session 5: Growing the Pie - Strategies for Improving Revenues

Session 5 panelists include: Heather Mann, Director, Community Seafood Initiative; Chris Brown, Co-Founder, Wild Rhody LLC; Dan Averill, Fisheries Outreach Manager-Americas, Marine Stewardship Council.

Session 6: Moving Forward - Open Discussion of Strategies to Improve Program and Build on Workshop Discussions

This open-mic session concluded the West Coast Groundfish Quota Program Workshop. West Coast Groundfish Quota Program Workshop, February 23, 2012, Portland, Oregon.