The fourth National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Summit will be held March 29-30, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. The theme for the 2022 Summit is Recreational Fisheries in a Time of Change. Discussions will focus on four key topics: Climate-Resilient Fisheries, Balancing Ocean Uses, Data Collection and Use, and Management Reform, Flexibility, and Optimum Yield. The Summit’s plenary sessions will be live-streamed for anyone interested in following the conversations. Find the agenda, registration link, and more information on the summit webpage.

The Marine Resource Education Program provides fishermen and others with an opportunity to gain insight into how fisheries data are collected and how those data lead to regulations. MREP brings together commercial, charter, and recreational fishermen with scientists, managers, and other marine resource professionals to learn, share insights, and network in a neutral and professional setting. Participants leave the program empowered and better prepared to be a voice in federal fisheries management. Apply to participate in the next MREP West Coast from April 25-29, 2022 in La Jolla, CA.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council and its advisory bodies will meet April 7-13 in a hybrid format. Public participation will be held by webinar only.  The Council is scheduled to adopt management measures for ocean fisheries, including final measures for the 2022 ocean salmon fisheries. See the April 2022 Council meeting webpage for the agenda, webinar information, and the public comment portal.

What's happening in our California Current ecosystem, in the marine waters that extend off the U.S. West Coast from California to Washington? NOAA Fisheries scientists reveal the big picture of the biological, climatological, physical, and socioeconomic conditions in their latest California Current Ecosystem Status Report.

“The system is throwing natural experiments at many of our species, where they're dealing with quite good conditions at one point and bad conditions at another point. It's put us in a place where we almost have to expect surprises, and we will learn a lot about how species respond to this climate variability in the years ahead,” said Chris Harvey, one of the report’s lead editors from NOAA Fisheries' Northwest Fisheries Science Center. A snapshot and the full report can be found here.

How would you describe the state of regional salmon recovery today?

What’s your view on how our warming waters will impact Northwest salmon and steelhead?

How would you explain NOAA’s approach to wild vs. hatchery, and supplementation?

Before Barry Thom’s last day as Administrator of the West Coast Region of NOAA Fisheries he spoke with the Columbia Basin Bulletin. In this Q&A, Barry recollects on two decades of work managing fish stocks and protecting and recovering endangered species in the Northwest. Read the Q&A here.

California’s native salmon have been harmed by more than a century of mining, dam building, floodplain reclamation, fishing pressure, hatchery practices, and introduced predators. These stressors have undermined the resilience of California’s native salmon to the accelerating effects of climate change, new research shows. Learn more about the new research from our NOAA Fisheries’ Northwest and Southwest Fisheries Science Centers.

Sierra Pacific Industries is the largest private forest landowner in the state of California, with about 1.8 million acres of timberland throughout the northern and central portions of the state. A new Habitat Conservation Plan and Safe Harbor Agreement reflects a 50-year commitment by SPI to monitor, conserve, and improve habitat to support the conservation and recovery of listed salmon and steelhead, like Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon. Read about SPI’s commitment to conservation measures and support for the reintroduction efforts in the Sacramento River and Trinity River basins.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Fisheries Research Team is looking to use your knowledge to help provide better data for future black rockfish stock assessments. Specifically, researchers are looking for old female black rockfish and are hoping you can help the researchers find them. Guide scientists to old female black rockfish by completing this short questionnaire.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is reporting that the 2021 recreational Pacific halibut seasons “returned to more ‘normal’ operations compared to 2020.” The 2021 newsletter highlights effort and landings by subarea and season, average fish size encountered, ways to get involved in management, and other topics. Check out ODFW’s 2021 Pacific halibut newsletter.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is seeking additional help marking more than 110 million hatchery salmon and steelhead to identify them as hatchery fish before being released into state waters in 2022. This work is performed every year for several months in the spring and early summer, at hatchery facilities across Washington. Work is often performed in shifts throughout the day and even on weekends, so there are many opportunities to volunteer. Find out more about volunteering at a WDFW hatchery.