Recreational Fisheries May 2023 Newsletter

NOAA Fisheries is pleased to announce Ms. Jennifer Quan as the new Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region. In her new role, Ms. Quan will direct NOAA Fisheries’ science-based stewardship of marine species and habitat within the coasts and watersheds of Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho. Read more

Our partners at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, supported by the Pacific Recreational Fisheries Information Network, have released a West Coast Fish Identification mobile app. You can quickly ID fish from your phone or tablet, including species of rockfish, salmon, sturgeons, and more. Get quick, accurate information about West Coast fish. Download the app for Android or Apple devices

Attention Mendocino and San Francisco recreational groundfish anglers, this is a reminder that from May 15 through July 15, 2023 in these two management areas, anglers may only take Shelf and Slope rockfishes and lingcod seaward of the 50 fathom Rockfish Conservation Area boundary line. The 50 fathom line boundary line waypoints are available in a CSV file. Chartplotter users can use a website or program of their choice to convert the CSV file to one readable by their plotter, typically a GPX file. Users can reach out to me with any questions. Find the 50 fathom CSV file here

NOAA Fisheries has published the final rule for the 2023 Pacific halibut Area 2A (Washington, Oregon, and California) catch sharing plan and annual management measures. The season dates and bag limits became effective on April 6, 2023, while the rest of the rule will become effective on May 11, 2023. NOAA Fisheries is implementing management measures governing the 2023 recreational fisheries on the West Coast in addition to those implemented by the International Pacific Halibut Commission. Learn more

NOAA Fisheries has released the Annual Report to Congress on the Status of U.S. Fisheries. This report highlights successful management of U.S. fisheries and the broad economic impact of commercial and recreational fisheries on the U.S. economy. Learn more

The Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of the Interior seek nominations for membership on the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council. The Council advises on aquatic conservation and restoration endeavors in​ ​fresh, estuarine, and marine environments that benefit recreational fishery resources, enhance recreational boating, and encourage partnerships among industry, the public, and the government to advance these efforts. Submit applications for Council positions through May 11, 2023. Read more

The Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary is accepting applications for volunteer positions on the Sanctuary Advisory Council in the following  seats: Fishing; Education; Maritime Activities; Research; and Community-at-Large Marin County.  In addition to providing advice as a body, individual advisory council members act as liaisons between the sanctuary and their constituent groups. The deadline to apply is May 15, 2023. Learn more

NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Region is pleased to share our Public Scoping Report which summarizes the public comment received on the Notice of Intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Southern California Aquaculture Opportunity Areas. This Public Scoping Report provides a high-level overview of the nature and themes of the comments received. Read more

One major problem for salmon is that much of the natural habitat they historically relied on is gone. For decades we have been working with community partners to bring more of that habitat back, and our research and monitoring are proving it works. Watch here

NOAA Fisheries is proposing to list the sunflower sea star as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.. This proposal means that the sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) is considered likely to become in danger of extinction in the foreseeable future. The main threat to the species is a lethal pathogen that caused a recent outbreak of Sea Star Wasting Syndrome. The proposed listing is open for public comment through May 15, 2023. Learn more

Researchers from NOAA Fisheries and University of California Santa Cruz will tag several groups of juvenile salmon in the Sacramento River system. The tags will help us measure the benefits from the river’s first “pulse flow.” A pulse flow is a rapid increase and decrease in dam released water designed to resemble natural spring runoff. Read more

The Fish Passage Portal was created by the Federal Interagency Fish Passage Task Force to provide landowners and public lands managers the tools to find funding across the federal government, as well as access to data, planning, and geospatial information. The portal is a “one-stop shop” for anyone who needs information, funding, or resources to improve fish passage and aquatic connectivity projects. Explore the portal

The 5-year reviews for three Endangered Species Act-listed salmon and steelhead species in coastal California have found that Central California Coast coho salmon, South-Central California Coast steelhead, and Southern California steelhead should retain their current listing statuses under the Endangered Species Act. The challenges facing salmon have never been greater but there has never before been such popular understanding and support for these fish on the West Coast. Together, we must secure space for these species in our future landscape. Read the Report Card on Recovery