The Council reviewed the ecosystem committee report from their May 2021 meeting and made several recommendations for the ecosystem committee workplan and tasking. The Council supported the ecosystem committee recommendation for staff to finalize plans for ongoing briefings with northern fur seal co-managers and researchers and schedule them on an ecosystem committee calendar. The Council requested that the ecosystem committee receive an update in October 2021 from the Alaska Regional Office Protected Species Division on the update to the Conservation Plan for the Eastern Pacific Stock of Northern Fur Seal, including information from the co-managers on the Pribilof Islands. The Council requested that staff reach out to organizations addressing marine debris in Alaska to develop an overview of activities. The Council suggests that the OECM discussion paper requested by the Council for October 2021 could be delayed until other projects to address OECMs are understood. The Council requested that the ecosystem committee continue to track how important ecological areas identified by tribes and NGOs can contribute to the EO 14008 discussion and whether additional management measures can strengthen their resilience to climate change. The Council tasked staff with developing a report on the status of research initiatives taking place in the GOA and timelines associated with those projects. The Council tasked staff with developing a report on the state of scientific understanding of forage fish ecology, coastwide, the status of research initiatives on forage fish ecology, and the timelines associated with those projects. The Council requested that the Ecosystem Workshop steering group meet again soon to continue planning.
Staff contact is Steve MacLean.
