The Council developed the Fishery Management Plan for the Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ off Alaska (FMP) under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). The Secretary of Commerce approved the FMP and it became effective in 1979. The FMP was most recently revised in 2018 through Amendment 13, which updated descriptions of EFH for Pacific salmon.
The Magnuson-Stevens Act is the primary domestic legislation governing management of the nation’s marine fisheries. The Magnuson-Stevens Act gives the Council responsibility for preparing and amending fishery management plans for any fishery in the EEZ off Alaska that requires conservation and management (16 U.S.C. 1852 (h)). The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires fishery management plans to be consistent with a number of provisions, including ten national standards, with which all fishery management plans must conform and which serve to guide fishery management. Besides the Magnuson-Stevens Act, U.S. fisheries management must be consistent with the requirements of other laws, such as the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act.
Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the Council is authorized to prepare and submit to the Secretary of Commerce for approval, disapproval, or partial approval, a fishery management plan and any necessary amendments for each fishery under its authority that requires conservation and management. The Council conducts public meetings to allow all interested persons an opportunity to be heard in the development of fishery management plans and amendments, and reviews and revises, as appropriate, the assessments and specifications with respect to the optimum yield from each fishery.
Current Status of the FMP:
The Council took final action in December 2020 on an amendment to add federal waters of Cook Inlet into the FMP management area and prohibit commercial salmon fishing in those federal waters. The amendment was approved by NMFS in August 2021, and is currently in rulemaking.
Staff contact is Diana Evans, 907-271-2809
Newsletter Articles
- Cook Inlet Salmon (12/15/2020)
- Cook Inlet Salmon (10/20/2020)
- Cook Inlet Salmon (6/15/2020)
- Cook Inlet Salmon (10/11/2019)
- Call for Nominations (6/13/2019)
- Salmon Bycatch (6/13/2019)
- Cook Inlet Salmon (4/12/2019)
- Cook Inlet Salmon Committee (12/14/2018)
- Salmon FMP (4/12/2018)
- Salmon FMP (10/17/2017)
Timeline of Action on Cook Inlet