The next review is tentatively scheduled for February 2024.
Information on the research priority process for the 2023-2024 Research Priorities review can be found on the eAgenda page.
Plan team meetings scheduled to review research priorities are as follows: Social Science Plan Team (11/03/2023), Scallop Plan Team (12/14/2023), Crab Plan Team (12/01/2023 and 01/10/2024), Bering Sea FEP (01/09/2024), SSC Subgroup (01/11/2024), Groundfish Plan Team (01/17/2024).
To track the progress of a research priority submission, please see the table below. The column “Plan Team assigned to review” will list which plan team(s) have been tasked to review a particular submission with the date of the Plan Team meeting in parentheses. This table will be updated periodically.
The initial phase of the review process will begin with new and existing submissions being reviewed by the Plan Teams. The dates of the Plan Team meetings and a description of the review process are included in the figure below.
Most recent Council research priorities: April 2021.
The Council’s research priorities consist of a wide range of science-based needs and interests that support or improve the Council’s ability to provide stewardship over marine resources off Alaska and maintain sustainable fishing communities. Specific research topics are organized online through a publicly accessible database that can be queried for changes in research status and can also be downloaded completely for detailed information about all of the Council’s research needs. Research topics are ranked through four priority categories: Critical ongoing monitoring, Urgent, Important (near term), and Strategic (future needs). These priority categories have specific definitions that emphasize correspondence of research to the Council’s time horizon of management concerns.
Research Priorities: Critical Ongoing Monitoring
Research priorities designated as Critical Ongoing Monitoring are of the highest priority level for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. These priorities create and maintain indispensable data that substantially contribute to our understanding and management of fish populations, fisheries, and the communities dependent upon those fisheries. Discontinuation or diminishment of the research that provides these data sets would leave a significant gap in the science needed to support sustainable and successful fisheries management in the North Pacific. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council and its Science and Statistical Committee continue to provide the utmost support for these priorities.
Research Priority Process
The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that Councils develop “multi-year research priorities for fisheries, fisheries interactions, habitats, and other areas of research that are necessary for management purposes”. In accordance with North Pacific Fishery Management Council procedures, research priorities are reviewed at the Council’s June meeting. Prior to Council review, the Council’s Plan Teams (GOA and BSAI Groundfish, Crab, and Scallop) review existing research priorities and make recommendations for modifications or additions to the list, as needed. Following the June meeting, the updated five-year research priorities are provided to the Secretary of Commerce, the Alaska Fishery Science Center, as well as research and funding entities including the
- University of Alaska
- University of Washington
- Oregon State University
- North Pacific Research Board
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game
- Alaska Ocean Observing System
In February 2019, the Council moved from annual to a triennial review of research priorities. This change recognizes that the MSA does not require annual review and reflects the Council’s desire to streamline the overall review process. Comprehensive review continues to include the development of a “top ten” list of research priorities that highlights relevance to Council needs, as well as thorough vetting of critical ongoing monitoring needs and longer-term strategic research needs.
Staff contact is Nicole Watson 907-271-2805