North Pacific Fishery Management Council Plan Teams
The Council’s plan teams are standing advisory bodies whose membership includes scientists and managers who review the status of the Council’s Fishery Management Plans, Fishery Ecosystem Plans, and best available social science. Members of each team are selected from agencies and organizations having a role in the research or management of the affected fisheries. Plan teams are designed to be small enough to work effectively but large enough to have expertise covering all the important aspects of a particular fishery or subject. Individuals on the teams may be nominated by other members of the Plan Team, Council, SSC, or AP. Appointments to each team are reviewed by the SSC and approved by the Council.
BSAI and GOA Groundfish
The BSAI and GOA Groundfish Plan Teams provide the Council with review and recommendations of fishery stock assessments, as well as information on the ecosystem and economic issues as they relate to the groundfish fisheries of the BSAI and GOA. Plan Teams include Council staff and personnel from the NMFS Alaska Regional Office, the NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Washington Department of Fisheries, the International Pacific Halibut Commission, universities, and other institutions. In general, there are two annual Plan Team meetings in September and November, with the BSAI and GOA teams meeting jointly and separately during the course of a week. The primary purpose of the Plan Teams is to compile annual Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) reports that provide the Council with the best available scientific information on the most recent biological condition of the groundfish stocks, and the social and economic condition of the fishing and processing industries. The Plan Teams include catch recommendations for overfishing levels (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) for the Council’s groundfish fisheries in the SAFE reports.
The staff contact for the BSAI Groundfish Plan Team is Diana Stram, and for the GOA Groundfish Plan Team is Sara Cleaver.
BSAI Crab
The BSAI Crab Plan Team provides the Council with scientifically-based recommendations for the conservation and management of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) king and Tanner crab fisheries. Plan Team members include Council staff and personnel from the NMFS Alaska Regional Office, NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and universities. Generally, the Plan Team holds three meetings each year, in January, May, and September, which are timed based on the availability of data for stock assessments of different crab stocks. The final BSAI Crab SAFE report is approved at the Council’s October meeting each year. The SAFE report provides the Council with fishery performance, stock status, projections of future conditions for crab stocks, and also the social and economic conditions of the fishing and processing industries.
The staff contact is Anita Kroska.
Scallop
The scallop fishery in federal waters off Alaska is jointly managed by the State of Alaska and the Federal government. Plan Team members include Council staff and personnel from the NMFS Regional Office, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and local universities. While most aspects of scallop management are delegated to the State, Federal requirements for preventing overfishing are under the jurisdiction of the Council. The Scallop Plan Team supports Council decision-making by providing ongoing biological advice on scallops such as the overfishing level (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC). A Plan Team meeting is held annually, prior to Council’s April meeting, for the purpose of compiling a Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) report. The SAFE comprises the best available scientific information on the past, present, and possible future condition of the scallop stock, the economic condition of the scallop fishery, and an overview of associated ecosystem considerations and concerns.
The staff contact is Anita Kroska.
Bering Sea FEP
The Bering Sea Fishery Ecosystem Plan (BS FEP) Team provides the Council with information on associated opportunities, risks, and tradeoffs affecting FMP species and the broader Bering Sea ecosystem so the Council can make sound policies about this ecosystem.
Staff contact is Diana Evans.
Social Science Planning Team
The Social Science Planning Team (SSPT) is established to improve the quality and application of social science data that informs management decision-making and program evaluation. The SSPT consists of representatives who will strategize medium- and long-term improvements in data collection and analytical methodology, allowing the NPFMC to better meet its own program objectives and LAPP review requirements are defined in the Magnuson-Stevens Act and recommended in NMFS guidelines. The SSPT will identify data needs, make recommendations regarding research priorities, and advise analysts in efforts to improve analytical frameworks when possible. The SSPT will support the collection and aggregation of social science data in a manner that cuts across Fishery Management Plans and specific management programs within the North Pacific region.
Salmon & Arctic
Although the Council has FMPs for Salmon and the arctic, currently there is no Salmon Plan Team or Arctic Plan Team. Click the links above to find more information on the respective fisheries.