Management Action Case Study: Flexibility Measures

Sarah Hope

2025-04-24

Background

  • recent events -> rippling effects on fisheries
    • executive orders
    • federal changes
    • pauses in official processes

impacts of federal policy changes

  • existing frameworks threatened
  • decreased staffing
  • research and survey gaps
  • less frequent stock assessments
  • more uncertainty in data how can we adapt to these changes and still meet our objectives as outlined by the policy?

Specification Frequency

  • Current Policy
    • range of frequency
    • inconsistent language
  • Reccommended Action
    • extend frequency
    • standardize language

Rollover Provisions

  • Current Policy
    • what happens when regulations expire?
    • “rollover” vs “default” measures
    • less control if delays
  • Recommended Action
  • utilizing rollover instead of default measure
  • standardizing this across FMPs

In-Season Adjustment

  • Current Policy
    • only some FMP’s allow in-season adjustmeny
    • ex. Atlantic Herring
    • others subject to standard timing
  • Recommended Action
    • include in-season adjustments for all FMPs
    • allow adjustments to broader range of measures
    • ex. ACL / sub ACL

Timeline

  • April Executive Committee Meeting
    • Initial Proposal & Discussion
  • April NEFMC Meeting
    • Discussed & Voted YES
    • Council Priority Adjustment
  • Next Steps: Development
    • Action Type Determination
    • Internal Drafting
    • Coordination with NRCC
    • Proposal & Initiation: June 2025 Meeting

Recommendations

  • options to move forward
    • adopt all
    • adopt some
    • do nothing

ideal action develop policy to adopt all flexibility measures for all FMPs