CONCUR Facilitates Second NMFS Workshop on Rights Based Management in Monterey, California (April 2012)

CONCUR teamed with the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Southwest Regional Office and Southwest Fisheries Science Center to convene a two-day workshop on April 24-25, 2012, in Monterey, California to explore rights-based management (RBM) approaches for improving the management and operations of the U.S. West Coast coastal pelagic species fishery. The fishery targets Pacific sardine, Pacific mackerel, jack mackerel, and northern anchovy. This was a follow-on workshop to one convened on February 2-4, 2010 in San Francisco, California that looked primarily at international catch share programs.

The workshop objectives were to:

• Review industry’s key issues and objectives related to the future of the sardine fishery, both coastwide and regionally
• Identify how similar issues have been addressed through rights-based management approaches adopted elsewhere
• Consider the objectives and lessons learned from other experiences, and explore key elements of RBM programs
• Discuss industry’s perspectives on potential advantages and disadvantages to shifting to an RBM approach; consider what an RBM approach in the sardine fishery might look like
• Identify follow-on steps needed to further consider rights-based management or other approaches

The 40 participants included west coast sardine fishermen, processors, and tribal representatives from the three west coast states, as well as fishery managers from NMFS southwest region and headquarters and fisheries interests active in the New England Sectors, Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper, and Alaskan Sablefish and Halibut. Speakers and panelists discussed their evolving experience and attitudes toward catch share programs, emphasizing the critical importance of engaging the fishing community in program design. The workshop format included plenary discussions, panels, and breakout sessions. The workshop specifically examined questions related to regional interests and flexibility, economic efficiencies and effectiveness, and community considerations.

NMFS has posted the presentations from the workshop here: http://swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/sardine_wkshp/.

NMFS is preparing a presentation, including an overview of the workshop and key discussion points, to deliver to the Pacific Fishery Management Council at their June meeting in San Mateo, California.

A meeting Summary is in preparation, and will be posted by the agency before the November 2012 meeting.