Pacific Fishery Management Council Denies a New West Coast Longline Fishery

IGFA Trustees Bill Shedd, Bob Kurz and Chase Offield gave public testimony at the November PFMC meeting.

Thanks to a tremendous show of support by the recreational fishing community, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) voted not to proceed with permitting a longline fishery outside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. This is a big win for the United States West Coast and comes on the heels of last year’s California bill that will ban drift gillnets by 2023 and the recent authorization of a limited entry deep-set buoy gear fishery for swordfish. This victory could not have been accomplished without our partners at Wild Oceans, the American Sportfishing Association and CCA California. Special thanks go out to IGFA Trustees Bob Kurz, Chase Offield and Bill Shedd for providing public comment at the November PFMC meeting.