Final Environmental Assessment for Amendment 20 to the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan: Proposed Changes to the Preseason Schedule and Klamath Management Zone Boundary (RTID 0648-XA603)

Ocean salmon fisheries in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), 3-200 nautical miles (nmi) off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, are managed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Pursuant to the MSA, these salmon fisheries are managed according to the Council’s Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (PFMC 2016). The FMP is amended periodically to address the changing needs of fishery management. At its November 2019 meeting, the Council decided to consider developing Amendment 20 to the FMP to address two primary topics: 1) an adjustment to the annual preseason salmon schedule and 2) a modification to the southern boundary of the Klamath Management Zone (KMZ). In addition, the Council identified minor changes to update language in the FMP to include in the proposed amendment.