2012 FishSmart Workshop | Pacific

May 8-9, 2012
Mount Adams Room
Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel
Portland, Oregon

Executive Summary
Final Report

Workshop Goals:

Specific to the Pacific Coast, Alaska, and Hawaii fisheries being constrained by high release mortality:

1. Identify best practices and equipment to employ by anglers and regulatory agencies in the Pacific region to increase the survival of angler-sought saltwater fishes constrained by high release mortality under a variety of conditions/fisheries.
2. Develop outline for messages directed to anglers to employ in their interaction with these saltwater species in the Pacific region.
3. Provide guidance to management bodies to reduce the interaction and lethality of such interactions, with these species by anglers through the consideration of management actions such as time/area closures, gear modifications, restrictions/usage and size restrictions and account for and incorporate release mortality/survivability into the regulatory process.
4. Identify gaps in the current state of knowledge in need of additional research efforts/funding in the Pacific region.

Tuesday May 8:

7:30     Continental breakfast available

8:00     Welcome & Logistics

8:10     Introduction- Alan Risenhoover, Acting Deputy Administrator, NOAA Fisheries

8:30     FishSmart Initiative and Overview of Atlanta and St. Petersburg Workshop Results/Pacific Results of FMP Analysis – Gil Radonski/Andrew Loftus

9:10 Framing the Issue of Release Mortality in General – Jim Martin

9:45 Questions

10:00 Break

10:15   Framing Regional Recreational Fisheries Impacted by High Release Mortality

• Pacific Coast and Alaska –Dan Wolford
• Hawaii  – Clay Tam

11:00 Overview of Issues

• Avoidance: Management techniques and Fishing Techniques designed to prevent encounters of unwanted species/sizes  - Panel Discussion
  • Tom Ohaus-Alaska
  • Clay Tam-Hawaii
  • John Holloway-Oregon
  • Tom Mattusch- California (northern and southern)

12:00  Lunch

Lunch Speaker: The Journey from Science to Management;” what does it take to go from developing/compiling information to changing management and regulations - Gway Kircher ODFW

Including a focus on:        

• identify legal thresholds for the quality of scientific information that may be the basis for revising regulations under the MSA and ESA.
• identify regulatory avenues for collaborative research to improve scientific information (e.g., EFP process).
• identify and map State and Federal regulatory processes to implement barotrauma reduction practices.
• identify and map State and Federal regulatory processes to allow increased harvest rates by implementation of best practices.

1:00: From Science to Management: the Alaska Rockfish Recompression Experience

1:15 Continue Overview of Issues (20 minutes each)

• Size: Effect of catching/releasing various sizes of fish on stock sustainability - Chris Lunsford
• Venting and Decompression/Recompression: Techniques and appropriate uses of various techniques. – Alena Pribyl
  • Video: Bocaccio and Sunset Rockfish Recompression
  • Video: Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Recompression
• FishSmart Tackle: Techniques and gear for releasing fish - Steve Theberge
• Cross Fertilization: Introducing recompression gear to anglers in the Gulf and S. Atlantic – Bryan Fluech and John Stevely, Florida Sea Grant

2:15  Breakout groups: Loftus/Radonski group leaders

Attendees will be assigned to one of two breakout groups. The purpose of each break out group is to delve into the current state of knowledge of each of the issues describe what is known about the issue and address each of the four workshop objectives.

3:00 Break

3:15 Reconvene in Breakout groups

5:30 Adjourn

Wednesday May 9

7:30 Continental breakfast available

8:00 Announcements

8:15  Breakoutreports-20 minutes each-each group reports on the results of their discussions addressing the 5 issues. Commonalities and divergences between groups will be identified.

9:00 Group Discussion: Develop final recommendations on best practices, angler messages, and management guidance for fisheries constrained by high release mortality in the Pacific region (3 workshop goals).

• Best practices and gear for anglers to increase the survival of angler-sought saltwater fishes under variety of conditions (species, temperature, depth caught, hook size, etc.
• Messages for regulatory bodies.
• Develop the outline of messagesdirected to anglers to employ in their interaction with these saltwater species.

10:00 Break

10:15: Continue Development of Recommendations

• Develop guidance to regulatory bodies to reduce the interaction (avoidance) and lethality of such interactions, with those species by anglers.
• Catalogue gaps in the current state of knowledge in need of additional research efforts/funding and initial prioritization of research in the Pacific region 

12:00 Lunch

1:00  Communications: Development and Delivery of Message Content: How Will We Use It?

• Online and Social Media – Andrew Loftus
  • Video: Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation
  • Video: Take Me Fishing
•   Region Specific Communications in the Pacific – Rick Starr

2:15 Facilitated Group Collaboration : Finding a Unifying Message: Communicating Messages on Best Practices and Management Guidance (3 workshop goals). –Andrew Loftus/Gil Radonski facilitators

Using the previous day outcomes, develop messages specific to the Pacific region for:

• Best practices and gear for anglers to increase the survival of angler-sought saltwater fishes under variety of conditions (species, temperature, depth caught, hook size, etc.
• Develop the outline of messages directed to anglers to employ in their interaction with saltwater species, and
• Develop guidance to regulatory bodies to reduce the interaction (avoidance) and lethality of such interactions, with those species by anglers.
• Communication tools and pathways.

3:15  Break

3:30 Finalize Recommendations

4:15 Wrap Up- Russ Dunn, National Policy Advisor for Recreational Fisheries, NOAA Fisheries

4:30 Adjourn