29690 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 94 / Monday, May 16, 2022 / Rules and Regulations 

TABLE 1—ACCOUNTING STATEMENT

Transfers 

Category Low 

estimate 

High 

estimate 

Units 

Year 

dollars 

Discount 

rate 

(%) 

Period 

covered 

Annualized monetized $ millions/year ................................. 0 $71.3 2021 3 2022 

0 71.3 2021 7 2022 

From whom to whom? ......................................................... From States to third parties on behalf of individual practitioners. 

F. Conclusion 

In accordance with the provisions of 

Executive Order 12866, this final rule 

was reviewed by the Office of 

Management and Budget. 

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, 

Administrator of the Centers for 

Medicare & Medicaid Services, 

approved this document on March 16, 

2022. 

List of Subjects in 42 CFR Part 447 

Accounting, Administrative practice 

and procedure, Drugs, Grant programs— 

health, Health facilities, Health 

professions, Medicaid, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements, Rural 

areas. 

For the reasons set forth in the 

preamble, the Centers for Medicare & 

Medicaid Services amends 42 CFR 

chapter IV as set forth below: 

PART 447—PAYMENTS FOR 

SERVICES 

■ 1. The authority citation for Part 447 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1302 and 1396r–8. 

■ 2. Amend § 447.10 by revising 

paragraph (a) and adding paragraph (i) 

to read as follows: 

§ 447.10 Prohibition against reassignment 

of provider claims. 

(a) Basis and purpose. This section 

implements section 1902(a)(32) of the 

Act which prohibits State payments for 

Medicaid services to anyone other than 

a provider or beneficiary, under an 

assignment, power of attorney, or 

similar arrangement, except in specified 

circumstances. 

* * * * * 

(i) The payment prohibition in section 

1902(a)(32) of the Act and paragraph (d) 

of this section does not apply to 

payments to a third party on behalf of 

an individual practitioner for benefits 

such as health insurance, skills training, 

and other benefits customary for 

employees, in the case of a class of 

practitioners for which the Medicaid 

program is the primary source of 

revenue, if the practitioner voluntarily 

consents to such payments to third 

parties on the practitioner’s behalf. 

Dated: May 5, 2022. 

Andrea Palm, 

Deputy Secretary, Department of Health and 

Human Services. 

[FR Doc. 2022–10225 Filed 5–12–22; 11:15 am] 

BILLING CODE 4120–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 660 

[Docket No. 220510–0113] 

RIN 0648–BK78 

Fisheries Off West Coast States; West 

Coast Salmon Fisheries; 2022 

Specifications and Management 

Measures 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: Through this final rule, NMFS 

establishes fishery management 

measures for the 2022 ocean salmon 

fisheries off Washington, Oregon, and 

California, and the 2023 salmon seasons 

opening earlier than May 16, 2023, 

under the authority of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act (MSA). The fishery 

management measures vary by fishery 

and by area and establish fishing areas, 

seasons, quotas, legal gear, recreational 

fishing days and catch limits, 

possession and landing restrictions, and 

minimum lengths for salmon taken in 

the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 

(3–200 nautical miles (nmi)) (5.6–370.4 

kilometers (km)) off Washington, 

Oregon, and California. The 

management measures are intended to 

prevent overfishing and to apportion the 

ocean harvest equitably among treaty 

Indian, non-Indian commercial, and 

recreational fisheries. The measures are 

also intended to allow a portion of the 

salmon runs to escape the ocean 

fisheries in order to provide for 

spawning escapement, comply with 

applicable law, and to provide fishing 

opportunity for inside fisheries 

(fisheries occurring in state waters). 

DATES: This final rule is effective from 

0001 hours Pacific Daylight Time, May 

16, 2022, until the effective date of the 

2023 management measures, as 

published in the Federal Register. 

ADDRESSES: The documents cited in this 

document are available on the Pacific 

Fishery Management Council’s 

(Council’s) website (www.pcouncil.org). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Shannon Penna at 562–676–2148. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The ocean salmon fisheries in the EEZ 

off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, 

and California are managed under a 

framework fishery management plan 

(FMP). Regulations at 50 CFR part 660, 

subpart H, provide the mechanism for 

making preseason and inseason 

adjustments to the management 

measures, within limits set by the FMP, 

by notification in the Federal Register. 

Regulations at 50 CFR 660.408 govern 

the establishment of annual 

management measures. 

The management measures for the 

2022 and early 2023 ocean salmon 

fisheries that are implemented in this 

final rule were recommended by the 

Council at its April 6 to 13, 2022, 

meeting. 

Process Used To Establish 2022 

Management Measures 

The Council announced its annual 

preseason management process for the 

2022 ocean salmon fisheries on the 

Council’s website at www.pcouncil.org 

(December 3, 2021), and in the Federal 

Register on December 9, 2021 (86 FR 

70114). NMFS published an additional 

notice of opportunity to submit public 

comments on the 2022 ocean salmon 


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fisheries in the Federal Register on 

January 31, 2022 (87 FR 4869). These 

notices announced the availability of 

Council documents, the dates and 

locations of Council meetings and 

public hearings comprising the 

Council’s complete schedule of events 

for determining the annual proposed 

and final modifications to ocean salmon 

fishery management measures, and 

instructions on how to comment on the 

development of the 2022 ocean salmon 

fisheries. The agendas for the March and 

April Council meetings were published 

in the Federal Register (87 FR 9324, 

February 18, 2022, and 87 FR 15944, 

March 21, 2022, respectively), and 

posted on the Council’s website prior to 

the meetings. 

In accordance with the FMP, the 

Council’s Salmon Technical Team (STT) 

and economist prepared four reports for 

the Council, its advisors, and the public. 

All four reports were made available on 

the Council’s website upon their 

completion. The first of the reports, 

‘‘Review of 2021 Ocean Salmon 

Fisheries,’’ was prepared in February 

when the first increment of scientific 

information necessary for crafting 

management measures for the 2022 and 

early 2023 ocean salmon fisheries 

became available. The first report 

summarizes biological and socioeconomic data from the 2021 ocean 

salmon fisheries and assesses the 

performance of the fisheries with 

respect to the Council’s 2021 

management objectives as well as 

provides historical information for 

comparison. The second report, 

‘‘Preseason Report I Stock Abundance 

Analysis and Environmental 

Assessment Part 1 for 2022 Ocean 

Salmon Fishery Regulations’’ (PRE I), 

provides the 2022 salmon stock 

abundance projections and analyzes 

how the stocks and Council 

management goals would be affected if 

the 2021 management measures (the NoAction Alternative under the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)) were 

continued for the 2022/2023 fishing 

season. The completion of PRE I is the 

initial step in developing and evaluating 

the full suite of preseason alternatives. 

Following completion of the first two 

reports, the Council met via webinar 

and in-person from March 8 to 14, 2022, 

to develop 2022 management 

alternatives for proposal to the public 

and consideration under NEPA. The 

Council proposed three alternatives for 

commercial and recreational fisheries 

management, and three alternatives for 

treaty Indian fisheries management for 

analysis and public comment. These 

alternatives consisted of various 

combinations of management measures 

designed to ensure that stocks of coho 

and Chinook salmon meet conservation 

goals, and to provide for ocean harvests 

of more abundant stocks. After the 

March Council meeting, the Council’s 

STT and economist prepared a third 

report, ‘‘Preseason Report II Proposed 

Alternatives and Environmental 

Assessment Part 2 for 2022 Ocean 

Salmon Fishery Regulations’’ (PRE II), 

which analyzes the effects of the 

proposed 2022 management 

alternatives. 

The Council sponsored public 

hearings via webinar to receive 

testimony on the proposed alternatives 

on March 22, 2022, for Washington and 

California, and on March 23, 2022, for 

Oregon. The states of Washington, 

Oregon, and California sponsored 

meetings in various forums that also 

collected public testimony, which was 

then presented to the Council by each 

state’s Council representative. The 

Council also received public testimony 

at both the March and April meetings 

and received written comments at the 

Council office and electronic 

submissions via the Council’s electronic 

portal and via www.regulations.gov. 

The Council met from April 7 to 13, 

2022, via webinar and in-person, to 

adopt its final 2022 ocean salmon 

management recommendations; which 

it did on April 12, 2022. Following the 

April Council meeting, the Council’s 

STT and economist prepared a fourth 

report, ‘‘Preseason Report III Analysis of 

Council-Adopted Management 

Measures for 2022 Ocean Salmon 

Fisheries’’ (PRE III), which analyzes the 

environmental and socioeconomic 

effects of the Council’s final 

recommendations (the Council’s 

Proposed Action under NEPA). The 

Council transmitted the recommended 

management measures to NMFS on 

April 28, 2022, and published them on 

its website (www.pcouncil.org). 

Under the FMP, the ocean salmon 

management cycle begins May 16 and 

continues through May 15 of the 

following year. This final rule is 

effective on May 16, 2022, consistent 

with the FMP. Fisheries that begin prior 

to May 16, 2022, are governed by the 

final rule implementing the salmon 

fishery management measures for the 

2021 ocean salmon season (86 FR 

26425, May 14, 2021; 86 FR 28293, May 

26, 2021). The majority of fisheries 

recommended by the Council for 2022 

begin May 16, 2022, and are authorized 

under this rule. Salmon fisheries 

scheduled to begin before May 16, 2022, 

which were authorized under the 2021 

rule, are: 

• Commercial ocean salmon fisheries 

from the U.S./Canada border to the 

Oregon/California border, 

• Commercial ocean salmon fisheries 

from Pigeon Point, CA, to the U.S./ 

Mexico border, 

• Recreational ocean salmon fisheries 

from Cape Falcon, OR, to Humbug 

Mountain, OR, 

• Recreational ocean salmon fisheries 

from the Oregon/California border to the 

U.S./Mexico border, and 

• Treaty Indian troll ocean salmon 

fisheries north of Cape Falcon. 

For purposes of analyzing the impacts 

of these fisheries on individual stocks 

relative to the applicable objectives in 

the FMP, Council analysts assumed 

fisheries between March 15 to May 15, 

2022, would be conducted under the 

2021 management measures, consistent 

with the effective date of the 2021 

salmon management measures rule and 

subsequent inseason actions under 50 

CFR 660.409. Several fisheries 

scheduled to open between March 15, 

2022, and May 15, 2022, were modified 

through inseason action to shorten or 

delay the fisheries in response to 

updated salmon stock forecast 

information for 2022. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) 

The environmental assessment (EA) 

for this action comprises the Council’s 

documents described above (PRE I, PRE 

II, and PRE III), providing an analysis of 

environmental and socioeconomic 

effects under NEPA. The EA and its 

related Finding of No Significant Impact 

are posted on the NMFS West Coast 

Region website 

(www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/westcoast). 

Resource Status 

Stocks of Concern 

The FMP requires that the fisheries be 

managed to meet escapement-based 

Annual Catch Limits (ACLs), 

Endangered Species Act (ESA) 

consultation requirements, obligations 

of the Pacific Salmon Treaty (PST) 

between the United States and Canada, 

and other conservation objectives 

detailed in the FMP. In addition, under 

the MSA, all regulations must be 

consistent with other applicable laws. 

Because the ocean salmon fisheries are 

mixed-stock fisheries, this requires 

‘‘weak stock’’ management to avoid 

exceeding limits for the stocks with the 

most constraining limits. Abundance 

forecasts for individual salmon stocks 

can vary significantly from one year to 

the next; therefore, the stocks that 

constrain the fishery in one year may 


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differ from those that constrain the 

fishery in the next. For 2022, several 

stocks will constrain fisheries; these are 

described below. 

Fisheries south of Cape Falcon are 

limited in 2022 primarily by 

conservation concerns for Klamath 

River fall-run Chinook salmon (KRFC) 

and the ESA-listed California Coastal 

(CC) Chinook salmon evolutionarily 

significant unit (ESU). NMFS 

determined in 2018 that the KRFC stock 

was overfished, as defined under the 

MSA and the FMP, and it is being 

managed under a rebuilding plan (85 FR 

75920, November 27, 2020). In addition 

to KRFC, three coho salmon stocks 

(Queets River natural coho salmon, 

Strait of Juan de Fuca natural coho 

salmon and Snohomish River natural 

coho salmon) were determined in 2018 

to be overfished and are being managed 

under rebuilding plans (86 FR 9301, 

February 12, 2021). Meeting 

conservation objectives for these three 

coho salmon stocks will not constrain 

fisheries in 2022. 

Fisheries north of Cape Falcon are 

limited by ESA conservation 

requirements for the Lower Columbia 

River (LCR) Chinook salmon ESU— 

primarily the natural tule component of 

the LCR Chinook salmon ESU. The 

limitations imposed in order to protect 

these stocks are described below. The 

alternatives and the Council’s adopted 

management measures for 2022 were 

designed to avoid exceeding these 

limitations. 

KRFC (non-ESA-listed): Abundance 

for this non-ESA-listed stock in the last 

decade has been historically low, and 

the stock is currently overfished based 

on spawning escapement in 2015, 2016, 

and 2017. The FMP defines 

‘‘overfished’’ status in terms of a threeyear geometric mean escapement level 

and whether it is below the minimum 

stock size threshold (MSST). The 

forecast abundance for KRFC in 2022 is 

200,117. Fisheries in 2022 will be 

constrained in Oregon and California to 

meet the requirements of the KRFC 

harvest control rule in the FMP and the 

rebuilding plan, to meet a 25 percent de 

minimis exploitation rate, which results 

in a natural-area spawning escapement 

projection of 38,180, which is greater 

than the MSST (30,525 spawners), but 

below the maximum sustainable yield 

spawner escapement (SMSY) (40,700 

spawners). A natural-area escapement of 

38,180 adults would represent the 25th 

lowest value over the past 44 years of 

data. Ocean salmon fisheries south of 

Cape Falcon, particularly in the 

Klamath Management Zone (KMZ) from 

Humbug Mountain, OR, to Horse 

Mountain, CA, will be constrained to 

meet this goal. 

California Coastal (CC) Chinook 

salmon—ESA-listed Threatened: The 

CC Chinook salmon ESU has been listed 

as threatened under the ESA since 1999. 

To meet requirements of the 2005 

biological opinion on Council fisheries 

for CC Chinook salmon, salmon 

fisheries off Northern California and 

Southern Oregon will be severely 

constrained in 2022 to limit fishery 

impacts on age-4 KRFC, which serves as 

a surrogate for these fisheries’ impact on 

CC Chinook salmon. The ESU has been 

managed for a consultation standard not 

to exceed a 16 percent age-4 ocean 

harvest rate on KRFC Chinook salmon. 

On March 28, 2022, NMFS reinitiated 

consultation on the effects of the 

implementation of the FMP on CC 

Chinook salmon because the postseason assessment of the 2021 ocean 

fisheries indicated that the take limit for 

CC Chinook salmon had been exceeded. 

The NMFS guidance for CC Chinook 

salmon was to manage 2022 ocean 

salmon fisheries more conservatively so 

as not to exceed the 16 percent age-4 

ocean harvest rate on KRFC salmon 

given the pattern of performance in 

recent years. NMFS expects to complete 

the reinitiated consultation in time to 

inform the 2023 management measures 

for the fisheries. 

Pending completion of the reinitiated 

consultation, NMFS assessed the 

potential effects of the 2022 fisheries on 

CC Chinook salmon and reported on 

that assessment at the March Council 

meeting. The assessment included 

consideration of all information 

currently available relating to the 

impacts of Council fisheries on the CC 

Chinook salmon ESU. NMFS considered 

the most recent revisions to the Klamath 

Ocean Harvest Model (KOHM), the 

information presented in Pre-I analyzing 

the effects of the model revisions, 

analyses of contact rate patterns 

provided by California Department of 

Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) staff, 

environmental conditions that may 

contribute to high contact rates on CC 

Chinook salmon, and discussions with 

the Salmon Advisory Subpanel and 

Oregon and California state managers. 

Unusually high contact rates relative 

to effort in the fishery appear to be one 

of the primary drivers in the higher age4 KRFC rates in recent years. The 

revisions to the KOHM use contact rates 

in the most recent years (2015–2019). 

Contact rates in those years are the 

highest in the data series for most areas 

and are higher in most areas and months 

when compared to the contact rates 

used in 2021 modelling. The analysis of 

the KOHM revisions as summarized in 

Appendix D of the Pre-I report indicates 

that the revisions made in 2022 

substantially reduce the likelihood of 

exceeding the age-4 KRFC ocean salmon 

limit when compared to the data used 

in the 2021 KOHM revision. However, 

the retrospective analysis indicates that 

the updated model would still have 

under-predicted the KRFC age-4 ocean 

exploitation rate limit in 3 of the 4 years 

in the analysis by an average of 18 

percent, and substantially so in 2021. 

Adjusting for the 18 percent underprediction results in an age-4 KRFC 

harvest rate target of 9 to 11.5 percent. 

Environmental indicators have also 

been an important driver in the pattern 

of contact rates in recent years. Ocean 

conditions have likely led to the high 

survival and concentration of anchovies 

and other preferred prey off Fort Bragg 

and San Francisco management areas in 

recent years. Salmon have followed the 

food, concentrating in those areas as 

well. Low flows and high temperatures 

in the Sacramento and Klamath Rivers 

may have led to thermal blockages 

impeding migration into the rivers and 

low freshwater survival of spawners. 

The Integrated Ecosystem Assessment 

presented at the March Council meeting 

indicates the conditions observed in 

2021 are likely to continue in 2022. 

Discussions with the Council’s Salmon 

Advisory Subpanel (SAS) and CDFW 

staff along with the documentation 

describing proposed fishing regimes 

under consideration by the Council 

indicate that ocean salmon seasons in 

2022 will be much more constrained in 

2022 when compared with 2021 for the 

areas and months with greatest impacts 

to KRFC Chinook. The collective 

information indicated the risk of an 

over-prediction of the age-4 KRFC ocean 

harvest rate was reduced compared to 

an assessment of prior performance. 

However, the uncertainty in the 

information indicated a cautious 

approach was warranted, and NMFS’ 

guidance was to manage 2022 ocean 

fisheries using a target age-4 KRFC 

ocean exploitation rate of 10 percent. 

The adopted management measures 

result in a projected KRFC age-4 ocean 

harvest rate of 10 percent, which is 

consistent with the 2022 NMFS 

guidance to limit the forecast KRFC age4 ocean harvest rate to a maximum of 

10 percent. Based on that assessment, 

NMFS has made a determination that, 

consistent with sections 7(a)(2) and 7(d) 

of the ESA, this action will not 

jeopardize any listed species, would not 

adversely modify designated critical 

habitat, and will not result in any 

irreversible or irretrievable commitment 

of resources that would have the effect 

of foreclosing the formulation or 


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implementation of any reasonable and 

prudent alternative measures (NMFS 

2019). 

Southern Oregon/Northern California 

Coastal Coho salmon (SONCC coho): 

The SONCC coho salmon ESU consists 

of all naturally produced populations of 

coho salmon from coastal streams 

between Cape Blanco, OR, and Punta 

Gorda, CA, and limited artificial 

propagation programs (currently: Cole 

Rivers Hatchery in Oregon, and Trinity 

and Iron Gate Hatcheries in California). 

Under the FMP, ESA consultation 

standards are used to manage ESA-listed 

stocks, including SONCC coho salmon. 

In January 2022, the Council adopted a 

new harvest control rules for SONCC 

coho salmon for recommendation to 

NMFS, informed by the risk assessment 

produced by the Ad-hoc SONCC Coho 

Salmon Technical Workgroup. In 

January of 2022, the Council adopted 

new harvest control rules limiting the 

total fishery (marine and freshwater) 

exploitation rate to 15 percent, for all 

populations within the SONCC ESU, 

except the Trinity River coho salmon 

population, which is limited to 16 

percent. Salmon fisheries in 2022 will 

be managed consistent with these 

harvest control rules. NMFS’ West Coast 

Region signed a new biological opinion 

on harvest impacts to SONCC coho 

salmon under the new control rule on 

April 28, 2022 (WCRO–2021–03260). 

LCR Chinook salmon (ESA-listed 

threatened): The LCR Chinook salmon 

ESU comprises a spring component, a 

‘‘far-north’’ migrating bright component, 

and a tule component. The bright and 

tule components both have fall run 

timing. There are twenty-one separate 

populations within the tule component 

of this ESU. Unlike the spring or bright 

populations of the ESU, LCR tule 

populations are caught in large numbers 

in Council fisheries, as well as fisheries 

to the north and in the Columbia River. 

Therefore, this component of the ESU is 

the one most likely to constrain Council 

fisheries in the area north of Cape 

Falcon. Under the provisions of NMFS’ 

2012 biological opinion on the impact of 

Council-area salmon fisheries on LCR 

Chinook salmon, Council fisheries must 

be managed subject to an abundancebased management (ABM) framework, 

after accounting for anticipated impacts 

in northern fisheries and freshwater 

fisheries that are outside the action area. 

Applying the ABM framework to the 

2022 preseason abundance forecast, the 

total LCR tule exploitation rate for all 

salmon fisheries is limited to a 

maximum of 38 percent. Fisheries will 

be constrained north of Cape Falcon in 

2022 such that, when combined with all 

other salmon fisheries in the ocean and 

in the Columbia River below Bonneville 

Dam, the ESA requirement is met. 

Other Resource Issues 

Southern Resident Killer Whale 

(SRKW) (ESA-listed endangered): The 

SRKW distinct population segment 

(DPS) was listed under the ESA as 

endangered in 2005 (70 FR 69903, 

November 18, 2005). At its 2019 

meeting, the Council formed an ad hoc 

workgroup (SRKW Workgroup), 

including salmon and SRKW experts, to 

develop a long-term approach that 

included proposed conservation 

measures and management tools that 

would limit PFMC fishery impacts to 

prey availability for SRKW relative to 

implementing the FMP. 

The SRKW workgroup developed a 

risk assessment report which suggests 

that Chinook salmon abundance north 

of Cape Falcon is consistently more 

important to SRKW than abundance in 

areas south of Cape Falcon. The report 

noted that the SRKW DPS is observed 

north of Cape Falcon in all seasons and 

likely has some direct overlap with the 

salmon fisheries every year, whereas 

there is likely limited overlap with the 

salmon fisheries in some years south of 

Cape Falcon. Furthermore, the 

contribution of Chinook salmon south of 

Cape Falcon to SRKW diet may also be 

largely confined to the winter/spring 

season, after maturing fall-run Chinook 

salmon adults that escaped the current 

year’s fishery leave the ocean. The 

report also provided evidence that, after 

executing Council-area salmon fisheries, 

the percent of prey remaining and 

available to SRKW has increased 

coastwide over the last several decades. 

The SRKW Workgroup’s risk assessment 

report provides the most current 

information on SRKW and their 

predator-prey interaction with Pacific 

salmon. 

Based largely on the SRKW 

Workgroup’s risk assessment report, the 

Council developed an approach to set a 

Chinook salmon annual abundance 

management threshold below which the 

Council and NMFS would implement 

specific measures to limit ocean salmon 

fishery impacts on Chinook salmon in 

order to increase salmon prey 

availability for SRKW. These measures 

include time and area closures, a quota 

limitation for the North of Falcon area, 

and temporal shifts in fishing. At its 

November 2020 meeting, the Council 

adopted this approach as an amendment 

to the FMP for recommendation to 

NMFS (Amendment 21 to the FMP). 

NMFS completed an ESA consultation 

on authorization of the ocean salmon 

fishery in the west coast EEZ through 

approval of the FMP and promulgation 

of regulations implementing the plan, 

including approval and implementation 

of Amendment 21 in 2021 (86 FR 51017, 

September 14, 2021) that concluded that 

the action was not likely to jeopardize 

the continued existence of the SRKW 

DPS or destroy or adversely modify its 

designated or proposed critical habitat. 

The Council and NMFS considered the 

Chinook salmon abundance relative to 

the provisions of Amendment 21 when 

developing 2022 annual management 

measures. Because the pre-season 

estimate of the abundance of Chinook 

salmon in 2022 exceeds the threshold in 

the FMP, the Council did not 

recommend implementation of the 

additional management measures 

included in the FMP. The 2022 

management measures are consistent 

with the proposed action analyzed in 

the 2021 biological opinion. 

Hoko summer/fall Chinook salmon 

(Hoko Chinook salmon): The Hoko 

Chinook salmon stock is managed in 

Council-area and in northern fisheries, 

subject to the provisions of the 

Council’s salmon FMP and the PST. 

Under the FMP, Hoko Chinook salmon 

are managed for spawning escapement 

of 850 naturally spawning adults. The 

forecast of Hoko Chinook salmon in 

2022 is for an escapement of 940 adult 

Chinook salmon in the absence of 

fishing. With the northern fisheries that 

are expected to occur within the limit 

identified in the PST, the spawning 

escapement is projected to be at a level 

below the escapement goal. Escapement 

in the last 5 years has averaged 1,726 

(with a range of 1,188–2,179), 

consistently higher than the escapement 

goal. Under the provisions of the PST, 

Hoko Chinook salmon are managed to 

an exploitation rate limit of 10 percent 

in southern U.S. fisheries. The projected 

exploitation rate for 2022 is 2.1 percent, 

of which 1.9 percent is occurring in 

Council area fisheries, well below the 10 

percent PST limit. This represents a 

level of fishery impact in Council area 

fisheries that is below the levels defined 

as de minimis for other Chinook salmon 

stocks in the FMP. The state of 

Washington and the treaty tribes 

support the proposed fishery 

management measures that are 

anticipated to lead to a projected 

escapement of 735 adult spawners. The 

FMP specifies that ‘‘Annual natural 

spawning escapement targets may vary 

from FMP conservation objectives if 

agreed to by Washington Department of 

Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and treaty 

tribes under the provisions of Hoh v. 

Baldrige and subsequent U.S. District 

Court orders.’’ Salmon fishery impacts 

on Hoko Chinook salmon are therefore 


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consistent with limits required by the 

PST and provisions of the FMP. 

Annual Catch Limits and Status 

Determination Criteria 

Annual Catch Limits (ACLs) are 

required for all stocks or stock 

complexes in the fishery that are not 

managed under an international 

agreement, listed under the ESA, or 

designated as hatchery stocks. For 

salmon, these reference points are 

defined in terms of spawner 

escapement. ACLs are set for two 

Chinook salmon stocks, SRFC and 

KRFC, and one coho salmon stock, 

Willapa Bay natural coho salmon. The 

Chinook salmon stocks are indicator 

stocks for the Central Valley Fall 

Chinook salmon complex, and the 

Southern Oregon/Northern California 

Chinook salmon complex, respectively. 

The Far North Migrating Coastal 

Chinook salmon complex (FNMC) 

includes a group of Chinook salmon 

stocks that are caught primarily in 

fisheries north of Cape Falcon and other 

fisheries that occur north of the U.S./ 

Canada border. No ACL is set for FNMC 

stocks because they are managed subject 

to provisions of the PST between the 

United States (U.S.) and Canada (the 

MSA provides an international 

exception from ACL requirements that 

applies to stocks or stock complexes 

subject to management under an 

international agreement, which is 

defined as ‘‘any bilateral or multilateral 

treaty, convention, or agreement which 

relates to fishing and to which the U.S. 

is a party’’ (50 CFR 600.310(h)(1)(ii)). 

The Columbia Upper River Bright Fall 

and Summer Chinook stocks are also 

managed under the provisions of the 

PST. Other Chinook salmon stocks 

caught in fisheries north of Cape Falcon 

are ESA-listed or hatchery produced, 

and are managed consistent with ESA 

consultations or hatchery goals. Willapa 

Bay natural coho salmon is the only 

coho salmon stock for which an ACL is 

set, as the other coho salmon stocks in 

the FMP are either ESA-listed, hatchery 

produced, or managed under the PST. 

ACLs for salmon stocks are 

escapement-based, which means they 

establish a number of adults that must 

escape the fisheries to return to the 

spawning grounds. ACLs are set based 

on the annual potential spawner 

abundance forecast and a fishing rate 

reduced to account for scientific 

uncertainty. For SRFC in 2022, the 

overfishing limit (OFL) is SOFL = 

396,458 (potential spawner abundance 

forecast) multiplied by 1¥FMSY

(1¥0.78) or 87,221 returning spawners 

(FMSY is the fishing mortality rate that 

would result in maximum sustainable 

yield—MSY). SABC (the spawner 

escapement that is associated with the 

acceptable biological catch) is 396,458 

multiplied by 1¥FABC (1¥0.70) (FMSY

reduced for scientific uncertainty = 

0.70) or 118,937. The SACL is set equal 

to SABC, i.e., 118,937 spawners. SRFC 

has a conservation objective of 122,000– 

180,000 spawning escapement. In recent 

years, the stock has not met the low end 

of this objective; therefore, the Council 

targeted a spawning escapement of 

180,000 for SRFC, the upper end of the 

conservation objective for this stock, in 

developing the 2022 ocean salmon 

fisheries. The adopted management 

measures provide for a projected SRFC 

spawning escapement of 198,694. For 

KRFC in 2022, SOFL is 50,906 (potential 

spawner abundance forecast) multiplied 

by 1¥FMSY (1¥0.71), or 14,763 

returning spawners. SABC is 50,906 

multiplied by 1¥FABC (1¥0.68) (FMSY

reduced for scientific uncertainty = 

0.68) or 16,290 returning spawners. 

SACL is set equal to SABC, i.e., 16,290 

spawners. When KRFC potential 

spawner abundance is projected to be 

less than 54,267 natural-area adults, 

fisheries are managed under the de 

minimis portion of the control rule, 

which allows for some fishing 

opportunity but results in the expected 

escapement falling below 40,700 

natural-area adult spawners (SMSY). The 

adopted management measures provide 

for a projected KRFC spawning 

escapement of 38,180. For Willapa Bay 

natural coho salmon in 2022, SOFL = 

51,464 (potential spawner abundance 

forecast) multiplied by 1¥FMSY

(1¥0.74) or 13,381 returning spawners. 

SABC is 51,464 multiplied by 1¥FABC

(1¥0.70) (FMSY reduced for scientific 

uncertainty = 0.70) or 15,439. SACL is set 

equal to SABC, i.e., 15,439 spawners. The 

adopted management measures provide 

for a projected Willapa Bay natural coho 

salmon ocean escapement of 24,418. In 

summary, for 2022, the projected 

abundance of the three stocks with 

ACLs (SRFC, KRFC, and Willapa Bay 

natural coho salmon), in combination 

with the constraints for ESA-listed and 

non-ESA-listed stocks, is expected to 

result in escapements greater than 

required to meet the ACLs for all three 

stocks with defined ACLs. 

Public Comments 

The Council invited written 

comments on developing 2022 salmon 

management measures in their notice 

announcing public meetings and 

hearings (86 FR 70114, December 9, 

2021). At its March meeting, the Council 

developed three alternatives for 2022 

commercial and recreational salmon 

management measures having a range of 

quotas, season structure, and impacts, 

from the least restrictive in Alternative 

I to the most restrictive in Alternative 

III, as well as three alternatives for 2022 

North of Cape Falcon treaty Indian troll 

salmon management measures. These 

alternatives are described in detail in 

PRE II. Subsequently, comments were 

taken at three public hearings held in 

March, staffed by representatives of the 

Council and NMFS. The Council 

received 320 written comments on 2022 

ocean salmon fisheries via their 

electronic portal. The three public 

hearings were attended by a total of 145 

people; 38 people provided oral 

comments. Comments came from 

individual fishers, fishing associations, 

fish buyers, processors, the general 

public, and conservation organizations. 

Written and oral comments addressed 

the 2022 management alternatives 

described in PRE II and generally 

expressed preferences for a specific 

alternative or for particular season 

structures. All comments were made 

available via the Council’s online 

briefing book for the April 2022 Council 

meeting and were considered by the 

Council, which includes a 

representative from NMFS, in 

developing the recommended 

management measures transmitted to 

NMFS on April 21, 2022. In addition to 

comments collected at the public 

hearings and those submitted directly to 

the Council, several people provided 

oral comments at the April 2022 

Council meeting. NMFS also invited 

comments to be submitted directly to 

the Council or to NMFS, via the Federal 

Rulemaking Portal 

(www.regulations.gov) in a notice (87 FR 

4869, January 31, 2022); NMFS received 

20,509 comments via the Federal 

Rulemaking Portal. 

Comments on alternatives for 

commercial salmon fisheries. Many 

written comments were from 

commercial salmon fisheries located on 

the coast of California. Of those written 

comments, the majority supported 

Alternative I followed by Alternative II. 

Those testifying on north of Cape Falcon 

commercial salmon fisheries at the 

Washington hearing supported the total 

allowable catch for Chinook salmon in 

Alternative I and specifically the 65,000 

Chinook salmon and 210,000 coho 

salmon total allowable catches. Those 

testifying on south of Cape Falcon 

commercial salmon fisheries at the 

Oregon hearing supported Alternative I. 

Those testifying on south of Cape 

Falcon commercial salmon fisheries at 

the California hearing largely supported 

Alternative I and splitting the July and 

August dates into 5-day openers. The 


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Council adopted commercial fishing 

measures north and south of Cape 

Falcon that are within the range of the 

alternatives considered. 

Comments on alternatives for 

recreational fisheries. Many written 

comments did not identify the fishery 

being commented on, either by 

geography or sector. Those that did 

submit written comments specifically 

on recreational fisheries supported 

Alternative I almost unanimously. Most 

spoke to maximizing fishing 

opportunity, which would be consistent 

with Alternative I. Many spoke to the 

economic benefit to businesses and 

communities from recreational fisheries. 

In-person testimony on recreational 

fisheries at the three public hearings 

was similar to the written comments— 

support for maximizing fishing 

opportunity. The Council adopted 

recreational fishing measures north and 

south of Cape Falcon that are within the 

range of alternatives considered. 

Comments from federally recognized 

tribes, including treaty tribe 

representatives. At its March and April 

meetings, the Council heard testimony 

from members of several federally 

recognized tribes including tribes with 

treaty rights for salmon harvest; 

additional tribal comments were 

submitted in writing. Tribes expressed 

concerns over the uncertainty of 

forecasts for some stocks in 2022 and 

the ramifications of the proposed ocean 

fisheries and some specific management 

measures to inland tribal fisheries. 

Some concerns were directed towards 

Columbia River stocks such as the 

Lower River Hatchery tules (LRH; 

hatchery Columbia River tule fall 

Chinook salmon below Bonneville Dam) 

and lower Columbia River coho salmon. 

Tribes also expressed concerns over the 

underutilization of hatcheries as a 

salmon recovery tool while minimizing 

any potential risks to natural origin fish. 

Comments on SRKW. NMFS and the 

Council received a combined 20,677 

comments regarding SRKW. The 

majority of these comments were not 

relevant to the development of the 2022 

annual management measures for ocean 

salmon fisheries; rather these comments 

reiterated comments NMFS previously 

addressed in the final EA for FMP 

Amendment 21 (https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov//action/ 

amendment-21-pacific-coast-salmonfishery-management-plan) and in the 

notice of agency decision (86 FR 51017, 

September 14, 2021). The minority of 

these comments that were directed at 

the 2022 annual management measures 

requested restrictions beyond those 

included in the Council’s Alternative III 

for 2022 ocean salmon management 

measures (the most restrictive 

alternative developed for the 2022 ocean 

salmon management measures), 

requesting further restriction of catch 

limits, limiting size of quotas, limiting 

season lengths, and closing additional 

areas to fishing. 

The Council, including the NMFS 

representative, took all of these 

comments into consideration. The 

Council’s final recommendation 

generally includes aspects of all three 

alternatives, while taking into account 

the best available scientific information 

and ensuring that fisheries are 

consistent with impact limits and 

accountability measures for ESA–listed 

species, ACLs, PST obligations, MSA 

requirements, and tribal fishing rights. 

The Council and NMFS also considered 

comments on the NEPA analysis in 

preparing the final EA. 

2022 Specifications and Management 

Measures 

The Council’s recommended ocean 

harvest levels and management 

measures for the 2022 fisheries are 

designed to apportion the burden of 

protecting the weak stocks identified 

and discussed in PRE I equitably among 

ocean fisheries and to allow maximum 

harvest of natural and hatchery runs 

surplus to inside fishery and spawning 

needs. NMFS finds the Council’s 

recommendations to be responsive to 

the goals of the FMP, the requirements 

of the resource, and the socioeconomic 

factors affecting resource users. The 

recommendations are consistent with 

the requirements of the MSA, U.S. 

obligations to Indian tribes with 

federally recognized fishing rights, and 

U.S. international obligations regarding 

Pacific salmon. The Council’s 

recommended management measures 

are consistent with the proposed actions 

analyzed in NMFS’ ESA consultations 

for those ESA-listed species that may be 

affected by Council fisheries, and are 

otherwise consistent with ESA 

obligations. Accordingly, NMFS, 

through this final rule, approves and 

implements the Council’s 

recommendations. 

North of Cape Falcon, 2022 

management measures for non-Indian 

commercial troll and recreational 

fisheries have slightly decreased quotas 

for Chinook salmon compared to 2021 

due to the lower abundance of LCR 

natural tule Chinook, lower Columbia 

River hatchery Chinook, and Spring 

Creek Hatchery Chinook salmon; coho 

salmon quotas are substantially higher 

than in 2021, due to much higher 

abundance forecasts for Columbia River 

and coastal Washington coho salmon 

stocks, but was constrained by low 

forecasts for Thompson and Puget 

Sound natural coho salmon. Overall, 

north of Cape Falcon non-Indian 

commercial and recreational total 

allowable catch in 2022 is 54,000 

Chinook salmon and 200,000 coho 

salmon marked with a healed adipose 

fin clip. The commercial troll fishery, 

north of Cape Falcon, will have a May– 

June Chinook salmon only fishery with 

a quota of 18,000 Chinook salmon, and 

a July–September fishery with a quota of 

9,000 Chinook salmon or 32,000 marked 

coho salmon. The recreational fishery, 

north of Cape Falcon, will have a July– 

September fishery with a total allowable 

catch of 27,000 Chinook salmon and 

168,000 marked coho salmon, with 

subarea quotas. 

Quotas for the 2022 treaty-Indian 

commercial troll fishery North of Cape 

Falcon are 40,000 Chinook salmon and 

52,000 coho salmon in ocean 

management areas and Washington 

State Statistical Area 4B combined. 

These quotas provide the same amount 

of Chinook salmon and substantially 

more coho salmon than in 2021. The 

treaty-Indian commercial fisheries 

include a May–June fishery with a quota 

of 20,000 Chinook salmon, and a July– 

September fishery, with quotas of 

20,000 Chinook salmon and 52,000 coho 

salmon. 

South of Cape Falcon, commercial 

troll and recreational fishery 

management measures are designed to 

meet conservation and management 

goals for KRFC spawning escapement 

and to not exceed the ESA-take limits 

for CC Chinook salmon and LCR tule 

Chinook salmon. 

The timing of the March and April 

Council meetings makes it impracticable 

for the Council to recommend fishing 

seasons that begin before mid-May of 

the same year. Therefore, this action 

also establishes the 2023 fishing season 

that opens earlier than May 16. The 

Council recommended, and NMFS 

concurs, that the commercial and 

recreational seasons will open in 2023 

as indicated under the ‘‘Season 

Description’’ headings (in ‘‘Section 1. 

Commercial Management Measures for 

2022 Ocean Salmon Fisheries’’ and 

‘‘Section 2. Recreational Management 

Measures for 2022 Ocean Salmon 

Fisheries’’) of this final rule. At the 

March and/or April 2023 meeting, 

NMFS may take inseason action, if 

recommended by the Council, to adjust 

the commercial and recreational seasons 

prior to the effective date of the 2023 

management measures which are 

expected to be effective in mid-May 

2023. In 2023, the Treaty Indian ocean 

troll season will open May 1, consistent 

with all preseason regulations in place 


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for Treaty Indian Troll fisheries during 

May 16–June 30, 2022. All catch in May 

2023 applies against the 2023 Treaty 

Indian Troll fisheries quota. This 

opening could be modified following 

Council review at its March and/or 

April 2023 meetings. 

Sections 1, 2, and 3 below set out the 

final specifications and management 

measures for the ocean salmon fishery 

for 2022 and, as specified, for 2023. 

Section 1 governs commercial fisheries; 

Section 2 governs recreational fisheries; 

and Section 3 governs Treaty Indian 

Fisheries. Also, Section 4 below 

provides requirements for halibut 

retention; Section 5 provides 

geographical landmarks; and Section 6 

specifies notice procedures for inseason 

modifications. These measures were 

recommended by the Council and 

approved by NMFS. Those elements of 

the measures set forth below that refer 

to fisheries implemented prior to May 

16, 2022 were promulgated in our 2021 

rule (86 FR 26425, May 14, 2021; 86 FR 

28293, May 26, 2021) and modified by 

inseason action at the March and April 

2022 Council meetings (87 FR 24882, 

April 27, 2022), and are included for 

information only and to provide 

continuity for the public and for states 

adopting conforming regulations each 

May that refer to the Federal rule for the 

same year. 

Section 1. Commercial Management 

Measures for 2022 Ocean Salmon 

Fisheries 

Parts A, B, and C of this section 

contain restrictions that must be 

followed for lawful participation in the 

fishery. Part A identifies each fishing 

area and provides the geographic 

boundaries from north to south, the 

open seasons for the area, the salmon 

species allowed to be caught during the 

seasons, and any other special 

restrictions effective in the area. Part B 

specifies minimum size limits. Part C 

specifies requirements, definitions, 

restrictions, and exceptions. 

Fisheries may need to be adjusted 

through inseason action to meet NMFS 

ESA consultation standards, FMP 

requirements, other management 

objectives, or upon receipt of new 

allocation recommendations from the 

California Fish and Game Commission. 

A. Season Description 

North of Cape Falcon, OR 

—U.S./Canada border to Cape Falcon 

May 1–15, 2022; 

May 16 through the earlier of June 29, 

or 18,000 Chinook salmon. 

No more than 6,040 of which may be 

caught in the area between the U.S./ 

Canada border and the Queets River, 

and no more than 4,840 of which may 

be caught in the area between 

Leadbetter Point and Cape Falcon (see 

C.8). Open seven days per week (see 

C.1). In the area between the U.S./ 

Canada border and the Queets River the 

landing and possession limit is 80 

Chinook salmon per vessel per landing 

week (Thursday–Wednesday) (see C.1, 

C.6). In the area between Leadbetter 

Point and Cape Falcon the landing and 

possession limit is 80 Chinook salmon 

per vessel per landing week (Thursday– 

Wednesday) (see C.1, C.6). All salmon, 

except coho salmon (see C.4, C. 7). 

Chinook salmon minimum size limit of 

27 inches total length (see B). See 

compliance requirements (see C.1) and 

gear restrictions and definitions (see 

C.2, C.3). When it is estimated that 

approximately 50 percent of the overall 

Chinook salmon quota or any Chinook 

subarea guideline has been landed, 

inseason action may be considered to 

ensure the quota and subarea guidelines 

are not exceeded. 

In 2023, the season will open May 1 

consistent with all preseason 

regulations in place in this area and 

subareas during May 16–June 29, 2022, 

including subarea salmon guidelines 

and quotas and weekly vessel limits 

except as described below for vessels 

fishing or in possession of salmon north 

of Leadbetter Point. This opening could 

be modified following Council review at 

its March and/or April 2023 meetings. 

July 1 through the earlier of 

September 30, or 9,000 Chinook salmon 

or 32,000 coho salmon (see C.8). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon. Chinook salmon minimum size 

limit of 27 inches total length. Coho 

salmon minimum size limit of 16 inches 

total length (see B, C.1). All coho 

salmon must be marked with a healed 

adipose fin clip (see C.8.d). No chum 

salmon retention north of Cape Alava, 

Washington beginning August 1 (see 

C.4, C.7). See compliance requirements 

(see C.1) and gear restrictions and 

definitions (see C.2, C.3). Landing and 

possession limit of 150 marked coho 

salmon per vessel per landing week 

(Thursday–Wednesday) (see C.1). When 

it is estimated that approximately 50 

percent of the overall Chinook salmon 

quota or any Chinook salmon subarea 

guideline has been landed, inseason 

action may be considered to ensure the 

quota and subarea guidelines are not 

exceeded. 

For all commercial troll fisheries 

north of Cape Falcon: Mandatory closed 

areas include: Salmon Troll Yelloweye 

Rockfish Conservation Area (YRCA), 

Cape Flattery, and Columbia Control 

Zones, and beginning August 8, Grays 

Harbor Control Zone (see C.5). Vessels 

must land and deliver their salmon 

within 24 hours of any closure of this 

fishery. Vessels may not land fish east 

of the Sekiu River or east of the MeglerAstoria Bridge. Vessels fishing or in 

possession of salmon north of 

Leadbetter Point must land and deliver 

all species of fish in a Washington port 

and must possess a Washington troll 

and/or salmon delivery license. For 

delivery to Washington ports south of 

Leadbetter Point, vessels must notify the 

WDFW at 360–249–1215 prior to 

crossing the Leadbetter Point line with 

area fished, total Chinook salmon, coho 

salmon, and halibut catch aboard, and 

destination with approximate time of 

delivery. During any single trip, only 

one side of the Leadbetter Point line 

may be fished (see C.11). Vessels fishing 

or in possession of salmon while fishing 

south of Leadbetter Point must land and 

deliver all species of fish within the area 

and south of Leadbetter Point, except 

that Oregon permitted vessels may also 

land all species of fish in Garibaldi, OR. 

All Chinook salmon caught north of 

Cape Falcon and being delivered by boat 

to Garibaldi, OR must meet the 

minimum legal total length of 28 inches 

for Chinook salmon for south of Cape 

Falcon seasons unless the season in 

waters off Garibaldi, OR have been 

closed for Chinook salmon retention for 

more than 48 hours (see C.1). 

Under state law, vessels must report 

their catch on a state fish receiving 

ticket. Oregon State regulations require 

all fishers landing salmon into Oregon 

from any fishery between Leadbetter 

Point, WA and Cape Falcon, OR to 

notify the Oregon Department of Fish 

and Wildlife (ODFW) within one hour 

of delivery or prior to transport away 

from the port of landing by either 

calling 541–857–2546 or sending 

notification via email to 

nfalcon.trollreport@odfw.oregon.gov. 

Notification shall include vessel name 

and number, number of salmon by 

species, port of landing and location of 

delivery, and estimated time of delivery. 

Inseason actions may modify harvest 

guidelines in later fisheries to achieve or 

prevent exceeding the overall allowable 

troll harvest impacts (see C.8). 

Vessels in possession of salmon north 

of the Queets River may not cross the 

Queets River line without first notifying 

WDFW at 360–249–1215 with area 

fished, total Chinook salmon, coho 

salmon, and halibut catch aboard, and 

destination. Vessels in possession of 

salmon south of Queets River may not 

cross the Queets River line without first 

notifying WDFW at 360–249–1215 with 

area fished, total Chinook salmon, coho 

salmon, and halibut catch aboard, and 


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destination (see C.11). Inseason actions 

may modify harvest guidelines in later 

fisheries to achieve or prevent 

exceeding the overall allowable troll 

harvest impacts (C.8). 

South of Cape Falcon, OR 

—Cape Falcon to Heceta Bank Line 

March 15–May 15, 2022; 

May 21–31; 

June 1–12, 18–30; 

July 5–9, 17–21, 25–31; 

August 4–11; 

September 1–4, 11–14; 

October 1–31 (see C.9.a). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon, except coho salmon (see C.4, 

C.7). Chinook salmon minimum size 

limit of 28 inches total length (see B, 

C.1). All vessels fishing in the area must 

land their salmon in the state of Oregon. 

See gear restrictions and definitions (see 

C.2, C.3). Beginning September 1, no 

more than 100 Chinook salmon allowed 

per vessel per landing week (Thursday– 

Wednesday). 

• Mark-selective coho salmon fishery 

is open July 5–9, 17–21, 25–31, and 

August 4–11, or until a Cape Falcon to 

Humbug Mountain quota of 10,000 

marked coho salmon is met. If the coho 

salmon quota for the combined area 

from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain 

of 10,000 marked coho salmon is met, 

then the season continues for all salmon 

except coho salmon on the remaining 

open days. 

All salmon. All retained coho salmon 

must be marked with a healed adipose 

fin clip (see C.4, C.7). Coho salmon 

minimum size limit of 16 inches total 

length, and Chinook salmon minimum 

size limit of 28 inches total length (see 

B, C.1). All vessels fishing in the area 

must land their salmon in the State of 

Oregon. See gear restrictions and 

definitions (see C.2, C.3). Salmon 

trollers may take and retain or possess 

on board a fishing vessel no more than 

30 coho salmon per vessel per open 

period. All coho salmon retained, 

possessed on a vessel, and landed must 

not exceed a 1:1 ratio with Chinook 

salmon that are retained and landed at 

the same time. 

In 2023, the season will open March 

15 for all salmon except coho salmon. 

Chinook salmon minimum size limit of 

28 inches total length. Gear restrictions 

same as in 2022. This opening could be 

modified following Council review at its 

March 2023 meeting. 

—Heceta Bank Line to Humbug 

Mountain 

May 1–15, 2022; 

May 21–31; 

August 4–11; 

September 1–4, 11–14; 

October 1–31 (see C.9.a). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon, except coho salmon (see C.4, 

C.7). Chinook salmon minimum size 

limit of 28 inches total length (see B, 

C.1). All vessels fishing in the area must 

land their salmon in the State of Oregon. 

See gear restrictions and definitions (see 

C.2, C.3). Beginning September 1, no 

more than 100 Chinook salmon allowed 

per vessel per landing week (Thursday– 

Wednesday). 

• Mark-selective coho salmon fishery 

open August 4–11; or Cape Falcon to 

Humbug Mountain quota of 10,000 

marked coho salmon. If the coho salmon 

quota for the combined area from Cape 

Falcon to Humbug Mountain of 10,000 

marked coho salmon is met, then the 

season continues for all salmon except 

coho salmon on the remaining open 

days. 

All salmon. All retained coho salmon 

must be marked with a healed adipose 

fin clip (see C.4, C.7). Coho salmon 

minimum size limit of 16 inches total 

length, and Chinook salmon minimum 

size limit of 28 inches total length (see 

B, C.1). All vessels fishing in the area 

must land their salmon in the State of 

Oregon. See gear restrictions and 

definitions (see C.2, C.3). Salmon 

trollers may take and retain or possess 

on board a fishing vessel no more than 

30 coho salmon per vessel per open 

period. All coho salmon retained, 

possessed on a vessel, and landed must 

not exceed a 1:1 ratio with Chinook 

salmon that are retained and landed at 

the same time. 

In 2023, the season will open March 

15 for all salmon except coho salmon. 

Chinook salmon minimum size limit of 

28 inches total length. Gear restrictions 

same as in 2022. This opening could be 

modified following Council review at its 

March 2023 meeting. 

—Humbug Mountain to Oregon/ 

California border (Oregon KMZ) 

March 15–April 30; 

June 1–30, or the earlier of 800 

Chinook salmon quota; 

July 1–31, or the earlier of 400 

Chinook salmon quota; 

August 1–28, or the earlier of 250 

Chinook salmon quota (see C.9.a). 

Open seven days per week 

(Thursday–Wednesday). All salmon, 

except coho (see C.4, C.7). Chinook 

salmon minimum size limit of 28 inches 

total length (see B, C.1). See compliance 

requirements (see C.1) and gear 

restrictions and definitions (see C.2, 

C.3). Prior to June 1, all salmon caught 

in this area must be landed and 

delivered in the State of Oregon. June 1- 

August 28 weekly landing and 

possession limit of 50 Chinook salmon 

per vessel per week (ThursdayWednesday). Any remaining portion of 

Chinook salmon quotas may be 

transferred inseason on an impact 

neutral basis to the next open quota 

period (see C.8.b). All vessels fishing in 

this area during June, July, and August 

must land and deliver all salmon within 

the area or into Port Orford within 24 

hours of any closure of this fishery and 

prior to fishing outside of this area. For 

all quota managed seasons, Oregon state 

regulations require fishers to notify 

ODFW within one hour of landing and 

prior to transport away from the port of 

landing by calling 541–857–2538 or 

sending notification via email to 

kmzor.trollreport@odfw.oregon.gov, 

with vessel name and number, number 

of salmon by species, location of 

delivery, and estimated time of delivery. 

In 2023, the season will open March 

15 for all salmon except coho salmon. 

Chinook salmon minimum size limit of 

28 inches total length. Gear restrictions 

are the same as in 2022. This opening 

could be modified following Council 

review at its March 2023 meeting. 

—Oregon/California border to Humboldt 

South Jetty (California KMZ) 

Closed in 2022. 

In 2023, the season will open May 1 

through the earlier of May 31, or a 3,000 

Chinook salmon quota. Chinook salmon 

minimum size limit of 27 inches total 

length (see B, C.1). Landing and 

possession limit of 20 Chinook salmon 

per vessel per day (see C.8.f). Open five 

days per week (Friday–Tuesday). All 

salmon, except coho salmon (see C.4, 

C.7). Any remaining portion of Chinook 

salmon quotas may be transferred 

inseason on an impact neutral basis to 

the next open quota period (see C.8.b). 

All fish caught in this area must be 

landed within the area, within 24 hours 

of any closure of the fishery (see C.6), 

and prior to fishing outside the area (see 

C.10). See compliance requirements (see 

C.1) and gear restrictions and 

definitions (see C.2, C.3). Klamath 

Control Zone closed (see C.5.e). See 

California State regulations for an 

additional closure adjacent to the Smith 

River. This opening could be modified 

following Council review at its March or 

April 2023 meetings. 

—Humboldt South Jetty to Latitude 

40°10′ N 

Closed in 2022. 

For all commercial fisheries south of 

Cape Falcon: When the fishery is closed 

between the Oregon/California border 

and Humbug Mountain, and closed 

south or the Oregon/California border, 

vessels with fish on board caught in the 

open area off California may seek 

temporary mooring in Brookings, 


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29698 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 94 / Monday, May 16, 2022 / Rules and Regulations 

Oregon prior to landing in California 

only if such vessels first notify the 

Chetco River Coast Guard Station via 

VHF channel 22A between the hours of 

0500 and 2200 and provide the vessel 

name, number of fish on board, and 

estimated time of arrival (see C.6). 

—Latitude 40°10′ N to Point Arena (Fort 

Bragg) 

July 8–12, 21–25; 

August 3–12 (see C.9.b). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon, except coho salmon (see C.4, 

C.7). See compliance requirements (see 

C.1) and gear restrictions and 

definitions (see C.2, C.3). Chinook 

salmon minimum size limit of 27 inches 

total length (see B, C.1). All salmon 

must be landed in California and north 

of Point Arena (see C.6, C.11). 

In 2023, the season will open April 16 

for all salmon except coho salmon (see 

C.4, C.7). Chinook salmon minimum 

size limit of 27 inches total length (see 

B, C.1). Gear restrictions are the same as 

in 2022 (see C.2, C.3). This opening 

could be modified following Council 

review at its March 2023 meeting. 

—Point Arena to Pigeon Point (San 

Francisco) 

July 8–12, 21–25; 

August 3–12; 

September 1–30 (see C.9.b). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon, except coho salmon (see C.4, 

C.7). Chinook salmon minimum size 

limit of 27 inches total length through 

August, then 26 inches thereafter (see B, 

C.1). See compliance requirements (see 

C.1) and gear restrictions and 

definitions (see C.2, C.3). All salmon 

must be landed in California (see C.6). 

During September, all salmon must be 

landed south of Point Arena (see C.6, 

C.11). 

In 2023, the season will open May 1 

for all salmon except coho salmon (see 

C.4, C.7). Chinook salmon minimum 

size limit of 27 inches total length (see 

B, C.1). Gear restrictions are the same as 

in 2022 (see C.2, C.3). This opening 

could be modified following Council 

review at its March or April 2023 

meeting. 

—Point Reyes to Point San Pedro (Fall 

Area Target Zone) 

October 3–7, 10–14. 

Open five days per week (MondayFriday). All salmon, except coho salmon 

(see C.4, C.7). Chinook salmon 

minimum size limit of 26 inches total 

length (see B, C.1). All salmon caught in 

this area must be landed between Point 

Arena and Pigeon Point (see C.6, C.11). 

See compliance requirements (see C.1) 

and gear restrictions and definitions (see 

C.2, C.3). 

—Pigeon Point to U.S./Mexico border 

(Monterey) 

May 1–5, 2022, 10–15, 2022, 

May 20–24; 

June 1–12; 

July 8–12, 21–25; 

August 3–12 (see C.9.b). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon, except coho salmon (see C.4, 

C.7). Chinook salmon minimum size 

limit of 27 inches total length (see B, 

C.1). See compliance requirements (see 

C.1) and gear restrictions and 

definitions (see C.2, C.3). All salmon 

must be landed in California (see C.6). 

All salmon caught in this area in the 

month of May must be landed within 24 

hours of any closure of the fishery (see 

C.6). During the month of May and June, 

all salmon caught in the area must be 

landed south of Point Arena (see C.11). 

In 2023, the season will open May 1 

for all salmon, except coho salmon (see 

C.4, C.7). Chinook salmon minimum 

size limit of 27 inches total length (see 

B, C.1). Gear restrictions same as in 

2022 (see C.2, C.3). This opening could 

be modified following Council review at 

its March or April 2023 meeting. 

For all commercial troll fisheries in 

California: California State regulations 

require all salmon made available to a 

CDFW representative for sampling 

immediately at port of landing. Any 

person in possession of a salmon with 

a missing adipose fin, upon request by 

an authorized agent or employee of the 

CDFW, shall immediately relinquish the 

head of the salmon to the State 

(California Fish and Game Code § 8226). 

B. Minimum Size (Inches) (See C.1) 

TABLE 1—MINIMUM SIZE LIMITS FOR SALMON IN THE 2022 COMMERCIAL OCEAN SALMON FISHERIES

Area 

(when open) 

Chinook Coho 

Pink 

Total length Head-off Total length Head-off 

North of Cape Falcon, OR .................................................. 27.0 20.5 16 12 None. 

Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain ..................................... 28.0 21.5 16 12 None. 

Humbug Mountain to OR/CA border ................................... 28.0 21.5 ........................ ........................ None. 

OR/CA border to Humboldt South Jetty .............................. ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................

Latitude 40°10′0′′ N to Point Arena ..................................... 27.0 20.5 ........................ ........................ 27. 

Point Arena to Pigeon Point (through August) .................... 27.0 20.5 ........................ ........................ 27. 

Point Arena to Pigeon Point (September–October) ............ 26.0 19.5 ........................ ........................ 26. 

Pigeon Point to U.S./Mexico border .................................... 27.0 20.5 ........................ ........................ 27. 

Metric equivalents: 28.0 in = 71.1 cm, 27.0 in = 68.5 cm, 26 in = 66 cm, 21.5 in = 54.6 cm, 20.5 in = 52.1 cm, 19.5 in = 49.5 cm, 16.0 in = 

40.6 cm, and 12.0 in = 30.5 cm. 

C. Requirements, Definitions, 

Restrictions, or Exceptions 

C.1. Compliance With Minimum Size or 

Other Special Restrictions 

All salmon on board a vessel must 

meet the minimum size landing/ 

possession limit, or other special 

requirements for the area being fished 

and the area in which they are landed 

if the area is open or has been closed 

less than 48 hours for that species of 

salmon. Salmon may be landed in an 

area that has been closed for a species 

of salmon more than 48 hours only if 

they meet the minimum size, landing/ 

possession limit, or other special 

requirements for the area in which they 

were caught. Salmon may not be filleted 

prior to landing. 

Any person who is required to report 

a salmon landing by applicable state law 

must include on the state landing 

receipt for that landing both the number 

and weight of salmon landed by species. 

States may require fish landing/ 

receiving tickets be kept on board the 

vessel for 90 days or more after landing 

to account for all previous salmon 

landings. 

C.2. Gear Restrictions 

a. Salmon may be taken only by hook 

and line using single point, single 

shank, barbless hooks. 

b. Cape Falcon, OR, to the Oregon/ 

California border: No more than 4 

spreads are allowed per line. 

c. Oregon/California border to U.S./ 

Mexico border: No more than 6 lines are 

allowed per vessel, and barbless circle 


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hooks are required when fishing with 

bait by any means other than trolling. 

C.3. Gear Definitions 

Trolling: Fishing from a boat or 

floating device that is making way by 

means of a source of power, other than 

drifting by means of the prevailing 

water current or weather conditions. 

Troll fishing gear: One or more lines 

that drag hooks behind a moving fishing 

vessel engaged in trolling. In that 

portion of the fishery management area 

off Oregon and Washington, the line or 

lines must be affixed to the vessel and 

must not be intentionally disengaged 

from the vessel at any time during the 

fishing operation. 

Spread: A single leader connected to 

an individual lure and/or bait. 

Circle hook: A hook with a generally 

circular shape and a point which turns 

inward, pointing directly to the shank at 

a 90° angle. 

C.4. Vessel Operation in Closed Areas 

With Salmon on Board 

a. Except as provided under C.4.b 

below, it is unlawful for a vessel to have 

troll or recreational gear in the water 

while in any area closed to fishing for 

a certain species of salmon, while 

possessing that species of salmon; 

however, fishing for species other than 

salmon is not prohibited if the area is 

open for such species, and no salmon 

are in possession. 

b. When Genetic Stock Identification 

(GSI) samples will be collected in an 

area closed to commercial salmon 

fishing, the scientific research permit 

holder shall notify NOAA Office of Law 

Enforcement, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), 

CDFW, WDFW, ODFW, and Oregon 

State Police at least 24 hours prior to 

sampling and provide the following 

information: The vessel name, date, 

location and time collection activities 

will be done. Any vessel collecting GSI 

samples in a closed area shall not 

possess any salmon other than those 

from which GSI samples are being 

collected. Salmon caught for collection 

of GSI samples must be immediately 

released in good condition after 

collection of samples. 

C.5. Control Zone Definitions 

a. Cape Flattery Control Zone—The 

area from Cape Flattery (48°23′00′′ N 

lat.) to the northern boundary of the 

U.S. EEZ; and the area from Cape 

Flattery south to Cape Alava (48°10′00′′ 

N lat.) and east of 125°05′00′′ W long. 

b. Mandatory Yelloweye Rockfish 

Conservation Area—The area in 

Washington Marine Catch Area 3 from 

48°00.00′ N lat.; 125°14.00′ W long. to 

48°02.00′ N lat.; 125°14.00′ W long. to 

48°02.00′ N lat.; 125°16.50′ W long. to 

48°00.00′ N lat.; 125°16.50′ W long. and 

connecting back to 48°00.00′ N lat.; 

125°14.00′ W long. 

c. Grays Harbor Control Zone—The 

area defined by a line drawn from the 

Westport Lighthouse (46°53′18′′ N lat., 

124°07′01′′ W long.) to Buoy #2 

(46°52′42′′ N lat., 124°12′42′′ W long.) to 

Buoy #3 (46°55′00′′ N lat., 124°14′48′′ W 

long.) to the Grays Harbor north jetty 

(46°55′36′′ N lat., 124°10′51′′ W long.). 

d. Columbia Control Zone—An area at 

the Columbia River mouth, bounded on 

the west by a line running northeast/ 

southwest between the red lighted Buoy 

#4 (46°13′35′′ N lat., 124°06′50′′ W long.) 

and the green lighted Buoy #7 (46°15’09’ 

N lat., 124°06′16′′ W long.); on the east, 

by the Buoy #10 line which bears north/ 

south at 357° true from the south jetty 

at 46°14′00′′ N lat.,124°03′07′′ W long. to 

its intersection with the north jetty; on 

the north, by a line running northeast/ 

southwest between the green lighted 

Buoy #7 to the tip of the north jetty 

(46°15′48′′ N lat., 124°05′20′′ W long.), 

and then along the north jetty to the 

point of intersection with the Buoy #10 

line; and, on the south, by a line 

running northeast/southwest between 

the red lighted Buoy #4 and tip of the 

south jetty (46°14′03′′ N lat., 124°04′05′′ 

W long.), and then along the south jetty 

to the point of intersection with the 

Buoy #10 line. 

e. Klamath Control Zone—The ocean 

area at the Klamath River mouth 

bounded on the north by 41°38′48′′ N 

lat. (approximately 6 nautical miles 

north of the Klamath River mouth); on 

the west by 124°23′00′′ W long. 

(approximately 12 nautical miles off 

shore); and on the south by 41°26′48′′ N 

lat. (approximately 6 nautical miles 

south of the Klamath River mouth). 

f. Waypoints for the 40 fathom 

regulatory line from Cape Falcon to 

Humbug Mountain (50 CFR 660.71 (o) 

(12)–(70)), when in place. 

C.6. Notification When Unsafe 

Conditions Prevent Compliance With 

Regulations 

If prevented by unsafe weather 

conditions or mechanical problems from 

meeting special management area 

landing restrictions, vessels must notify 

the USCG and receive acknowledgment 

of such notification prior to leaving the 

area. This notification shall include the 

name of the vessel, port where delivery 

will be made, approximate number of 

salmon (by species) on board, the 

estimated time of arrival, and the 

specific reason the vessel is not able to 

meet special management area landing 

restrictions. 

In addition to contacting the USCG, 

vessels fishing south of the Oregon/ 

California border must notify CDFW 

within one hour of leaving the 

management area by calling 800–889– 

8346 and providing the same 

information as reported to the USCG. 

All salmon must be offloaded within 24 

hours of reaching port. 

C.7. Incidental Halibut Harvest 

License applications for incidental 

harvest for halibut during commercial 

salmon fishing must be obtained from 

the International Pacific Halibut 

Commission (IPHC). 

a. During the 2022 salmon troll 

season, incidental harvest is authorized 

only during April, May, and June, and 

after June 30 if quota remains and if 

announced on the NMFS hotline 

(phone: 800–662–9825 or 206–526– 

6667). WDFW, ODFW, and CDFW will 

monitor landings. If the landings are 

projected to exceed the IPHC’s 

preseason allocation or the total Area 

2A non-Indian commercial halibut 

allocation, NMFS will take inseason 

action to prohibit retention of halibut in 

the non-Indian salmon troll fishery. 

b. Through May 15, 2022, consistent 

with regulations adopted in April 2021, 

license holders may land no more than 

one Pacific halibut per each two 

Chinook salmon, except one Pacific 

halibut may be landed without meeting 

the ratio requirement, and no more than 

35 halibut may be landed per trip. 

c. Beginning May 16, 2022, through 

the end of the 2022 salmon troll fishery, 

and beginning April 1, 2023, until 

modified through inseason action or 

superseded by the 2023 management 

measures, license holders may land or 

possess no more than one Pacific 

halibut per two Chinook salmon, except 

one Pacific halibut may be possessed or 

landed without meeting the ratio 

requirement, and no more than 35 

halibut may be possessed or landed per 

trip. Pacific halibut retained must be no 

less than 32 inches in total length (with 

head on). 

d. Incidental Pacific halibut catch 

regulations in the commercial salmon 

troll fishery adopted for 2022, prior to 

any 2022 inseason action, will be in 

effect when incidental Pacific halibut 

retention opens on April 1, 2023, unless 

otherwise modified by inseason action 

at the March 2023 Council meeting. 

e. ‘‘C-shaped’’ yelloweye rockfish 

conservation area is an area to be 

voluntarily avoided for salmon trolling. 

NMFS and the Council request salmon 

trollers voluntarily avoid this area in 

order to protect yelloweye rockfish. The 

area is defined in the Pacific Council 

Halibut Catch Sharing Plan in the North 


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Coast subarea (Washington marine area 

3), with the following coordinates in the 

order listed: 

48°18′ N lat.; 125°18′ W long.; 

48°18′ N lat.; 124°59′W long.; 

48°11′ N lat.; 124°59′ W long.; 

48°11′ N lat.; 125°11′ W long.; 

48°04′ N lat.; 125°11′ W long.; 

48°04′ N lat.; 124°59′ W long.; 

48°00′ N lat.; 124°59′ W long.; 

48°00′ N lat.; 125°18′ W long. 

And connecting back to 48°18′ N lat.; 

125°18′ W long. 

C.8. Inseason Management 

In addition to standard inseason 

actions or modifications already noted 

under the Season Description heading 

above, the following inseason guidance 

applies: 

a. Chinook salmon remaining from the 

May through June non-Indian 

commercial troll harvest guideline north 

of Cape Falcon may be transferred to the 

July through September harvest 

guideline if the transfer would not result 

in exceeding preseason impact 

expectations on any stocks. 

b. Chinook salmon remaining from 

May, June, and/or July non-Indian 

commercial troll quotas in the Oregon or 

California KMZ may be transferred to 

the Chinook salmon quota for the next 

open period if the transfer would not 

result in exceeding preseason impact 

expectations on any stocks. 

c. NMFS may transfer salmon 

between the recreational and 

commercial fisheries north of Cape 

Falcon if there is agreement among the 

areas’ representatives on the SAS, and if 

the transfer would not result in 

exceeding preseason impact 

expectations on any stocks. 

d. The Council will consider inseason 

recommendations for special regulations 

for any experimental fisheries annually 

in March; proposals must meet Council 

protocol and be received in November 

the year prior. 

e. If retention of unmarked coho 

salmon (adipose fin intact) is permitted 

by inseason action, the allowable coho 

salmon quota will be adjusted to ensure 

preseason projected impacts on all 

stocks is not exceeded. 

f. Landing limits may be modified 

inseason to sustain season length and 

keep harvest within overall quotas. 

C.9. State Waters Fisheries 

Consistent with Council management 

objectives: 

a. The state of Oregon may establish 

additional late-season fisheries in state 

waters. 

b. The state of California may 

establish limited fisheries in selected 

state waters. 

c. Check state regulations for details. 

C.10. For the purpose of California 

Fish and Game Code, Section 8232.5, 

the definition of the KMZ for the ocean 

salmon season shall be that area from 

Humbug Mountain, Oregon, to Latitude 

40°10′ N. 

C.11. Latitudes for geographical 

reference of major landmarks along the 

West Coast, including those used for 

inseason modifications to salmon 

management areas (see C.8.g.), are listed 

in Section 5 of this final rule. 

Section 2. Recreational Management 

Measures for 2022 Ocean Salmon 

Fisheries 

Parts A, B, and C of this section 

contain restrictions that must be 

followed for lawful participation in the 

fishery. Part A identifies each fishing 

area and provides the geographic 

boundaries from north to south, the 

open seasons for the area, the salmon 

species allowed to be caught during the 

seasons, and any other special 

restrictions effective in the area. Part B 

specifies minimum size limits. Part C 

specifies special requirements, 

definitions, restrictions, and exceptions. 

Fisheries may need to be adjusted 

through inseason action to meet NMFS 

ESA consultation standards, FMP 

requirements, other management 

objectives, or upon receipt of new 

allocation recommendations from the 

California Fish and Game Commission. 

A. Season Description 

North of Cape Falcon, OR 

—U.S./Canada border to Cape Alava 

(Neah Bay Subarea) 

June 18 through earlier of September 

30, or 17,470 marked coho salmon 

subarea quota, with a subarea guideline 

of 6,110 Chinook salmon (see C.5). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon, except chum salmon beginning 

August 1; two salmon per day. All coho 

salmon must be marked with a healed 

adipose fin clip (see C.1). Chinook 

salmon minimum size limit of 24 inches 

total length (see B). See gear restrictions 

and definition (see C.2, C.3) 

Beginning August 1, Chinook salmon 

non-retention east of the BonillaTatoosh line (see C.4.a) during Council 

managed ocean fishery. 

Inseason management may be used to 

sustain season length and keep harvest 

within the overall Chinook salmon and 

coho salmon recreational total allowable 

catch (TAC) for north of Cape Falcon 

(see C.5). 

—Cape Alava to Queets River (La Push 

Subarea) 

June 18 through earlier of September 

30, or 4,370 marked coho subarea quota, 

with a subarea guideline of 995 Chinook 

salmon (see C.5). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon, except chum salmon beginning 

August 1; two salmon per day. All coho 

salmon must be marked with a healed 

adipose fin clip (see C.1). See gear 

restrictions and definitions (see C.2, 

C.3). Chinook salmon minimum size 

limit of 24 inches total length (see B). 

Inseason management may be used to 

sustain season length and keep harvest 

within the overall Chinook salmon and 

coho salmon recreational TACs for 

north of Cape Falcon (see C.5). 

October 5 through earlier of October 

8, or 125 Chinook salmon quota (see 

C.5) in the area north of 47°50′00′′ N lat. 

and south of 48°00′00′′ N lat. 

Open seven days per week. Chinook 

salmon only, two Chinook salmon per 

day. See gear restrictions and 

definitions (see C.2, C.3). Chinook 

salmon minimum size limit of 24 inches 

total length (see B, C.1). 

—Queets River to Leadbetter Point 

(Westport Subarea) 

July 2 through earlier of September 

30, or 62,160 marked coho salmon 

subarea quota, with a subarea guideline 

of 12,070 Chinook salmon (see C.5). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon; two salmon per day, no more 

than one of which may be a Chinook 

salmon. All coho salmon must be 

marked with a healed adipose fin clip 

(see C.1). See gear restrictions and 

definitions (see C.2, C.3). Chinook 

salmon minimum size limit of 22 inches 

total length (see B). 

Grays Harbor Control Zone closed 

beginning August 8 (see C.4.b). Inseason 

management may be used to sustain 

season length and keep harvest within 

the overall Chinook and coho salmon 

recreational TACs for north of Cape 

Falcon (see C.5). 

—Leadbetter Point to Cape Falcon 

(Columbia River Subarea) 

June 25 through earlier of September 

30, or 84,000 marked coho salmon 

subarea quota, with a subarea guideline 

of 7,700 Chinook salmon (see C.5). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon; two salmon per day, no more 

than one of which may be a Chinook 

salmon. All coho salmon must be 

marked with a healed adipose fin clip 

(see C.1). See gear restrictions and 

definitions (see C.2, C.3). Chinook 

salmon minimum size limit of 22 inches 

total length (see B). 

Columbia Control Zone closed (see 

C.4.c). Inseason management may be 

used to sustain season length and keep 

harvest within the overall Chinook 

salmon and coho salmon recreational 

TACs for north of Cape Falcon (see C.5). 


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South of Cape Falcon, OR 

—Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain 

March 15–May 15, 2022; 

May 16–October 31 (see C.6). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon except coho salmon, except as 

provided below during the all-salmon 

mark-selective coho salmon fishery and 

the non-mark-selective coho fishery (see 

C.5), two fish per day (see C.1). Chinook 

salmon minimum size limit of 24 inches 

total length (see B). See gear restrictions 

and definitions (see C.2, C.3). 

In 2023, the season will open March 

15 for all salmon except coho salmon, 

two salmon per day (see C.1). Chinook 

salmon minimum size limit of 24 inches 

total length (see B); and the same gear 

restrictions as in 2022 (see C.2, C.3). 

This opening could be modified 

following Council review at its March 

2023 meeting. 

—Cape Falcon to Oregon/California 

Border 

All-salmon mark-selective coho 

salmon fishery: June 18 through the 

earlier of August 21, or 100,000 marked 

coho salmon quota (see C.6). 

Open seven days per week. Cape 

Falcon to Humbug Mountain: All 

salmon two salmon per day. Humbug 

Mountain to Oregon/California Border: 

June 18–24, all salmon except Chinook 

salmon, two salmon per day; and June 

25–August 21 or coho salmon quota, all 

salmon, two salmon per day. All 

retained coho salmon must be marked 

with a healed adipose fin clip. See 

minimum size limits (see B). See gear 

restrictions and definitions (see C.2, 

C.3). 

Any remainder of the mark-selective 

coho salmon quota may be transferred 

inseason on an impact neutral basis to 

the non-selective coho quota from Cape 

Falcon to Humbug Mountain (see C.5). 

—Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain 

Non-mark-selective coho salmon 

fishery: September 3 through the earlier 

of September 30, or 17,000 non-markselective coho salmon quota (see C.6). 

Open days may be modified inseason. 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon, two salmon per day (see C.1). 

See minimum size limits (see B). See 

gear restrictions and definitions (see 

C.2, C.3). 

—Humbug Mountain to Oregon/ 

California Border (Oregon KMZ) 

June 25–August 21 (see C.6). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon, except coho salmon, except as 

listed above for the mark-selective coho 

salmon fishery. 

From Cape Falcon to the Oregon/ 

California border (June 18-August 21). 

Two salmon per day (see C.1). Chinook 

salmon minimum size limit of 24 inches 

total length (see B). See gear restrictions 

and definitions (see C.2, C.3). 

For all Recreational Fisheries from 

Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain: 

Fishing in the Stonewall Bank 

yelloweye rockfish conservation area 

restricted to trolling only on days the all 

depth recreational halibut fishery is 

open (call the halibut fishing hotline 1– 

800–662–9825 for specific dates) (see 

C.3.b, C.4.d). 

—Oregon/California Border to Latitude 

40°10′ N (California KMZ) 

May 1–15, 2022; 

May 16–31; 

August 1–September 5 (see C.6). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon except coho salmon, two salmon 

per day (see C.1). Chinook salmon 

minimum size limit of 20 inches total 

length (see B). See gear restrictions and 

definitions (see C.2, C.3). 

Klamath Control Zone closed in 

August (see C.4.e). See California State 

regulations for additional closures 

adjacent to the Smith, Eel, and Klamath 

Rivers. 

In 2023, season opens May 1 for all 

salmon except coho salmon, two salmon 

per day (see C.1). Chinook salmon 

minimum size limit of 20 inches total 

length (see B); and the same gear 

restrictions as in 2022 (see C.2, C.3). 

This opening could be modified 

following Council review at its March or 

April 2023 meeting. 

—Latitude 40°10′ N to Point Arena (Fort 

Bragg) 

May 1–15, 2022; 

May 16–July 4; 

July 22–September 5 (see C.6). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon, except coho salmon, two 

salmon per day (see C.1). Chinook 

salmon minimum size limit of 20 inches 

total length (see B). See gear restrictions 

and definitions (see C.2, C.3). 

In 2023, season opens April 1 for all 

salmon except coho salmon, two salmon 

per day (see C.1). Chinook salmon 

minimum size limit of 20 inches total 

length (see B); and the same gear 

restrictions as in 2022 (see C.2, C.3). 

This opening could be modified 

following Council review at its March 

2023 meeting. 

—Point Arena to Pigeon Point (San 

Francisco) 

April 2–May 15, 2022 (see C.6). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon, except coho salmon, two 

salmon per day (see C.1). Chinook 

salmon minimum size limit of 24 inches 

total length (see B). See gear restrictions 

and definitions (see C.2, C.3). 

May 16–31; 

June 23–October 31 (see C.6). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon, except coho salmon, two 

salmon per day (see C.1). Chinook 

salmon minimum size limit of 20 inches 

total length (see B). See gear restrictions 

and definitions (see C.2, C.3). 

In 2023, season opens April 1 for all 

salmon, except coho salmon, two 

salmon per day (see C.1). Chinook 

salmon minimum size limit of 24 inches 

total length (see B); and the same gear 

restrictions as in 2022 (see C.2, C.3). 

This opening could be modified 

following Council review at its March 

2023 meeting. 

—Pigeon Point to U.S./Mexico Border 

(Monterey) 

April 2–May 15, 2022 (C.6). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon, except coho salmon, two 

salmon per day (see C.1). Chinook 

salmon minimum size limit of 24 inches 

total length (see B). See gear restrictions 

and definitions (see C.2, C.3). 

May 16–October 2 (see C.6). 

Open seven days per week. All 

salmon, except coho salmon, two 

salmon per day (see C.1). Chinook 

salmon minimum size limit 20 inches 

total length. See gear restrictions and 

definitions (see C.2, C.3). 

In 2023, season opens April 1 for all 

salmon, except coho salmon, two 

salmon per day (see C.1). Chinook 

salmon minimum size limit of 24 inches 

total length (see B); and the same gear 

restrictions as in 2022 (see C.2, C.3). 

This opening could be modified 

following Council review at its March 

2023 meeting. 

California State regulations require all 

salmon be made available to a CDFW 

representative for sampling immediately 

at port of landing. Any person in 

possession of a salmon with a missing 

adipose fin, upon request by an 

authorized agent or employee of the 

CDFW, shall immediately relinquish the 

head of the salmon to the state 

(California Code of Regulations Title 14 

Section 1.73). 

B. Minimum Size (Total Length in 

Inches) (See C.1) 


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TABLE 2—MINIMUM SIZE LIMITS FOR SALMON IN THE 2022 RECREATIONAL SALMON FISHERIES

Area 

(when open) Chinook Coho Pink 

North of Cape Falcon (Westport and Columbia River) ............................................................... 22.0 16.0 None. 

North of Cape Falcon (Neah Bay and La Push) ......................................................................... 24.0 16.0 None. 

Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain ............................................................................................. 24.0 16.0 None. 

Humbug Mountain to Oregon/California border .......................................................................... 24.0 16.0 None. 

Oregon/California border to Point Arena ..................................................................................... 20.0 ........................ 20.0. 

Point Arena to Pigeon Point through May 15 ............................................................................. 24.0 ........................ 24.0. 

Point Arena to Pigeon Point beginning May 16 .......................................................................... 20.0 ........................ 20.0. 

Pigeon Point to U.S./Mexico border through May 15 ................................................................. 24.0 ........................ 24.0. 

Pigeon Point to U.S./Mexico border beginning May 16 .............................................................. 20.0 ........................ 20.0. 

Metric equivalents: 24.0 in = 61.0 cm, 22.0 in = 55.9 cm, 20.0 in = 50.8 cm, and 16.0 in = 40.6 cm. 

C. Requirements, Definitions, 

Restrictions, or Exceptions 

C.1. Compliance With Minimum Size 

and Other Special Restrictions 

All salmon on board a vessel must 

meet the minimum size or other special 

requirements for the area being fished 

and the area in which they are landed 

if that area is open. Salmon may be 

landed in an area that is closed only if 

they meet the minimum size or other 

special requirements for the area in 

which they were caught. Salmon may 

not be filleted prior to landing. 

Ocean Boat Limits: Off the coast of 

Washington, Oregon, and California, 

each fisher aboard a vessel may 

continue to use angling gear until the 

combined daily limits of Chinook and 

coho salmon for all licensed and 

juvenile anglers aboard have been 

attained (additional state restrictions 

may apply). 

C.2. Gear Restrictions 

Salmon may be taken only by hook 

and line using barbless hooks. All 

persons fishing for salmon, and all 

persons fishing from a boat with salmon 

on board must meet the gear restrictions 

listed below for specific areas or 

seasons. 

a. U.S./Canada Border to Point 

Conception, California: No more than 

one rod may be used per angler; and no 

more than two single point, single 

shank, barbless hooks are required for 

all fishing gear. 

b. Latitude 40°10′ N to Point 

Conception, California: Single point, 

single shank, barbless circle hooks (see 

gear definitions below) are required 

when fishing with bait by any means 

other than trolling, and no more than 

two such hooks shall be used. When 

angling with two hooks, the distance 

between the hooks must not exceed five 

inches when measured from the top of 

the eye of the top hook to the inner base 

of the curve of the lower hook, and both 

hooks must be permanently tied in 

place (hard tied). Circle hooks are not 

required when artificial lures are used 

without bait. 

C.3. Gear Definitions 

a. Recreational fishing gear defined: 

Off Oregon and Washington, angling 

tackle consists of a single line that must 

be attached to a rod and reel held by 

hand or closely attended; the rod and 

reel must be held by hand while playing 

a hooked fish. No person may use more 

than one rod and line while fishing off 

Oregon or Washington. Off California, 

the line must be attached to a rod and 

reel held by hand or closely attended; 

weights directly attached to a line may 

not exceed four pounds (1.8 kg). While 

fishing off California north of Point 

Conception, no person fishing for 

salmon, and no person fishing from a 

boat with salmon on board, may use 

more than one rod and line. Fishing 

includes any activity which can 

reasonably be expected to result in the 

catching, taking, or harvesting of fish. 

b. Trolling defined: Angling from a 

boat or floating device that is making 

way by means of a source of power, 

other than drifting by means of the 

prevailing water current or weather 

conditions. 

c. Circle hook defined: A hook with a 

generally circular shape and a point 

which turns inward, pointing directly to 

the shank at a 90° angle. 

C.4. Control Zone Definitions 

a. The Bonilla-Tatoosh Line: A line 

running from the western end of Cape 

Flattery to Tatoosh Island Lighthouse 

(48°23′30′′ N lat., 124°44′12′′ W long.) to 

the buoy adjacent to Duntze Rock 

(48°24′37′′ N lat., 124°44′37′′ W long.), 

then in a straight line to Bonilla Point 

(48°35′39′′ N lat., 124°42′58′′ W long.) on 

Vancouver Island, British Columbia. 

b. Grays Harbor Control Zone—The 

area defined by a line drawn from the 

Westport Lighthouse (46°53′18′′ N lat., 

124°07′01′′ W long.) to Buoy #2 

(46°52′42′′ N lat., 124°12′42′′ W long.) to 

Buoy #3 (46°55′00′′ N lat., 124°14′48′′ W 

long.) to the Grays Harbor north jetty 

(46°55′36′′ N lat., 124°10′51′′ W long.). 

c. Columbia Control Zone: An area at 

the Columbia River mouth, bounded on 

the west by a line running northeast/ 

southwest between the red lighted Buoy 

#4 (46°13′35′′ N lat., 124°06′50′′ W long.) 

and the green lighted Buoy #7 

(46°15′09′′ N lat., 124°06′16′′ W long.); 

on the east, by the Buoy #10 line which 

bears north/south at 357° true from the 

south jetty at 46°14′00′′ N lat., 

124°03′07′′ W long. to its intersection 

with the north jetty; on the north, by a 

line running northeast/southwest 

between the green lighted Buoy #7 to 

the tip of the north jetty (46°15′48′′ N 

lat., 124°05′20′′ W long. and then along 

the north jetty to the point of 

intersection with the Buoy #10 line; and 

on the south, by a line running 

northeast/southwest between the red 

lighted Buoy #4 and tip of the south 

jetty (46°14′03′′ N lat., 124°04′05′′ W 

long.), and then along the south jetty to 

the point of intersection with the Buoy 

#10 line. 

d. Stonewall Bank YRCA: The area 

defined by the following coordinates in 

the order listed: 

44°37.46′ N lat.; 124°24.92′ W long. 

44°37.46′ N lat.; 124°23.63′ W long. 

44°28.71′ N lat.; 124°21.80′ W long. 

44°28.71′ N lat.; 124°24.10′ W long. 

44°31.42′ N lat.; 124°25.47′ W long. 

And connecting back to 44°37.46′ N 

lat.; 124°24.92′ W long. 

e. Klamath Control Zone: The ocean 

area at the Klamath River mouth 

bounded on the north by 41°38′48′′ N 

lat. (approximately 6 nautical miles 

north of the Klamath River mouth); on 

the west by 124°23′00′′ W long. 

(approximately 12 nautical miles 

offshore); and, on the south by 41°26′48′′ 

N lat. (approximately 6 nautical miles 

south of the Klamath River mouth). 

C.5. Inseason Management 

Regulatory modifications may become 

necessary inseason to meet preseason 

management objectives such as quotas, 

harvest guidelines, and season duration. 


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In addition to standard inseason actions 

or modifications already noted under 

the Season Description heading above, 

the following inseason guidance 

applies: 

a. Actions could include 

modifications to bag limits, or days 

open to fishing, and extensions or 

reductions in areas open to fishing. 

b. Coho salmon may be transferred 

inseason among recreational subareas 

north of Cape Falcon to help meet the 

recreational season duration objectives 

(for each subarea) after conferring with 

representatives of the affected ports and 

the Council’s SAS recreational 

representatives north of Cape Falcon, 

and if the transfer would not result in 

exceeding preseason impact 

expectations on any stocks. 

c. Chinook salmon and coho salmon 

may be transferred between the 

recreational and commercial fisheries 

north of Cape Falcon if there is 

agreement among the representatives of 

the SAS, and if the transfer would not 

result in exceeding preseason impact 

expectations on any stocks. 

d. Fishery managers may consider 

inseason action modifying regulations 

restricting retention of unmarked 

(adipose fin intact) coho salmon. To 

remain consistent with preseason 

expectations, any inseason action shall 

consider, if significant, the difference 

between observed and preseason 

forecasted (adipose-clipped) mark rates. 

Such a consideration may also include 

a change in bag limit of two salmon, no 

more than one of which may be a coho. 

e. Marked coho salmon remaining 

from the Cape Falcon to Oregon/ 

California Border: recreational markselective coho salmon quota may be 

transferred inseason to the Cape Falcon 

to Humbug Mountain non-markselective recreational fishery if the 

transfer would not result in exceeding 

preseason impact expectations on any 

stocks. 

C.6. Additional Seasons in State 

Territorial Waters 

Consistent with Council management 

objectives, the states of Washington, 

Oregon, and California may establish 

limited seasons in state waters. Check 

state regulations for details. 

Section 3. Treaty Indian Management 

Measures for 2022 Ocean Salmon 

Fisheries 

Parts A, B, and C of this section 

contain requirements that must be 

followed for lawful participation in the 

fishery. 

In 2023, the season will open May 1, 

consistent with all preseason 

regulations in place for Treaty Indian 

Troll fisheries during May 16-June 30, 

2022. All catch in May 2023 applies 

against the 2023 Treaty Indian Troll 

fisheries quota. This opening could be 

modified following Council review at its 

March and/or April 2023 meetings. 

A. Season Descriptions 

May 1 through the earlier of June 30 

or when the quota of 20,000 Chinook 

salmon is reached. 

All salmon may be retained except 

coho salmon. If the Chinook salmon 

quota is exceeded, the excess will be 

deducted from the later all-salmon 

season (see C.5). See size limit (see B) 

and other restrictions (see C). 

July 1 through the earlier of 

September 15, or when the quota of 

20,000 Chinook salmon or the quota of 

52,000 coho salmon is reached. 

All salmon. See size limit (see B) and 

other restrictions (see C). 

B. Minimum Size (Inches) 

TABLE 3—MINIMUM SIZE LIMITS FOR SALMON IN THE 2022 TREATY INDIAN OCEAN SALMON FISHERIES

Area 

(when open) 

Chinook Coho 

Pink 

Total Head-off Total Head-off 

North of Cape Falcon .......................................................... 24.0 18.0 16.0 12.0 None. 

Metric equivalents: 24.0 in = 61.0 cm, 18.0 in = 45.7 cm, 16.0 in = 40.6 cm, 12.0 in = 30.5 cm. 

C. Requirements, Definitions, 

Restrictions, or Exceptions 

C.1. Tribe and Area Boundaries 

All boundaries may be changed to 

include such other areas as may 

hereafter be authorized by a Federal 

court for that tribe’s treaty fishery. 

S’KLALLAM—Washington State 

Statistical Area 4B (defined to include 

those waters of Puget Sound easterly of 

a line projected from the Bonilla Point 

light on Vancouver Island to the 

Tatoosh Island light, thence to the most 

westerly point on Cape Flattery and 

westerly of a line projected true north 

from the fishing boundary marker at the 

mouth of the Sekiu River [WAC 220– 

301–030]). 

MAKAH—Washington State 

Statistical Area 4B and that portion of 

the Fishery Management Area (FMA) 

north of 48°02′15′′ N lat. (Norwegian 

Memorial) and east of 125°44′00′′ W 

long. 

QUILEUTE—A polygon commencing 

at Cape Alava, located at latitude 

48°10′00′′ north, longitude 124°43′56.9′′ 

west; then proceeding west 

approximately forty nautical miles at 

that latitude to a northwestern point 

located at latitude 48°10′00′′ north, 

longitude 125°44′00′′ west; then 

proceeding in a southeasterly direction 

mirroring the coastline at a distance no 

farther than forty nautical miles from 

the mainland Pacific coast shoreline at 

any line of latitude, to a southwestern 

point at latitude 47°31′42′′ north, 

longitude 125°20′26′′ west; then 

proceeding east along that line of 

latitude to the Pacific coast shoreline at 

latitude 47°31′42′′ north, longitude 

124°21′9.0′′ west. 

HOH—That portion of the FMA 

between 47°54′18′′ N lat. (Quillayute 

River) and 47°21′00′′ N lat. (Quinault 

River) and east of 125°44′00′′ W long. 

QUINAULT—A polygon commencing 

at the Pacific coast shoreline near 

Destruction Island, located at latitude 

47°40′06′′ north, longitude 

124°23′51.362′′ west; then proceeding 

west approximately thirty nautical miles 

at that latitude to a northwestern point 

located at latitude 47°40′06′′ north, 

longitude 125°08′30′′ west; then 

proceeding in a southeasterly direction 

mirroring the coastline no farther than 

thirty nautical miles from the mainland 

Pacific coast shoreline at any line of 

latitude, to a southwestern point at 

latitude 46°53′18′′ north, longitude 

124°53′53′′ west; then proceeding east 

along that line of latitude to the Pacific 

coast shoreline at latitude 46°53′18′′ 

north, longitude 124°7′36.6′′ west. 

C.2. Gear Restrictions 

a. Single point, single shank, barbless 

hooks are required in all fisheries. 

b. No more than eight fixed lines per 

boat. 

c. No more than four hand held lines 

per person in the Makah area fishery 

(Washington State Statistical Area 4B 

and that portion of the FMA north of 

48°02′15′′ N lat. (Norwegian Memorial) 

and east of 125°44′00′′ W long.). 


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C.3. Quotas 

a. The quotas include troll catches by 

the S’Klallam and Makah Tribes in 

Washington State Statistical Area 4B 

from May 1 through September 15. 

b. The Quileute Tribe may continue a 

ceremonial and subsistence fishery 

during the time frame of October 1 

through October 15 in the same manner 

as in 2004–2015. Fish taken during this 

fishery are to be counted against treaty 

troll quotas established for the 2022 

season (estimated harvest during the 

October ceremonial and subsistence 

fishery: 20 Chinook salmon; 40 coho 

salmon). 

C.4. Area Closures 

a. The area within a six nautical mile 

radius of the mouths of the Queets River 

(47°31′42′′ N lat.) and the Hoh River 

(47°45′12′′ N lat.) will be closed to 

commercial fishing. 

b. A closure within two nautical miles 

of the mouth of the Quinault River 

(47°21′00′′ N lat.) may be enacted by the 

Quinault Nation and/or the State of 

Washington and will not adversely 

affect the Secretary of Commerce’s 

management regime. 

C.5. Inseason Management 

In addition to standard inseason 

actions or modifications already noted 

under the ‘‘Season Description’’ heading 

above, the following inseason guidance 

applies: 

a. Chinook remaining from the May 

through June treaty-Indian ocean troll 

harvest guideline north of Cape Falcon 

may be transferred to the July through 

September harvest guideline on a 

fishery impact equivalent basis. 

Section 4. Halibut Retention 

Under the authority of the Northern 

Pacific Halibut Act, NMFS promulgated 

regulations governing the Pacific halibut 

fishery, which appear at 50 CFR part 

300, subpart E. On March 7, 2022, 

NMFS published a final rule 

announcing the IPHC’s regulations, 

including season dates, management 

measures, TAC for each IPHC 

management area including the U.S. 

West Coast (Area 2A), and Catch 

Sharing Plan for the U.S. waters off of 

Alaska (87 FR 12604, March 7, 2022). 

The Area 2A Catch Sharing Plan, in 

combination with the IPHC regulations, 

provides that vessels participating in the 

salmon troll fishery in Area 2A, which 

have obtained the appropriate IPHC 

license, may retain halibut caught 

incidentally during authorized periods 

in conformance with provisions 

published with the annual salmon 

management measures. A salmon troller 

may participate in the halibut incidental 

catch fishery during the salmon troll 

season or in the directed commercial 

fishery targeting halibut, but not both. 

The following measures have been 

approved by the IPHC and implemented 

by NMFS. During authorized periods, 

the operator of a vessel that has been 

issued an incidental halibut harvest 

license may retain Pacific halibut caught 

incidentally in Area 2A while trolling 

for salmon. Halibut retained must be no 

less than 32 inches (81.28 cm) in total 

length, measured from the tip of the 

lower jaw with the mouth closed to the 

extreme end of the middle of the tail, 

and must be landed with the head on. 

License applications for incidental 

harvest must be obtained from the IPHC 

(phone: 206–634–1838 or secretariat@

iphc.int). Applicants must apply prior to 

mid-March 2023 for 2023 permits (exact 

date to be set by the IPHC in early 2023). 

Incidental harvest is authorized only 

during April, May, and June of the 2022 

troll seasons and after June 30 in 2022 

if the quota remains and if announced 

on the NMFS hotline (phone: 800–662– 

9825 or 206–526–6667). WDFW, ODFW, 

and CDFW will monitor landings. If the 

landings are projected to exceed the 

44,599 pound preseason allocation or 

the total Area 2A non-Indian 

commercial halibut allocation, NMFS 

will take inseason action to prohibit 

retention of halibut in the non-Indian 

salmon troll fishery. 

From May 16, 2022, until the end of 

the 2022 salmon troll season, and 

beginning April 1, 2023, until modified 

through inseason action or superseded 

by the 2023 management measures, 

license holders may land or possess no 

more than one Pacific halibut per each 

two Chinook salmon, except one Pacific 

halibut may be possessed or landed 

without meeting the ratio requirement, 

and no more than 35 halibut may be 

possessed or landed per trip. Pacific 

halibut retained must be no less than 32 

inches in total length (with head on). 

IPHC license holders must comply with 

all applicable IPHC regulations. 

Incidental Pacific halibut catch 

regulations in the commercial salmon 

troll fishery adopted for 2022, prior to 

any 2022 inseason action, will be in 

effect when incidental Pacific halibut 

retention opens on April 1, 2023, unless 

otherwise modified by inseason action 

at the March 2023 Council meeting. 

NMFS and the Council request that 

salmon trollers voluntarily avoid a ‘‘Cshaped’’ YRCA (also known as the 

Salmon Troll YRCA) in order to protect 

yelloweye rockfish. Coordinates for the 

Salmon Troll YRCA are defined at 50 

CFR 660.70(a) in the North Coast 

subarea (Washington marine area 3). See 

Section 1.C.7 in this document for the 

coordinates. 

Section 5. Geographical Landmarks 

Wherever the words ‘‘nautical miles 

off shore’’ are used in this document, 

the distance is measured from the 

baseline from which the territorial sea is 

measured. 

Geographical landmarks referenced in 

this document are at the following 

locations: 

U.S./Canada border: 49°00′00′′ N lat. 

Cape Flattery, WA: 48°23′00′′ N lat. 

Cape Alava, WA: 48°10′00′′ N lat. 

Queets River, WA: 47°31′42′′ N lat. 

Leadbetter Point, WA: 46°38′10′′ N lat. 

Cape Falcon, OR: 45°46′00′′ N lat. 

South end Heceta Bank Line, OR: 

43°58′00′′ N lat. 

Humbug Mountain, OR: 42°40′30′′ N lat. 

Oregon-California border: 42°00′00′′ N 

lat. 

Humboldt South Jetty, CA: 40°45′53′′ N 

lat. 

40°10′ line (near Cape Mendocino, CA): 

40°10′00′′ N lat. 

Horse Mountain, CA: 40°05′00′′ N lat. 

Point Arena, CA: 38°57′30′′ N lat. 

Point Reyes, CA: 37°59′44′′ N lat. 

Point San Pedro, CA: 37°35′40′′ N lat. 

Pigeon Point, CA: 37°11′00′′ N lat. 

Point Sur, CA: 36°18′00′′ N lat. 

Point Conception, CA: 34°27′00′′ N lat. 

U.S./Mexico border: 34°27′00′′ N lat. 

Section 6. Inseason Notice Procedures 

Notice of inseason management 

actions will be provided by a telephone 

hotline administered by the West Coast 

Region, NMFS, 800–662–9825 or 206– 

526–6667, and by USCG Notice to 

Mariners broadcasts. These broadcasts 

are announced on Channel 16 VHF–FM 

and 2182 KHz at frequent intervals. The 

announcements designate the channel 

or frequency over which the Notice to 

Mariners will be immediately broadcast. 

Inseason actions will also be published 

in the Federal Register as soon as 

practicable. Since provisions of these 

management measures may be altered 

by inseason actions, fishermen should 

monitor either the telephone hotline or 

USCG broadcasts for current 

information for the area in which they 

are fishing. 

Classification 

NMFS is issuing this rule pursuant to 

section 305(d) of the MSA. In a previous 

action taken pursuant to section 304(b), 

the Council designed the FMP to 

authorize NMFS to take this action 

pursuant to MSA section 305(d). See 50 

CFR 660.408. These regulations are 

being promulgated under the authority 

of 16 U.S.C. 1855(d) and 16 U.S.C. 

773(c). 


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This final rule has been determined to 

be not significant for purposes of 

Executive Order 12866. 

The Assistant Administrator for 

Fisheries finds good cause under 5 

U.S.C. 553(b)(B), to waive the 

requirement for prior notice and 

opportunity for public comment, as 

such procedures would be impracticable 

and contrary to the public interest. The 

annual salmon management cycle 

begins May 16 and continues through 

May 15 of the following year. May 16 

was chosen because it provides the 

minimally necessary time required to 

complete the necessary environmental 

and economic analyses and regulatory 

documentation following the April 

Council meeting in time for the 

Secretary of Commerce to approve and 

implement the Council’s annual 

recommendation. In addition, these 

harvests constitute a relatively small 

portion of the annual catch, allowing for 

the majority of the season to be 

governed by the new management 

measures rule. Analysis by the Council’s 

Salmon Technical Team determined 

that the pre-May 16 salmon harvests 

would constitute a relatively small 

portion of the annual catch. The time 

frame of the preseason process for 

determining the annual modifications to 

ocean salmon fishery management 

measures depends on when the 

pertinent biological data are available. 

Salmon stocks are managed to meet 

annual spawning escapement goals or 

specific exploitation rates. Achieving 

either of these objectives requires 

designing management measures that 

are appropriate for the ocean abundance 

predicted for that year. These pre-season 

abundance forecasts, which are derived 

from previous years’ observed spawning 

escapement, vary substantially from 

year to year and are not available until 

January or February because spawning 

escapement continues through the fall. 

The preseason planning and public 

review process associated with 

developing Council recommendations is 

initiated in February as soon as the 

forecast information becomes available. 

The public planning process requires 

coordination of management actions of 

four states, numerous Indian tribes, and 

the Federal Government, all of which 

have management authority over the 

stocks. This complex process includes 

the affected user groups, as well as the 

general public. The process is 

compressed into a two-month period 

culminating with the April Council 

meeting at which the Council adopts a 

recommendation that is forwarded to 

NMFS for review, approval, and 

implementation of fishing regulations 

effective on May 16. Providing the 

opportunity for prior notice and public 

comments on the Council’s 

recommended measures through a 

proposed and final rulemaking process 

would require 30 to 60 days in addition 

to the two-month period required for the 

development of the regulations. 

Delaying implementation of annual 

fishing regulations, which are based on 

the current stock abundance projections, 

for an additional 60 days would require 

that fishing regulations for May and 

June be set in the previous year, without 

the benefit of information regarding 

current stock abundance. For the 2022 

fishing regulations, the current stock 

abundance was not available to the 

Council until February. In addition, 

information related to northern fisheries 

and stock status in Alaska and Canada 

which is important to assess the amount 

of available salmon in southern U.S. 

ocean fisheries is not available until 

mid-to late March. Because a substantial 

amount of fishing normally occurs 

during late May and June, managing the 

fishery with measures developed using 

the prior year’s data could have 

significant adverse effects on the 

managed stocks, including ESA-listed 

stocks. Although salmon fisheries that 

open prior to May 16 are managed 

under measures developed the previous 

year, as modified by the Council at its 

March and April meetings, relatively 

little harvest occurs during that period 

(e.g., on average, 10 percent of 

commercial and recreational harvest 

occurred prior to May 1 during the years 

2011 through 2018). Allowing the much 

more substantial harvest levels normally 

associated with the late-May and June 

salmon seasons to be promulgated 

under the prior year’s regulations would 

impair NMFS’ ability to protect weak 

and ESA-listed salmon stocks, and to 

provide harvest opportunities where 

appropriate. The choice of May 16 as 

the beginning of the regulatory season 

balances the need to gather and analyze 

the data needed to meet the 

management objectives of the salmon 

FMP and the need to manage the fishery 

using the best available scientific 

information. 

If the 2022 measures are not in place 

on May 16, salmon fisheries will not 

open as scheduled. This would result in 

lost fishing opportunities, negative 

economic impacts, and confusion for 

the public as the state fisheries adopt 

concurrent regulations that conform to 

the Federal management measures. 

In addition, these measures were 

developed with significant public input. 

Public comment was received and 

considered by the Council and NMFS 

throughout the process of developing 

these management measures. As 

described above, the Council took 

comments at its March and April 

meetings and heard summaries of 

comments received at public meetings 

held between the March and April 

meetings for each of the coastal states. 

NMFS also invited comments in a 

notice published prior to the March 

Council meeting, and considered 

comments received by the Council 

through its representative on the 

Council. 

Based upon the above-described need 

to have these measures effective on May 

16, and the fact that there is limited 

time available to implement these new 

measures after the final Council meeting 

in April, and before the commencement 

of the 2022 ocean salmon fishing year 

on May 16, NMFS has concluded it 

would be impracticable and contrary to 

the public interest to provide an 

opportunity for prior notice and public 

comment under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B). 

The Assistant Administrator for 

Fisheries also finds that good cause 

exists under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), to waive 

the 30-day delay in the date of 

effectiveness of this final rule. As 

previously discussed, data were not 

available until February, and 

management measures were not 

finalized until mid-April. These 

measures are essential to conserve 

threatened and endangered ocean 

salmon stocks as well as potentially 

overfished stocks, and to provide for the 

harvest of more abundant stocks. 

Delaying the date of effectiveness of 

these measures by 30 days could 

compromise the ability of some stocks 

to attain their conservation objectives, 

preclude harvest opportunity, and 

negatively impact anticipated 

international, state, and tribal salmon 

fisheries, thereby undermining the 

purposes of this agency action and the 

requirements of the MSA. 

To enhance the fishing industry’s 

notification of these new measures, and 

to minimize the burden on the regulated 

community required to comply with the 

new regulations, NMFS is announcing 

the new measures over the telephone 

hotline used for inseason management 

actions and is posting the regulations on 

its West Coast Region website 

(www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/westcoast). NMFS is also advising the states 

of Washington, Oregon, and California 

of the new management measures. 

These states announce the seasons for 

applicable state and federal fisheries 

through their own public notification 

systems. 

Because prior notice and an 

opportunity for public comment are not 

required to be provided for this rule by 


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29706 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 94 / Monday, May 16, 2022 / Rules and Regulations 

5 U.S.C. 553, or any other law, the 

analytical requirements of the 

Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 

et seq., are not applicable. Accordingly, 

no Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is 

required for this rule and none has been 

prepared. 

This action contains collection-ofinformation requirements subject to the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), and 

which have been approved by the Office 

of Management and Budget (OMB) 

under control number 0648–0433. The 

current information collection approval 

expires on February 29, 2024. The 

public reporting burden for providing 

notifications if landing area restrictions 

cannot be met is estimated to average 15 

minutes per response. This estimate 

includes the time for reviewing 

instructions, searching existing data 

sources, gathering and maintaining the 

data needed, and completing and 

reviewing the collection of information. 

Notwithstanding any other provision 

of the law, no person is required to 

respond to, nor shall any person be 

subject to a penalty for failure to comply 

with, a collection of information subject 

to the requirements of the PRA, unless 

that collection of information displays a 

currently valid OMB control number. 

This final rule was developed after 

meaningful consultation with the tribal 

representative on the Council who has 

agreed with the provisions that apply to 

tribal vessels. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773–773k; 1801 et 

seq. 

Dated: May 10, 2022. 

Samuel D. Rauch, III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–10430 Filed 5–13–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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