Abstract
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) 2023 – 2024 Studies Development Plan. We offer these comments in the context of the ongoing planning process for offshore wind (OSW) energy development in Federal waters off the United States West Coast.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) is charged with sustainably managing West Coast fisheries and does so under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. In accordance with this Act, the Council works to attain the optimum yield of fishery harvests, conserve essential habitats, and develops measures which provide for fishery harvests that benefit coastal communities and the nation. Achieving these objectives requires that the Council use a deliberative, participatory, and transparent process that is rooted in science and considers the perspectives and needs of stakeholders and communities. The Council notes that the Outer Continental Shelf Management Act and Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act both contain mandates to responsibly manage ocean resources.