Resources: Links to Research Tools, Organizations and Agencies

• Fishing
  • Recreational/charter
  • Trawl
  • Tribal
• Regulations
• Agencies
  • Fishery Management Councils
  • Federal agencies and bodies
  • NOAA Fisheries
  • National Marine Sanctuaries
  • State fish and wildlife agencies
  • International commissions
  • International organizations
  • Interstate fisheries commissions
• Issues & Interests
  • Climate change
  • Ecosystems
  • Marketing
  • Ocean energy
• Nongovernmental Organizations
• Specific Fisheries
  • Albacore
  • Halibut
  • Salmon
• Processing
• Research tools
• Other

Fishing (Recreational and Commercial)

Recreational/Charter

• American Sportfishing Association
• California Sportfishing League
• Golden Gate Fishermen’s Association An organization supporting California sport and commercial fishermen.
• National Association of Charterboat Operators
• Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association
• Recreational Fishing Alliance
• Sportfishing Association of California
• United Anglers of Southern California, Inc.

Trawl

• Fishermen’s Marketing Association Represents commercial groundfish and shrimp fishermen from San Pedro, California to Bellingham, Washington.
• Oregon Trawl Commission
• Oregon Fishermen’s Cable Committee Trawlers and owners of some Oregon undersea fiber-optic cables, with a goal of cooperatively sharing the seabed while preserving trawl fishing grounds
• Pacific Whiting Conservation Cooperative (link not currently working)

Tribal

• Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Serves treaty tribes in Western Washington.
• Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission

Regulations

• State and Federal Regulations
• Federal Register Online
• Regulations.Gov Web Access to All Proposed Federal Regulations (for fisheries, scroll search for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Agencies

Regional Fishery Management Councils

• U.S. Regional Fishery Management Councils website
• Caribbean Fishery Management Council
• Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
• Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
• New England Fishery Management Council
• North Pacific Fishery Management Council
• South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
• Western Pacific Fishery Management Council

Federal Agencies and Bodies

• Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC)
• Marine Protected Areas (National Marine Protected Areas Center)
• US Coast Guard, 11th District
• US Coast Guard, 13th District Pacific Northwest Unit
• US Fish and Wildlife Service

NOAA Fisheries (National Marine Fisheries Service)

• Headquarters
• West Coast Region
• Northwest Fisheries Science Center
• Pacific Islands Region Office
• Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
• Southwest Fisheries Science Center

National Marine Sanctuaries

• Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
• Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary
• Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
• Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
• Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

State Fish and Wildlife Agencies

• Alaska Department of Fish and Game
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Idaho Fish and Game
• Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

International Commissions (Regional Fishery Management Organizations)

• Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission
• International Pacific Halibut Commission
• North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission
• Pacific Salmon Commission
• Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission

International Organizations

• North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES)

Interstate Fisheries Commissions

• Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
• Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission
• Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

Issues and Interests

Climate Change

• United States Global Research Climate Change Program Mandated by Congress, coordinates and integrates federal research on changes in the global environment and their implications for society.
• NOAA Climate Prediction Center. Find out what the climate has in store.

Ecosystems

• CalFish A multi-agency cooperative program that provides direct access to many different types of data relating to fish and aquatic habitat data (for California).
• NOAA Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning A website to provide users with coastal and marine spatial planning information related to national level policies, NOAA’s role, and to help managers, policy makers, and all those who use and appreciate the ocean, to understand the concept of coastal and marine spatial planning and advance its implementation in real-world settings.
• NOAA Essential Fish Habitat Mapper This mapper gives users newly available data on EFH areas protected from fishing.
• NOAA’s State of the Coasts A website that offers facts and more detailed statistics through interactive indicator visualizations that provide highlights about coastal communities, coastal ecosystems, the coastal economy, and how climate change might impact the coast.
• Pacific Coast Ocean Observing System (PacOOS). Releases a quarterly update of climate and ecological conditions off the West Coast.
• West Coast Habitat Server. An interactive web mapping application for the display and investigation of marine geological, oceanographic, and fisheries data within the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem.

Marketing

• Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission
• Oregon Trawl Commission
• Oregon Salmon Commission
• Pacific Fish Trax. Website developed by the Seafood Consumer Center, allows consumers to trace the path of their fish from harvester to grocery store and to learn about the fishermen who catch their fish.

Ocean Energy

• Renewable Ocean Energy Action Coordination Team (West Coast Governors Alliance)
• Bureau of Ocean Energy Management: Ocean Wave Energy
• Bureau of Ocean Energy Management: Offshore Wind Energy

Nongovernmental Organizations

• Environmental Defense Fund
• Marine Mammal Center
• National Audubon Society
• Natural Resources Defense Council
• Newport Fishermen’s Wives, Inc. A non-profit corporation of fishermen’s wives, mothers, daughters, and friends, to further the causes of industry, safety, seafood education, and family support.
• Oceana
• Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations A federation of 25 port and fishermen’s marketing associations from San Diego to Alaska.
• Pew Charitable Trusts (Pacific Fish Conservation Campaign)
• Women’s Fisheries Network National nonprofit network of women and men dedicated to educating members and non-members alike about issues confronting the commercial fishing and seafood industry.

Specific Fisheries

Albacore

• American Albacore Fishing Association a non-profit organization dedicated to the traditional U.S. “pole & troll” fishery for albacore tuna — the only tuna fishery certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council.
• American Fishermen’s Research Foundation A non-profit organization funded by U.S., Canadian, and New Zealand albacore fishermen and processors to aid, encourage, promote and support science and education relating to Pacific albacore
• Western Fishboat Owners Association An albacore tuna trade organization. Focuses on hook and line albacore.
• Wild Pacific Albacore Website featuring news, recipes, and nutrition information about U.S. caught albacore.

Pacific Halibut

• International Pacific Halibut Commission

Salmon

• Small Boat Commercial Salmon Fishermen’s Association Serves California small boat commercial salmon fishermen.
• California Salmon Council
• Oregon Salmon Commission
• Salmon For All A Columbia River gillnetting association.
• SalmonRecovery.Gov The Federal caucus group comprised of nine federal agencies operating in the Columbia River Basin that have natural resource responsibilities related to the ESA.
• State of the Salmon
• Washington Trollers Association Represents those whose livelihoods depend on salmon.
• Puget Sound Gillnetters Association (no website)

Processing

• West Coast Seafood Processors Association
• At-Sea Processors Association (focuses on Bering Sea pollock fishery)

Research Tools

• Fisheries Economics Data Program (EFIN)
• Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS) Pacific Coast
• Ocean Adapt (Rutgers). Explore which fish are where, and when. (Distribution of marine animals over time).
• Pacific Coast Ocean Observing System (PacOOS). Providing ocean information for the sustained use of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem under a changing climate.
• Pacific Coast Fisheries Information Network (PacFIN) Database
• Recreational Fisheries Information Network (RecFIN) Database
• West Coast Ocean Data Portal (a project of the West Coast Governors Alliance on Ocean Health)

Other/General

• Seafood Network Information Center Information to help the seafood industry and regulators implement seafood HACCP procedures.
• West Coast Governors’ Alliance on Ocean Health website A proactive regional collaboration to protect and manage the ocean and coastal resources along the entire West Coast.

Don’t see your organization’s website? Please email us. Only noncommercial organizations that serve the Council region will be listed.

Last modified: 01/22/2015