Coastal Pelagic Species Management Plan

A total of seven stocks are managed under the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP), which are comprised of four finfish species, one squid species, and eight krill species:

• Northern subpopulation of Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax);  

• Pacific (“chub”) mackerel (Scomber japonicus); 

• Northern anchovy - Central subpopulation (Engraulis mordax);

• Northern anchovy - Northern subpopulation (Engraulis mordax); 

• Jack mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus); 

• Market squid (Doryteuthis opalescens); and

• Krill (Euphausia pacifica, Thysanoessa spinifera, Nyctiphanes simplex, Nematocelis difficilis, T. gregaria, E. recurva, E. gibboides, and E. eximia)

Brief History of CPS FMP

In 1978, the Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted the Northern Anchovy Fishery Management Plan.  In 1995, the Council expanded the scope of the plan to include the wider range of small coastal pelagic finfish and market squid currently in the plan and renamed it the Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan. Their goal was to promote efficiency and profitability in these fisheries, including the sustainability of catch, while providing for adequate forage for potential predators. See Section 1.1 of the CPS FMP for a detailed history of the FMP’s development.  

More Information

• For more information on the management of Coastal Pelagic Species contact Joshua Lindsay at Joshua.Lindsay@noaa.gov or (562) 980-4034.

• For more information or questions on permits, visit NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Permits website or contact our Permits Coordinator at (562) 980-4238.