Council corrects minor numeric error in 2027–28 harvest specs for Vermilion Sunset rockfish

The council adopted technical corrections to the 2027–28 harvest specifications after staff and advisory bodies identified an error in the harvest‑specification database. The correction affects the Oregon‑Washington stock of Vermilion Sunset rockfish and therefore the Shelf Rockfish Complex north of 40°10'.

Galen Johnson of the SSC said the 2025 catch projections were not included in the harvest‑specification database used to compute the 2027–28 numbers; that omission meant the council's June 2026 adopted values relied on a 2021 assessment rather than the updated 2025 projections. "The SSC endorses the corrected OFLs and ABCs and ACLs found in tables 1 and 2 from agenda item H3 attachment 1," he said. The GMT recommended adopting the corrected values; the motion to accept the corrected harvest specifications carried unanimously.

Council members noted recent increases in recreational catches of several shelf‑rockfish species and asked staff to continue monitoring fishery mortality. The GMT said it will report again in November if in‑season trajectories suggest further action.