That article also attributes the following thinking to the PFMC:

"The Council had confidence in the industry’s ability to change its gear and manage its groundfish and non-groundfish bycatch due to the trawl catch share program and fishermen’s individual accountability."

I have to wonder how the recent discussion of increasing the allowable harvest of canary rockfish from 3 MT to 50 MT ties into this while the limit on yelloweye will stay at 3 MT?

And the recent decision by WDFW to NOT implement a stakeholder submitted rule change proposal to require descender devices be aboard and ready to use when fishing for bottomfish in coastal waters?

And yet we recreational fishers are seeing the elimination of a very limited opportunity under the guise of protecting a productive Spring/Summer/Fall fishery while at the same time the commercials are pushing to get back into the rockfish business using "modified" bottom trawl gear to target upper water column species.