Pacific States Management

What Pacific States Management does

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) is an interstate compact agency established in 1947 by congressional consent (Public Law 232, 80th Congress, later amended in 1962 and 1970) to promote the conservation, management, and sustainable utilization of Pacific Coast fisheries resources. The commission serves six member states—Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington—each represented by three commissioners. PSMFC has no regulatory or management authority; instead, it functions as a neutral coordinating body that facilitates consensus-building, administers federal grants and disaster relief, and supports data-driven fishery management. Its primary customers are state fishery agencies, federal partners (NOAA Fisheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), tribal interests, and—through disaster relief programs—commercial fishermen, processors, and subsistence households affected by fishery disasters.

PSMFC's core technology is a portfolio of interconnected fisheries data management systems covering commercial, recreational, anadromous, tagging, and economics data across the Pacific coast. These include PacFIN (commercial landings data for California, Oregon, Washington), RecFIN (recreational harvest and effort data), AKFIN (Alaska fisheries data), CalFish (California fish and aquatic habitat data with interactive mapping), PTAGIS (PIT tag tracking), RMIS (coded wire tag data), StreamNet (fish population trends), and EFIN (fisheries economics including electronic monitoring). The systems collectively serve as data warehouses, clearinghouses, and reporting platforms that support stock assessments, fishery management council decisions, and conservation planning. Beyond data systems, PSMFC operates the Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program (since 1999) with the WesternAIS.org portal, the Northern Pikeminnow Management Program in the Columbia River Basin, and the Federal Fishery Disaster Relief Program—through which the commission recently disbursed approximately $156.9M across Bering Sea Snow Crab, Chignik Salmon, Oregon Ocean Commercial Salmon, and Sacramento River Fall Chinook disasters.

PSMFC's revenue model rests on three pillars: federal grants from agencies such as NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, special contracts where PSMFC acts as primary contractor for states and other organizations, and member state dues. The commission provides administrative support (payroll, procurement, accounting, travel, contract monitoring) at low overhead, making it an attractive pass-through entity for federal funds. PSMFC's go-to-market is event-driven—anchored in annual commission meetings, Pacific Coast Steelhead Management Meetings, sport and outdoor shows, and direct engagement with member state agencies and federal partners. Disaster relief distribution follows structured application processes via a dedicated portal (relief.psmfc.org). The commission operates as a non-regulatory, mission-driven entity rather than a commercial enterprise, and does not sell products or services to capture commercial margin.

Name

Pacific States Management

Legal name

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

Website

https://psmfc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission is an interstate compact agency established in 1947 that coordinates fisheries data management, conservation programs, and federal disaster relief administration for six Pacific states and federal partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fisheries Management Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Aquaculture (1125), Fishing (1141)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agriculture, Fisheries & Food Administration (BPAIAAAO), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI), Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

Keywords

• Fisheries data management
• Interstate fisheries coordination
• Fishery disaster relief
• Aquatic invasive species
• Marine resource conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Federal Grants: PSMFC receives federal grants from agencies such as NOAA Fisheries, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and other federal sources to conduct fisheries research, data collection, disaster relief administration, and conservation programs.
2. Special Contracts: PSMFC serves as primary contractor on grants, projects, and contracts for states and other organizations, providing administrative support for payroll, procurement, accounting operations, travel arrangements, and contract monitoring.
3. Member State Dues: PSMFC activities are funded by dues from its 6 member states: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Each state is represented by 3 commissioners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission coordinates fisheries management and resource conservation across six Pacific states (California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska, and Hawaii). It operates regional fisheries data networks for commercial and recreational catch, effort, and biological data; administers federal fishery disaster relief funding; runs aquatic invasive species prevention programs through WesternAIS.org; and manages species-specific programs such as the Northern Pikeminnow Management Program. Established by congressional compact in 1947, it serves as a neutral, cost-shared forum for state, federal, tribal, and industry stakeholders to collaborate on shared marine and anadromous resources.

Product overview

PSMFC offers a portfolio of interconnected data management programs and services for Pacific Coast fisheries. The core offerings include multiple fisheries information networks (PacFIN, RecFIN, AKFIN, CalFish, EFIN) that serve as data warehouses and clearinghouses for commercial and recreational fishery data, and StreamNet for fish population data. Supporting programs include PTAGIS for fish tagging data, RMIS for coded wire tags, and the Northern Pikeminnow Management Program. PSMFC also operates the Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program with its WesternAIS.org portal, and administers the Federal Fishery Disaster Relief Program for distributing federal disaster funds. These programs collectively support State-Federal coordination for fishery conservation, management, and research across six member states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RecFIN: Recreational Fisheries Information Network - coordinated fishery data collection, analysis, and monitoring program for Pacific coast marine recreational fisheries.
• CalFish
• AKFIN
• PacFIN
• AIS Prevention Program

Products and services

• PacFIN (Pacific Fisheries Information Network)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered secondary and core.

• Pacific Ballast Water and Biofouling Group (PBWBG)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002PSMFC has administered and chaired the Pacific Ballast Water and Biofouling Group since 2002. The group's mission is to promote development and implementation of safe, economical, effective management of aquatic nuisance species associated with West Coast shipping.
• National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNMFS works with PSMFC on RecFIN program coordination, fishery disaster determinations, and federal disaster relief administration. PSMFC provides overall administrative and contractual support for the RecFIN Technical Committee and its subcommittees in coordination with NMFS and the states.
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDFW is a key state partner in the RecFIN program, conducting field sampling efforts for recreational fisheries data collection. Also partners with PSMFC on CalFish data program and various fishery management initiatives.
• Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerODFW partners with PSMFC on RecFIN field sampling programs and state-federal recreational data collection efforts. The agency conducts field sampling as part of the coordinated Pacific coast data collection system.
• Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWDFW participates in RecFIN field sampling programs and coordinated state-federal recreational fisheries data collection efforts in collaboration with PSMFC.
• Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSMFC participates as a non-voting member of the Pacific Fishery Management Council. Data collected under RecFIN is essential for PFMC's marine fisheries management on the Pacific coast.
• California Department of Water Resources (DWR)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalFish partner agency contributing to the multi-agency cooperative program for fish and aquatic habitat data in California.
• California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalFish partner agency participating in the multi-agency cooperative program for fish and aquatic habitat data in California.
• California Natural Resources AgencysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalFish partner agency involved in the multi-agency cooperative program for centralized access to California fisheries data.
• California State Coastal ConservancysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalFish partner agency contributing to the multi-agency cooperative program for fish and aquatic habitat data in California.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSFWS partners with PSMFC on aquatic invasive species prevention programs, rapid response exercises, and ESA consultations. Also collaborates on the Columbia River Basin Interagency Invasive Species Response Plan.
• U.S. Forest Service (USFS)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalFish partner agency participating in the multi-agency cooperative program for centralized access to California fisheries data.
• Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) Invasive Species Working GroupsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSMFC works with PNWER's Invasive Species Working Group which addresses regional economic and environmental impact of invasive species across 10 states, provinces, and territories. PSMFC assisted in preparing the 2015 document 'Advancing a Regional Defense Against Invasive Mussels'.
• Western Regional Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species (WRP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSMFC serves on the Executive Committee of the Western Regional Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species and participated in the 'Building Consensus in the West' committee to protect western waters from quagga and zebra mussel infestation.
• 100th Meridian InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSMFC facilitates the Columbia River and Missouri River Basin Teams of the 100th Meridian Initiative, a cooperative effort between local, state, provincial, regional and federal agencies to prevent the westward spread of zebra/quagga mussels and other aquatic nuisance species in North America.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Pacific Fishery Management Council: Regional fishery management council that consumes PSMFC's RecFIN/PacFIN data for marine fisheries management decisions on the West Coast. Closely tied governance body, but with regulatory authority PSMFC lacks.
• North Pacific Fishery Management Council: Council for Alaska federal fisheries management in which PSMFC participates as a non-voting member. Consumes AKFIN data products and is a key downstream user of PSMFC's infrastructure.

Others

• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Congressionally-chartered nonprofit that funds and administers conservation grants across the US, including Pacific fisheries and habitat restoration. Adjacent funder/administrator peer with similar pass-through funding models.
• Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER): US-Canada regional body with an Invasive Species Working Group that PSMFC has supported. Comparable cross-jurisdictional convener on environmental/economic issues touching PSMFC's AIS mandate.
• Western Governors' Association: Multi-state political body that convenes western governors on natural resource issues including invasive species, water, and fisheries. A potential convener peer for regional coordination work that overlaps PSMFC's convening role.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Federal partner providing grants and co-administering AIS prevention, ESA consultations, and Columbia River programs with PSMFC. A broader incumbent operating across all fish and wildlife rather than just marine fisheries.
• NOAA Fisheries (NMFS): Federal agency that commissions PSMFC's data and disaster-relief work and consumes PacFIN/RecFIN products for stock assessment. Operates broadly across all US fisheries and is both a partner and the dominant upstream incumbent.

Direct peers

• Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission: Interstate compact commission for Gulf of Mexico fisheries with the same federal-state coordination, data management, and member-state funding structure as PSMFC. Direct functional equivalent in a different coastal geography.
• Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission: Interstate compact commission under the same Atlantic coastal fisheries model, performing management coordination, stock assessment support, and data programs across East Coast member states. Directly comparable in mandate, governance, and program structure to PSMFC.

Regional players

• Great Lakes Fishery Commission: Binational (US-Canada) compact body coordinating fishery management, invasive species control (sea lamprey), and joint research across the Great Lakes basin. Comparable interstate/interjurisdictional coordination role with similar data and AIS-prevention mandates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/psmfc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/psmfc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pacific-states-marine-fisheries-commission

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pacific States Management