North Pacific Fishery Management Council
North Pacific Fishery Management Council
Search
| ID | Meeting Name | Text | Meeting Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Halibut Bycatch letter.pdf | NPFMC October 2020 - 251st | Halibut Bycatch letter.pdf | 10/02/2020 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | Letter - Halibut Bycatch 9-29-20.pdf | NPFMC October 2020 - 251st | Letter - Halibut Bycatch 9-29-20.pdf | 10/02/2020 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | Josh Wisniewski NPFC halibut bycatch comments.docx | NPFMC October 2020 - 251st | Josh Wisniewski NPFC halibut bycatch comments.docx | 10/02/2020 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | BSIA Halibut Bycatch Management Letter 9.30.2020.pdf | NPFMC October 2020 - 251st | BSIA Halibut Bycatch Management Letter 9.30.2020.pdf | 10/02/2020 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | Alaska Leg. Letter to NPFMC re Alt. 4 - Halibut Bycatch ABM (11-30-21).pdf | NPFMC December 2021 - 257th | Alaska Leg. Letter to NPFMC re Alt. 4 - Halibut Bycatch ABM (11-30-21).pdf | 12/02/2021 07:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | NPFMC_halibut abundance based management bycatch_Oceana_Nov_2021.pdf | NPFMC December 2021 - 257th | NPFMC_halibut abundance based management bycatch_Oceana_Nov_2021.pdf | 12/02/2021 07:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | C2 NPFMC Halibut Trawl Bycatch Sign-on Letter ORGANIZATION 2.pdf | NPFMC December 2021 - 257th | C2 NPFMC Halibut Trawl Bycatch Sign-on Letter ORGANIZATION 2.pdf | 12/02/2021 07:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | C1c_Paper_on_GOA_Halibut_Bycatch_Amendments.pdf | NPFMC June 2012 - 209th | C1c_Paper_on_GOA_Halibut_Bycatch_Amendments.pdf | 06/04/2012 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | Halibut Bycatch.pdf | NPFMC October 1999 - Joint Meeting | Halibut Bycatch.pdf | 10/12/1999 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | Late_Comments_on_Crab_Halibut_Bycatch_in_Rocksole_Fishery.pdf | NPFMC November 1994 - Teleconference | Late_Comments_on_Crab_Halibut_Bycatch_in_Rocksole_Fishery.pdf | 11/14/1994 01:00 PM AKST |
| 0 | B2 Halibut Bycatch Listening Session Summary.pdf | NPFMC February 2022 - 258th | B2 Halibut Bycatch Listening Session Summary.pdf | 01/31/2022 07:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | IPHC Considerations Abundance PSC.pdf | NPFMC/IPHC February 2015 - Joint Meeting | Halibut in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Bruce M. Leaman, Ian J. Stewart, and Steven J.D. Martell Introduction The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) has initiated an analysis to reduce the Prohibited Species Catch (PSC) limits for Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) for the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI) fisheries. PSC of halibut occurs through incidental capture (bycatch) and mortality in non-directed fisheries for groundfish, primarily shallow water f... bycatch mortality in the BSAI on the halibut resource and its fisheries (Hare and Williams 2013, Stewart et al. 2015). One issue upon which the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) has been asked to comment concerns scaling the PSC limits to the abundance of halibut. Specifically, the Council requested consideration of: Biomass-based PSC limits: The range of potential approaches to establishing a halibut PSC limit based on projections of total biomass, projected spawn... | 02/05/2015 10:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | C7 Comments.pdf | NPFMC February 2014 - 217th | Halibut PSC Dear Chairman Olson and Council members: The Alaska Marine Conservation Council (AMCC) is dedicated to protecting the long-term health of Alaska’s oceans and sustaining the working waterfronts of our coastal communities. Our members include fishermen, subsistence harvesters, marine scientists, small business owners and families, many of whom rely on healthy halibut fisheries. We appreciate the opportunity to comment on the important issue of Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSA... bycatch is an issue of great concern, and we are pleased to see the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (the Council) taking an initial look at halibut bycatch. As halibut populations have struggled in recent years, with corresponding declines in directed fishery limits, halibut bycatch in the BSAI has become an increasing concern. With directed halibut fishery catch limits on the decline throughout most of Alaska, and halibut bycatch now well exceeding the directed fishery catch limit... | 02/03/2014 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | C2 Public Comment Group 5 (52715).pdf | NPFMC June 2015 - 224th | Halibut PSC Reduction and the Draft Environmental Assessment/Regulatory Impact Review/Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for a Proposed Amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea/AIeutian Islands Management Area, dated May 2015 (Draft EA/RIR/IRFA).1 * N57° W170° Re: Central Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association Comments on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council June 2015 Agenda Item Concerning Halibut PSC Reduction and the Draft Environmental Ass... bycatch in groundfish fisheries. C2 Public Comments (Group 5) June 2015 CBSFA is the management organization for St. Paul Island under the Western Alaska Community Development Quota Program (CDQ). Since the program was created in 1992, the federal government has been awarding various species of fish (CDQ allocations) from the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands commercial fisheries to CBSFA. In turn, CBSFA manages these allocations to promote social and economic development at St. Paul Isla... | 06/01/2015 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | HANDOUT C1 AGC Halibut Performance.pdf | NPFMC December 2015 - 226th | Halibut Performance December 2015 Alaska Groundfish Cooperative 2016 Halibut Performance Report At the June 2015 North Pacific Fishery Management meeting, the Council urged the Amendment 80 fleet to voluntarily reduce halibut mortality for the remainder of the year to enhance the prospects for an Area 4cde directed halibut fishery. Special emphasis was placed on reducing halibut mortality in Area 4cde and in the 4th quarter fishery. AGC exceeded its goals for reducing halibut morta... Bycatch Mortality DOWN 35%. 2015. 455 mt 2014. 696 mt 239 mt reduction June to End of Year DOWN. 69% 2015. 119 mt 2014. 384 mt 265 mt reduction Area 4CDE DOWN. 44% 2015. 302 mt ... | 12/07/2015 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | D3 BSAI Groundfish FMP.pdf | NPFMC January 1989 - 85th | halibut in BS/AI groundfish fisheries for 1989 (and possibly 1990), which was revised in December, and requested NMFS to prepare a more comprehensive bycatch management system for 1990 and beyond. This comprehensive framework is to be based upon the recommendations of the Bycatch Committee, to address specific groundfish fisheries and their bycatch of C. bairdi, red king crab, and Pacific halibut, revised as necessary to recognize administrative and enforcement limitations. Following the ... bycatch plan. Our goal is to forward the amendment package to Secretarial review by February 10. This will allow for implementation of the bycatch regulations by early July using the entire 145-day Secretarial review period, or possibly by early June if the 30-day cooling off period is waived. Terry Smith has been running the reconfigured plan through his model and may have some preliminary results. Also, I’ve asked NMFS to report their progress in implementing the measures approved for 19... | 01/16/1989 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | ALFA The Boat Company Letter C-2 BSAI ABM.pdf | NPFMC December 2021 - 257th | Halibut abundance-based management (ABM) Dear Mr. Kinneen, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed amendment to the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Groundfish FMP that would implement abundance-based management for halibut bycatch limits. We submit the following comments on behalf of The Boat Company and Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA). The Boat Company and ALFA both promote conservation while operating in and advocating for Southeast Alaska’s fishing com... Bycatch: 250 200 150 100 50 BSAI 2000-2015 2015 SE Alaska visit Slide 17 2 10 8 6 16 14 12 Exploitable biomass Bycatch mortality ►Directed Fishery 0 i—<w^2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 F is he ry L an di ng s/ By ca tc h m or ta lit y (M lb n et w t) 2 Introduction The Boat Company and ALFA strongly support the concept of abundance-based management. Regulation of both commercial and guided sport quotas res... | 12/02/2021 07:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | CBSFA Letter to IPHC 2020.pdf | NPFMC January/February 2020 - 248th | Halibut Commission 2320 West Commodore Way, Ste 300 Seattle, WA 98119 Submitted electronically to secretariat@iphc.int Dear Commissioners: At the International Pacific Halibut Commission’s (IPHC) Interim Meeting in November 2019, the staff presented a probable FCEY, or fishery quota, of 670,000 pounds (recently upped to 730,000 pounds) for Area 4CDE. This proposed FCEY essentially shuts down the directed halibut fishery in the Bering Sea. The staff made this preliminary calculatio... bycatch in the Bering Sea. Given the gravity of this situation, and to avoid a fishery emergency, the Central Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association (CBSFA) respectfully submits these comments to the IPHC, proposing policy decisions that would more equitably provide halibut to the directed halibut users in Alaska, and in particular to the halibut-dependent fishermen and communities in Area 4CDE. We request the Commissioners consider the following policy choices; our letter provides ration... | 01/27/2020 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | D3(e) Proposal to Allocate Groundfish Resources.pdf | NPFMC June 1990 - 92nd | halibut stocks. The International Pacific Halibut Commission has also appealed to the United States to take effective measures to Implement effective bycatch controls to halt the widespread losses of catch that are occurring in the halibut fishery. The Commission has made some concrete proposals for bycatch reduction in the Alaskan groundfish fisheries. These proposals are noted in appendix II of the February 23, 1990 Commission report titled "Assessment of Pacific Halibut Byca... bycatch levels, and the active consideration within the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council of regulatory amendments to deal with halibut bycatches, However, Canada is seriously concerned by*the slow pace of United States actions to actually reduce the bycatch in 1990 and 1991. The halibut resource la currently in a natural downturn and has been for the past several years. Therefore the current level of United States bycatch limits will have an increasingly negative impac... | 06/25/1990 08:30 AM AKDT |
| 0 | april council comments.pdf | NPFMC April 2021 - 254th | halibut PSC on behalf of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA). Many of our over 200 members rely on access to and income from the halibut resource and, in turn, contribute to food security and generate economic activity in the rural communities in which our members live. Before focusing on specifics, ALFA cautions the Council against taking action at this meeting to identify a preliminary preferred alternative. Despite being weary of the delays and anxious for bycatch re... bycatch. Introduction As the Council is aware, ALFA has been involved in the effort to establish abundance-based management for the halibut bycatch fisheries since 2015. The effort was launched simultaneous to the Council reducing bycatch caps but reducing them by far less than resource abundance had declined since the caps were set. At the time, Council members defended the limited reductions by stating additional bycatch reductions would be achieved through an abundance-based approac... | 04/05/2021 07:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | C1a,b_Halibut_Workshop_Report_GOA_Halibut_PSC-compressed.pdf | NPFMC June 2012 - 209th | Halibut Bycatch ACTION REQUIRED (a) Review Halibut Bycatch Workshop Report BACKGROUND ESTIMATED TIME 20 HOURS All C-l items A workshop on halibut bycatch estimation, halibut growth and migration, and effects on harvest strategy was held in Seattle on April 24-25, 2012. The workshop also included discussions concerning general halibut ecology, including recent trends in exploitable biomass, spawning biomass, and size at age, and information concerning the causes and implications of dec... bycatch issues through presentations, followed by questions from the panelists. Public testimony was provided on the morning of the second day with panelists' discussion and summary presented in the afternoon. See Item C-l (a) for a summary of the meeting and suggestions for future research. AGENDA 01(8X1) JUNE 2012 NPFMC/IPHC Workshop on Halibut Bycatch Estimation, Halibut Growth and Migration, & Effects on Harvest Strategy MEETING SUMMARY APRIL 24-25, 2012 Facilitators: Dr. Jonathan... | 06/04/2012 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D1(e) EFP.pdf | NPFMC June 1998 - 133rd | halibut and reduces halibut bycatch rates without significantly lowering the catch rates of target flatfish species. The test is scheduled to take place over about a lO-day period in August or September of I998 on the grounds of the deep water flatfish fishery in the Central and Western Gulf of Alaska. F:\COUNCIL\MEETINGS\98UUN98\ACTION\D1EMEMO.698 06/01/98 MON 07:47 FAX 907 5867465 ^UNHfcU blAlhS DEPARTiMEh National Oceanic and Atmospht National Marine Fisheries Service P.O. Box 21668... bycatch rates without significantly lowering catch rates of target flatfish species. Under regulations at § 679.6, we have consulted with the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, and have determined that the application contains all the information necessary to judge whether the proposal constitutes a valid fishing experiment appropriate for further consideration. We are initiating consultation with the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) by forwarding the application to you ... | 06/10/1998 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D2(e) Report on Changing Sablefish Season.pdf | NPFMC December 1987 - 79th | halibut opening. BACKGROUND Mark Hutton submitted a request in October for the Council to take emergency action to change the opening of the Gulf of Alaska sablefish longline fishery to immediately follow or coincide with the first halibut opening. Mr. Hutton's justification for the request is that a conservation problem exists because of the high incidental catch of halibut in the sablefish fishery when it opens on April 1. He also submitted an amendment proposal for consideration in th... bycatch mortality in the sablefish fishery; it is item D-2(e)(2). The summary identifies known reports of bycatch rates in the DAP and foreign fisheries, average size of halibut caught in the sablefish fishery, estimates of bycatch and bycatch mortality in the DAP fishery, and estimates of halibut savings by delaying the sablefish opening in the Gulf of Alaska. 787/AF-l MEMO TO: FROM: SUBJECT: a DATE: Jim Branson, Executive Director North Pacific Fishery Management Council Mark I... | 12/08/1987 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | COMMENT D2.pdf | NPFMC June 2014 - 219th | Halibut PSC limits in BSAI Dear Chairman Olson; The North Pacific Fisheries Association represents commercial halibut fishermen who fish throughout the state. Our members who fish in the Bering Sea have seen their halibut quotas reduced to the lowest levels since the advent of the modern halibut fishery – which began to recover in the mid 80’s after years of foreign trawling. Our members who fish for halibut in the Gulf of Alaska recognize that the best science shows that juvenile ha... bycatch and bycatch mortality to the extent possible. When more halibut in the Bering Sea are being used as bycatch than in the directed fishery the balance has been lost. Furthermore there is National Standard 8: “Take into account the importance of fishery resources to fishing communities to provide for the sustained participation of, and minimize adverse impacts to, such communities (consistent with conservation requirements).” 2014 CDQ 4C halibut catch limits are less than 300,000... | 06/02/2014 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | 122221_CityofCraig.pdf | NPFMC February 2021 - 253rd | halibut bycatch in Alaska waters. The permitted volume of prohibited species catch remains unacceptably high. The PSC is not tied to an accurate abundance index; the detrimental effect of this is lower permitted catch volumes for hundreds of individual fishing quota fishermen in Area 2C and other statistical areas of Alaska. As you are aware, the annual volume of halibut bycatch by other commercial fishing gear groups rivals the volume of halibut permitted for direct take by IFQ holders in ... bycatch is profoundly wasteful. Jon Bolling Craig City Administrator Enclosed you will find City of Craig Resolution 20-19, calling for a reduction in halibut bycatch of NPFMC-managed fisheries. The City of Craig strongly urges council members to maintain full time observer coverage of trawl vessels in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska to fully document halibut bycatch and work toward elimination of measurable incidence of halibut bycatch by fisheries targeting other species. North Pacif... | 02/01/2021 07:45 AM AKST |
| 0 | D1b GOA halibut PSC.pdf | NPFMC December 2010 - 201st | halibut PSC limits under the groundfish specifications process) 1GOA Halibut PSC Discussion Paper December 2010 Separate but related criteria are set forth in the GOA Groundfish FMP for the seasonal distribution of the halibut PSC limits (Attachment 2, Appendix 1), as well as in regulations at §679.21(d)(5). The paper describes the schedule for an analysis that would need to coincide with the annual harvest specifications process so that harvest specifications are not delayed (see Figure 1 ... bycatch in near term and 2) an action list of industry approaches to reduce halibut bycatch in the long term. Gulf of Alaska Halibut Prohibited Species Catch Limit Discussion Paper Addendum to June 2010 Draft December 2010 AGENDA D-1(b)(1) DECEMBER 2010 Step lb. Amend the GOA Groundfish FMP (set halibut PSC limits in regulations) Step 2. Decide on appropriate halibut PSC limits Step 2a. Status quo (no chanee(s) to halibut PSC limits in the GOA) Step 2b. Revise the halibut PSC limits ... | 12/08/2010 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | D3(b) Final Consideration of Groundfish Amendments.pdf | NPFMC June 1990 - 92nd | halibut bycatch management measures at the April meeting, the Council requested NMFS to develop two regulatory amendments. The first amendment would postpone the start of the yellowfin sole/other flatfish fishery until sometime between May 15 and June 15. The second amendment would increase the amount of yellowfin sole and other flatfish which could be retained as bycatch in a directed rock sole fishery. Delay of the yellowfin sole/other flatfish fishery is expected to result in reduced red... bycatch rates because the target species would have largely moved out of Zone 1 by that time. Increased retention of yellowfin sole and other flatfish in a rock sole fishery would minimize discard waste. NMFS will present draft regulatory amendment analyses at the meeting. The Council should provide guidance concerning the specific date to open the yellowfin sole/other flatfish fishery and the proportion of yellowfin sole and other flatfish which may be retained as bycatch in a rock sole fi... | 06/25/1990 08:30 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D1(d) GOA Groundfish Fishery Management Plan.pdf | NPFMC December 1988 - 84th | halibut issues, the committee attempted to develop a consensus approach on all issues. We did not attempt to do that with the issues contained in this report. Instead, the committee attempted to identify pragmatic options which have merit in terms of dealing with the issues at hand, and to submit them to the Council as our best effort to identify the various realistic approaches to dealing with those problems. The Council and the public should bear in mind that none of the options identifi... BYCATCH COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS 1. ) CRAB CLOSURES AROUND KODIAK ISLAND a. ) Extend Amendment 15 in its current form for an additional three years, except define a new group of areas as Type III areas. Type III areas are located immediately adjacent to Type I and II areas, and represent areas where juvenile king crab would be expected to habituate in the event a large year class of king crab occur. The occurrence of a large year class of king crab would be determined by the declaration o... | 12/05/1988 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | PRESENTATION C7 BSAIPSCNPFMCFeb2014ForNPFMC.pdf | NPFMC February 2014 - 217th | Halibut Mortality 2003 - 2012 February 2014 Marcus L. Hartley Presentation to North Pacific Fishery Management Council n:= Document Outline Chapter 1 contains an introduction & defines terms. Trawl Sectors BSAI Trawl Limited Access (BSAI TLA) – AFA-CPs, AFA-CVs, AFA-MCVs – TRW CVs TRW-MCVs A80-CPs Non-Trawl Sectors LGL-CPs, LGL-CVs, LGL-MCVs Pot –CPs, Pot-CVs, Pot-MCVs n:= Variables Used Halibut Mortality = MT of Halibut Mortality calculate... Bycatch Rate = Halibut Mortality MT / Groundfish MT in target fishery Normalized Wholesale Value; uses the average value per ton of groundfish in the sector and target over all years. Normalizing the value reduces impacts of inflation, exchange rates, and recessions on wholesale values. n:= Document Outline Chapter 2—Halibut Related Closures from 2000–2013 Numbers of closures are greatly reduced since Amendment 80 Chapter 3—Summary of Historical Bycatch Pro... | 02/03/2014 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | D2(c) Set Halibut PSCs .pdf | NPFMC December 1987 - 79th | halibut PSCs. BACKGROUND Amendment 14 included a framework procedure to set annual halibut bycatch limits. Halibut is defined as a prohibited species in the FMP and when caught incidentally must be discarded. The framework allows the Council to review and set halibut bycatch limits annually without requiring an emergency rule or plan amendment. Bycatch limits (PSCs) specified using the framework are effective for an entire year and all bottom trawling is prohibited when they are reached.... bycatch in previous years, estimated impacts of bycatches on the domestic halibut fishery, and other information. A halibut mortality ceiling of 2,000 mt was recommended by the IPHC and several members of the fishing industry as the Gulfwide cap on halibut mortality in the groundfish fisheries. The Council adopted their recommenda tion as their 1986 management goal. Estimates of 1986 and 1987 halibut bycatch and associated mortality in the groundfish fisheries were calculated using a comp... | 12/08/1987 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | Halibut Mgt Framework - Oct 2016.pdf | NPFMC/IPHC June 2017 - Joint Meeting | Halibut Management Framework North Pacific Fishery Management Council September 2016 Communication Coordination Collaboration Gap Analysis to Identify Research and Management Needs Research Priorities and Timelines Management and Policy Changes 1 Halibut Management Framework Oct 2016 Joint Council/IPHC - June 2017 Table of Contents 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... Bycatch in Groundfish Fisheries ....................................................................................... 6 4 Current Research and Management Issues .......................................................................................... 8 4.1 Gap Analysis for Council Decision-Making .................................................................................... 8 4.2 Research Priorities ...................................................................................... | 06/07/2017 10:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | BSAI Halibut PSC Implementation of BSAI Non Trawl.pdf | NPFMC August 1992 - 103rd | halibut prohibited species catch ACTION REQUIRED Receive a report from the NMFS on implementation of the 750 metric ton halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) for the non-trawl gear group in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands. The Council may take action as appropriate. BACKGROUND In December 1991, the Council took final action on Amendments 19 and 24 to the BSAI and GOA Fishery Management Plans, and recommended emergency action as appropriate to implement the proposed measures early in the... bycatch measures put forth in Amendment 19. Provisions in this ER included: 1. reducing halibut bycatch for the BSAI trawl gear fisheries from 5,333 mt to 5,033 mt; 2. revised halibut bycatch allowances for the different BSAI trawl fishery categories; 3. revised retention of a closed directed fishery (species group) to seven percent of groundfish in an open directed fishery taken with pelagic trawl gear (directed fishing standard); 4. revised definition of a fishing trip for purposes of th... | 08/04/1992 08:30 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D1(c,d,e) Groundfish Management for 1992.pdf | NPFMC December 1991 - 99th | halibut bycatch to the demersal shelf rockfish hook-and-line fishery in the Southeast Outside District of the Gulf of Alaska. BACKGROUND A. Recordkeeping and reporting requirements Annual changes to NMFS recordkeeping and reporting program are presented to the Council for its review. The changes proposed for 1992 were presented to the Council at its September 1991 meeting and are presented here again in summary form as Item D-KcVl). NMFS will hold an open meeting with industry representat... bycatch allowance for the demersal shelf rockfish (DSR) hook-and-line fishery conducted in the Southeast Outside District of the Eastern Regulatory Area in the Gulf of Alaska. This action is necessary to make this fishery separately accountable for incidental catches of Pacific halibut. NOAA also proposes to define directed fishing standards for DSR. This action is necessary to limit the amounts of DSR that might be taken as bycatch in other fisheries. Both actions are intended to promot... | 12/03/1991 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | D2(a) 1991 Bycatch Amendments.pdf | NPFMC September 1991 - 98th | halibut) 2. rock sole and yellowfin sole/other flatfish (halibut in all areas and king crab in Zone 1) 3. pollock when the bottom trawl pollock fishery is closed (halibut) 4. all other trawl fisheries (halibut) 5. all trawl fisheries (salmon) These five items are considered together as a set of proposed vessel incentive categories. As with the current program, seasonal bycatch rate standards would be established for each of the vessel incentive categories and it would be a violation for ... bycatch experienced in this fishery this past year. 4. Delay all groundfish fishery opening dates for the BSAI/GOA A regulatory amendment is proposed to delay groundfish opening dates to January 15, February 1, or February 15. Options analyzed include: 1) delaying both trawl and fixed gear fisheries for these three dates and 2) delaying just groundfish trawl fisheries and maintain the status quo of January 1 for fixed gear fisheries. 5. Establish a separate halibut PSC limit for fixed gear... | 09/23/1991 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | C7 IPHC comment letter Feb2014 BSAI bycatch.pdf | NPFMC February 2014 - 217th | HALIBUT COMMISSION ESTABLISHED BY A CONVENTION BETWEEN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TELEPHONE: (206) 634-1838 ROBERT ALVERSON SEATTLE, WA TED ASSU CAMPBELL RIVER. B.C. JAMES BALSIGER JUNEAU. AK DAVID BOYES COURTENAY B C. DONALD LANE HOMER, AK PAUL RYALL VANCOUVER. B C 2320 W. COMMODORE WY STE 300 SEATTLE. WA 98199-1287 DIRECTOR BRUCE M. LEAMAN FAX- (206) 632-2983 January 31, 2014 Mr. Eric Olson, Chair North Pacific Fishery Management Council 605 West 4th A... bycatch in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands groundfish fisheries. The report provides a very extensive set of information about when, where and by whom, halibut bycatch is taken. While informative, it is not clear how this report will be evaluated with regard to the overall impact of bycatch mortality. Thus, the IPHC staff would like to provide comment on several aspects of the report, and follow with recommendations for future steps. Comments on the report The report provides a view of bycatch ... | 02/03/2014 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | B1 IPHC Halibut Management Report.pdf | NPFMC October 2014 - 220th | Halibut Removals Ian J. Stewart, Bruce M. Leaman, Steven J. D. Martell Abstract The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC or Commission) has the responsibility for conservation and yield from the Pacific halibut resource. In 2014, the Commission requested that the staff prepare a discussion paper on the biological and management issues involved with managing the removals of all sizes of Pacific halibut, particularly the explicit accounting for mortality of halibut less tha... bycatch and the directed fishery. Current harvest policy calculations do not respond to changes in projected annual U26 bycatch mortality; however, changes in bycatch removals (including both the O26 and U26 mortality) are found to have an approximate pound-for-pound effect on directed fishery yields when all other sources of mortality are considered. These effects are quantified and included in projection tables that summarize all sources and sizes of halibut mortality. This report... | 10/06/2014 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | Halibut Management Public Testimony.pdf | NPFMC February 2012 - 207th | HalibutRe: Dear Chairman Olsen and Council Members, Cape Barnabas, INC. is a non-profit corporation recognized by the State of Alaska. Membership in the corporation consists of Old Harbor Native Corporation, Old Harbor City Council and the Old Harbor Tribal Council. It is believed that the success of Cape Barnabas, Inc. is enhanced by equal membership of the three governing bodies in Old Harbor, Alaska. Cape Barnabas, Inc. understands that it is the trustee of a community resource as a... bycatch in October and our community was very concerned that Gulf of Alaska halibut bycatch was not reduced for the 2012 fishing season. We have been notified that the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council is again considering Halibut bycatch reductions for Gulf of Alaska fisheries and we strongly urge you to reduce the bycatch by at least the proposed 15%. It is absolutely imperative that you take AGENDA C-2 Supplemental FEBRUARY 2012 Cafe Barnabas, INC. RO BOX71 Old Harbor, A... | 02/01/2012 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | C8 Public Comments.pdf | NPFMC December 2015 - 226th | Halibut Management Framework Dear Chairman Hull and Council members: The Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, the Alaska Marine Conservation Council, and the Central Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association appreciate the opportunity to comment on the draft Halibut Management Framework (Framework). The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) initiated the concept of the Framework during its June meeting in 2015. There, while discussing reductions to Bering Sea/Aleutia... bycatch in the BSAI groundfish fisheries. We agree that a more explicit approach to this iterative process is useful. To that end, as the Council moves forward in packaging the Framework into an effective planning tool, we urge the Council to add the specific objectives discussed in greater detail below. As currently constructed, the Framework list seven goals.1 These goals are important; however, it is absolutely critical for the Framework to guide the Council towards next steps ... | 12/07/2015 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | CBSFA attachment - ABM Alternative 3.3a structure and rationale October 2019.pdf | NPFMC October 2019 - 246th | Halibut ABM PSC Limits, Initial Review Structure and rationale for Alternative 3.3a Indices: Base the indices on the time frame 1998 – 2018 and standardize the primary index to the most recent year. We propose standardizing the secondary index to the most recent year, the same year as the primary index. (When we first submitted this scenario in January 2019, the most recent year was 2017; the analysts used 2018 and we are fine with that.) This makes the most sense as it elimina... bycatch has comprised 60% to 80% of bycatch removals in Area 4 by weight. Additional consideration for achieving this goal is a secondary index based on the Bering Sea trawl survey, which may reflect an increased encounter rate by the trawl groundfish fisheries during times of high juvenile abundance. Smaller sizes of halibut catalogued in the trawl survey are a significant component of the halibut encountered as bycatch in the Bering Sea groundfish fisheries. These smaller sizes are ... | 09/30/2019 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | HANDOUT C4 AGC Halibut Performance 2016.pdf | NPFMC December 2016 - 231st | Halibut Performance Report At the June 2015 North Pacific Fishery Management meeting, the Council urged the Amendment 80 fleet to voluntarily reduce halibut mortality for the remainder of the year to enhance the prospects for an Area 4cde directed halibut fishery. Special emphasis was placed on reducing halibut mortality in Area 4cde and in the 4th quarter fishery. AGC exceeded its goals for reducing halibut mortality in each aspect of the Council’s request. In addition, all AGC vessel... Bycatch Mortality 2016 277 mt 2015. 455 mt 2014. 696 mt Area 4CDE 2016 176 mt 2015. 302 mt 2014. 542 mt 4th Quarter 2016 19 mt 2015. 14 mt 2014. 209 mt These reductions were achieved through a combination of adherence to the Amendment 80 Halibut Avoidance Protocol (below) and a reduction in flatfish effort by the fleet. In 2017, it is expected that each AGC vessel with enter the halibut deck sorting EFP for the first time. C4 AGC Halibut Perform... | 12/06/2016 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | Oceana Comment D2 Observer Program Projects.docx | NPFMC February 2018 - 237th | halibut mortality, herring bycatch, Tanner crab (C. opilio and C. bairdi) bycatch, and red king crab bycatch; full observer coverage is part of the Amendment 80 groundfish catch share program. Amendment 80 was implemented to reduce bycatch and minimize waste by reducing discards, and required full observer coverage to collect bycatch data and monitor compliance.2 The GOA trawl fisheries have PSC limits and should have full observer coverage, however instituting a catch share program should n... bycatch sometimes nears, reaches, or exceeds 100% of the limit. Last year the deep water species complex trawl fishery caught 96% of its PSC limit (766 metric tons of the 800 metric ton limit).3 Seasonally, the fleet caught 100% of its PSC limit during each of the first two seasons of 2017. Similarly, the shallow water species complex trawl fishery caught 101% and 100% of the halibut PSC limit in the first two seasons of the year. This highlights the critical need to monitor halibut bycatch... | 02/05/2018 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | C1b_Night_Trawling_Ban.pdf | NPFMC April 1996 - 122nd | halibut bycatch in that fishery. A proposal to ban night trawling was discussed by the Council in 1993, and they decided not to proceed with such a ban. A discussion paper April 1993 on this issue is included here as Item C-l(b)(D. Although studies to date indicate that halibut bycatch rates in the cod fisheries are higher at night, and some savings could be expected, the Council did not proceed with the proposal, primarily because of enforcement concerns. Item C-1(b)(2) is a copy of the 199... bycatch of halibut and crab, perhaps as much as 15%, and increase the CPUE for cod. However, they also note the potential implementation problems with this proposal; in addition to enforceability, they cite the difficulties associated with very short daylight hours during much of the year, and the potential allocative implications of increased cod catches associated with this proposal. Their letter requests that the Council weigh the possible benefits of this program against the benefits of ... | 04/15/1996 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D1(b) GOA Groundfish Fishery Management Plan.pdf | NPFMC December 1988 - 84th | halibut PSCs. BACKGROUND Amendment 14 included a framework procedure to set annual halibut bycatch limits. Halibut is defined as a prohibited species in the FMP and when caught incidentally must be discarded. The framework allows the Council to review and set halibut bycatch limits annually without requiring an emergency rule or plan amendment. Bycatch limits (PSCs) specified using the framework are effective for an entire year and all bottom trawling is prohibited when they are reached.... bycatch in previous years, estimated impacts of bycatches on the domestic halibut fishery, and other information in the RAD. A halibut mortality ceiling of 2,000 mt was recommended by the IPHC and several members of the fishing industry as a gulf-wide cap on halibut mortality in the groundfish fisheries. Last December the Council adopted this recommendation as their management goal for 1988. Estimates of 1988 halibut bycatch and mortality in the groundfish fisheries were calculated using ... | 12/05/1988 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | NPFMC Comment May 2024.pdf | NPFMC Council/AP June 2024 - 270th | halibut bycatch, but the case study notes that it is still the case after the transition that “these trawls may be frequently fished in contact with the seafloor” and then suggest that that “If the trawls never touch the bottom, the pelagic trawl definition could be set at zero crab tolerance” (Page 58). A much more specific assessment of the amount of time that pelagic trawl gear makes bottom contact is presented in a report from the NPFMC in a research discussion paper that was prepa... bycatch with the different gear types. It is very realistic to see that bycatch lethality rates show hook and line gear as low, while it is listed for pelagic trawling gear as being high. This high degree of lethality for pelagic trawl gear would seem to be appropriate for all species of bycatch, and the NAS [2002] study indicates that a very large proportion of halibut bycatch comes from trawling in the Bering Sea (page 28). Given the high degree of lethality for bycatch with pelagic ... | 06/03/2024 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | AP Minutes June 2014 Final .pdf | NPFMC June 2014 - 219th | halibut CDQ allocations in the area being fished or for vessels with adequate amounts of halibut IFQ to support the incidental catch of halibut while Pacific cod fishing. AP Minutes 5 June 2014 Under existing regulations, any vessel retaining more than the 20% maximum retainable amount (MRA) of Pacific cod would be considered directed fishing for Pacific cod. Each CDQ group and the vessels fishing on its behalf can choose to remain under the regulations that govern “halibut CDQ fis... bycatch caps in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands groundfish fisheries, including the potential need for regulatory action to reduce caps, in a range below actual bycatch levels, with a consideration of linking caps to halibut abundance, going up as well as going down. In order to provide more immediate relief for directed halibut users, initiate an emergency regulatory process to reduce halibut PSC limits by 15% to 20% from current PSC use (5-year average). The Council should imm... | 06/02/2014 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | PRESENTATION C6.pdf | NPFMC April 2016 - 228th | Halibut Discussion paper April 2016 C6 Halibut PSC April 2016 Workgroup tasked to review 1. The current status of Halibut PSC limits and use in the BSAI 2. Indices that may be available to assess the abundance of halibut • Potential strengths and limitations of each • General models for combining difference sources of information 3. Types of control rules that could be used • E.g., “stair-step” PSC limits with or without “floors” or “ceilings” 4. Types of policy decisions that the Cou... bycatch-weighted estimates with “raw” data Average weight by gear 0 2 4 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 Year A ve ra ge h al ib ut w ei gh t ( kg ) LF_Type Raw_LF Wtd_LF gear Fixed Trawl 3 C6 Halibut PSC April 2016 1 I , 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 115105958575655545IS2515 =,e - ------------ 1986 — 1987 — 1988 ■■ — 1989 — —' — 1990 1991 -- --------1992 "'— 1993 ■ 1994 — 1995 —— 1996 — 1997 1998 — 1999 — 2000 — 2001 — 2002 — 2003 — 2004 • 2005 2006 ... | 04/04/2016 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | ABM sceario FLC coverletter.pdf | Halibut Abundance Based Management Stakeholder (ABM) Committee - 02/04/19 | Halibut ABM Stakeholder Committee North Pacific Fishery Management Council 605 West 4th, Suite 306 Anchorage, Alaska 99501-2252 Re: FLC BSAI Halibut ABM Proposal Dear Chairman Mezirow: The Freezer Longline Coalition (FLC) appreciates the opportunity to develop and submit a BSAI halibut ABM proposal for review by the Halibut ABM Stakeholder Committee (Committee). FLCs proposal is enclosed. We look forward to engaging the Committee and the NPFMC on further consideration of an A... bycatch of other species. Since its establishment, FLCC has been a leader in efforts to reduce bycatch and promote more sustainable fishing practices in the BSAI. FLC ABM proposal The enclosed ABM proposal offers a reasoned approach to abundance-based management of halibut bycatch by the freezer longline fleet. The proposal is responsive to each of the objectives identified by the NPFMC for an ABM program and provides specific rationale on key decision points in the development of the ... | 02/04/2019 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | C1d_BSAI_Halibut_PSC_Limit.pdf | NPFMC June 2012 - 209th | Halibut Bycatch ESTIMATED TIME 20 HOURS All C-l items ACTION REQUIRED Review discussion paper on BSAI halibut PSC limits, and take action as necessary. BACKGROUND In April 2011, the Council requested development of discussion papers on both BSAI and GOA halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) limits. The Council has been considering the process by which changes might be made to the current PSC limits. Priority was assigned to action in the GOA, and the Council has since developed a Pla... Bycatch Management Prior to MFCMA........................................................................... 3 2.2 Halibut Bycatch Management after MFCMA...............................................................................4 2.2.1 BSAI FMP Amendment 3...............................................................................................................4 2.2.2 BSAI FMP Amendment 7........................................................................................................ | 06/04/2012 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D1 IPHC Letter.pdf | NPFMC October 2016 - 230th | HALIBUT COMMISSION ESTABLISHED BY A CONVENTION BETWEEN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TELEPHONE- (206) 634-1838 FAX (206) 632-2983 ROBERT ALVERSON SEATTLE, WA TED ASSU CAMPBELL RIVER, B C JAMES BALSIGER JUNEAU, AK LINDA BEHNKEN SITKA, AK DAVID BOYES COURTENAY B.C PAUL RYALL VANCOUVER, B.C. 2320 W. COMMODORE WY, STE 300 SEATTLE, WA 98199-1287 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DAVID T. WILSON 1 27 September 2016 Mr. Dan Hull, Chairperson North Pacific Fishery... bycatch. The IPHC requests a meeting between Council and IPHC representatives before the Council’s December 2016 meeting. This committee should discuss abundance-based management of Pacific halibut bycatch prior to a range of alternatives being adopted for detailed analysis. This and other topics could benefit from the Halibut Management Framework’s recommendation for increased coordination and communication between the Council and the IPHC. 1) Halibut Management Framework A... | 10/03/2016 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | C9 Public Comments.pdf | NPFMC December 2015 - 226th | halibut bycatch NPFMC comments - NOAA Service Account <npfmc.comments@noaa.gov> r Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 1:57 PM Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 1:57 PM https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=7a9a95f965&view=pt&search=inbox&th=1515a9d2c63f8c52&siml=1515a9d2c63f8c52&siml=1515a9d2e31550d0 1/1 Chuck Cohen <kodzoff©alaskan.com> To: npfmc.comments@noaa.gov NPFMC comments - NOAA Service Account <npfmc.comments@noaa.gov> To: kodzoff@alaskan.com CHUCK & KATHRYN COHEN F/V LADY BARBARA P.O. BOX 020670 JUNEA... bycatch 2 messages mailto:npfmc.comments@noaa.gov https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=7a9a95f965&view=pt&search=inbox&th=1515a9d2c63f8c52&siml=1515a9d2c63f8c52&siml=1515a9d2e31550d0 kodzoff%25c2%25a9alaskan.com mailto:npfmc.comments@noaa.gov mailto:npfmc.comments@noaa.gov mailto:kodzoff@alaskan.com 12/2/2015 a NPFMC comments - NOAA Service Account <npfmc.comments@noaa.gov> r Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 4:52 PM Dear sirs Sincerely Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 4:52 PM https ://mail.google.com/ma... | 12/07/2015 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | D3c,d,e,f_Initial_GOA_Specs_for_1996.pdf | NPFMC September 1995 - 119th | halibut. (e) Recommend bycatch rate standards for the Vessel Incentive Program. (f) Recommend preliminary discard mortality rates for halibut in the groundfish fisheries. BACKGROUND At this meeting, the Council begins the annual groundfish cycle in which it adopts proposed specifications of groundfish quotas and bycatch allowances. The preliminary SAFE report, groundfish specifications, and bycatch allowances need to be adopted and made available for public review. Twenty-five percent of t... bycatch to provide guidance to the Council in establishing PSC apportionments. Tables 1,2, and 3 from the SAFE summary chapter (Items D-3(c)(2). D- 3(c)(3). and D-3(c)(4)) list the 1995 ABCs, TACs, and catches through August 1995, and the Plan Team's recommended 1996 ABCs and corresponding overfishing levels for each of the species or species complexes. None of the Plan Team's recommended ABCs exceeds its corresponding overfishing level. D-3(c-f) Memo 1 hla/sep Initial ABCs. TACs. and Ap... | 09/25/1995 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D1(a) Bycatch Management in Groundfish Fisheries.pdf | NPFMC April 1991 - 96th | halibut and red king crab during their participation in specified groundfish fisheries: Halibut BSAI and GOA Pacific cod trawl fisheries BSAI flatfish fisheries GOA bottom rockfish trawl fisheries Red king crab BSAI flatfish fisheries in Zone 1 D-la Memo 1 HLA/APR Draft regulations were submitted to Washington, D C. in early March for publication as an interim final rule. However, the program has been hanging fire during legal reviews and is not expected to be published and effective unt... Bycatch Standards for Third and Fourth Quarters In December, in anticipation of the revised incentive program being implemented, the Council recommended the bycatch rate standards for the first two quarters as shown in D-l (a)(2). NMFS will provide information at this meeting as the Council considers what bycatch rate standards should be set for the third and fourth quarters. 4. Ad Hoc Bycatch Committee Activities The Committee met on March 1 and March 20-21 to discuss a variety of issues ... | 04/23/1991 01:00 PM AKDT |
| 0 | B1 A80 Sector Report on Halibut.pdf | NPFMC Council December 2020 - 252nd | Halibut Bycatch Performance Report to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council December 2020 Under the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (the Council) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) are directed to manage fisheries to reduce bycatch and bycatch mortality to the extent practicable. To this end, the Council and NMFS, along with members of the industry, including participants in the Amendment 80 se... bycatch and its mortality in the trawl fisheries in the North Pacific. This report summarizes the most significant recent initiatives and their results. Background The halibut PSC reduction adopted by the Council in 2015 was the culmination of a series of regulatory and self-imposed measures reducing halibut use by the Amendment 80 sector. The Council intended Amendment 80 to provide the sector with the ability to increase retention by ending the race for fish. The action has exceed... | 12/04/2020 07:45 AM AKST |
| 0 | D2d_Halibut_Grid-Sorting_Am.pdf | NPFMC April 1995 - 117th | Halibut Grid-Sorting Amendment ACTIONS REQUIRED: (a) Receive report from Ad Hoc Grid-sorting Working Group (b) Approve for public review the regulatory amendment for grid-sorting of Pacific halibut in the non- pelagic trawl groundfish fisheries. BACKGROUND In October 1993, the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), Highliners Association, and NMFS- AFSC conducted an experiment to evaluate methods of increasing survival of halibut taken as bycatch in bottom trawls. The experimen... bycatch as practicable for immediate return to the sea. The grid over the hold would slow down the dumping process and allow sorting of halibut from the stream of groundfish moving across the deck; the grid would actually filter only larger halibut (larger than 15 to 25 pounds). No sorting of other species would be allowed. The regulations would give the Council and the Alaska-Region Director authority, through the regulatory amendment process, to determine which fisheries would participate... | 04/17/1995 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D3(a) BSAI Groundfish Amendments.pdf | NPFMC June 1990 - 92nd | halibut bycatch management measures for the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands. (2) Define overfishing for the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands. (3) Establish procedures for interim total allowable catch (TAC) specifications for the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands. (4) Modify authorization language for demersal shelf rockfish management for the Gulf of Alaska. (5) Change fishing gear restrictions for the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands. (6) Expand ha... bycatch management measures for the Gulf of Alaska. The amendment proposals and alternatives are summarized in item D-3(a)(l). Public comments received by the June 15 deadline and a summary are included as item D-3(a)(2). The Plan Teams’ recommendations are included as item D-3(a)(3) and an amendment worksheet is provided as item D-3(a)(4). Final action on Amendment 21/16 should be taken in three steps: 1. On Wednesday, the Council will identify their preferred alternative for each amendm... | 06/25/1990 08:30 AM AKDT |
| 0 | BSAI Halibut ABM comments 11-30-21 final.docx.pdf | NPFMC December 2021 - 257th | Halibut ABM Dear Chairman Kinneen and Members of the Council, The Alaska Marine Conservation Council (AMCC) is committed to protecting the long-term health of Alaska’s oceans and sustaining the working waterfronts of our coastal communities. Our members include fishermen, subsistence harvesters, marine scientists, small business owners and families, many of whom rely on healthy fisheries. AMCC advances conservation solutions that address the interdependence between healthy marine ecosystems, ... bycatch in the Bering Sea region. We support Abundance-Based Management of halibut bycatch and an ecosystem-based fishery management approach to bycatch which is responsive to the status of the stocks. Ecosystem based fisheries management is the cornerstone of sustainable fishing and provides a pathway to maintain ecosystems in a healthy, productive, and resilient condition. The current fixed halibut prohibited species catch limits are inconsistent with management of the directed halibut fisheri... | 12/02/2021 07:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | CBSFA Comments to NPFMC and NMFS (2021-04).pdf | NPFMC April 2021 - 254th | Halibut Abundance- based Management (ABM) Amendment 80 of PSC Limit Initial Review Draft Environmental Impact Statement (March 2021). Dear Chairman Kinneen and Mr. Merrill: Please find attached the comments of our client, the Central Bering Sea Fishermen's Association (CBSFA), on the April 2021 Agenda Item C2 Concerning BSAI Halibut Abundance-based Management (ABM) Amendment 80 of PSC Limit Initial Review Draft Environmental Impact Statement, dated March 2021 (DEIS).1 1 CBSFA ... bycatch limits by “link[ing] the Amendment 80 commercial groundfish trawl fleet’s (Amendment 80 sector) Pacific halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) limits in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) groundfish fisheries to halibut abundance.”2 To the extent the Council intends to take action to implement ABM at its upcoming meeting, we strongly support the Council’s Alternative 4, which best addresses the needs of directed halibut users and halibut-dependent ... | 04/05/2021 07:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D3(c,d) BSAI Groundfish Specifics for 1993.pdf | NPFMC September 1992 - 104th | halibut, and herring to target fishery (PSC) categories. (e) Recommend Vessel Incentive Program (VIP) bycatch rate standards for the first two quarters of the 1993 trawl fisheries. BACKGROUND At this meeting, the Council begins the annual groundfish cycle in which it adopts for public review proposed specifications of groundfish amounts and bycatch allowances as listed above. The preliminary SAFE Report, proposed groundfish specifications and the proposed bycatch allowances need to be ado... bycatch in directed pollock fisheries; 4. Potential impacts of expected seasonal fishing for pollock on pollock stocks, marine mammal stocks, and stocks of species taken as bycatch in directed pollock fisheries; 5. The need to obtain fishery-related data during all or part of the year; 6. Effects on operating costs and gross revenues; 7. The need to spread fishing effort over the year, minimize gear conflicts, and allow participation by various elements of the groundfish fleet and other fi... | 09/22/1992 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | B3 NMFS Management Report.pdf | NPFMC April 1992 - 101st | Halibut Bycatch Rates in All Alaska Groundfish Trawl Fisheries. At its December 1991 meeting, the Council adopted an expansion of the vessel incentive program to address halibut bycatch rates in all groundfish trawl fisheries. A proposed regulation for this measure has been submitted to the Secretary of Commerce for review as part of the Amendment 19 and 24 rulemaking package (see Attachment 1). The proposed Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands area (BSAI) incentive program would authorize s... bycatch rate standards for each of the trawl fishery categories that are eligible to receive separate allocations of crab and halibut bycatch limits (i.e,, the Greenland turbot/arrowtooth flounder/sablefish; rock sole/'other flatfish'; yellowfin sole; rockfish; Pacific cod; and pollock/Atka mackerel/ 'other species' fishery categories). In addition, a separate halibut bycatch rate standard would be specified for the pollock fishery that would become effective when the directed fishery fo... | 04/22/1992 08:30 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D3 Staff Tasking.pdf | NPFMC February 2001 - 149th | halibut related initiatives and several other, (relatively) minor projects. Nicole Kimball will be working on halibut related issues as well, and on Observer Program issues and AFA-related amendments that may be initiated. Darrell Brannan has continued to help me on a variety of fronts, including the halibut charter IFQ package, and he is coordinating the AFA report to Congress. ItemD-3(b)(l) is the summary of current staff tasking, again reflecting Existing Projects, Previously Tasked Proj... bycatch in the GOA - Item D-3(b)(3). I know there has been a lot of interest in some minor amendments to the AFA regulations, which is something we could likely take on between now and April. We also have some funding for AFA and Steller Sea Lions that could be used for outside help in those areas, pending availability of appropriate contractor expertise. D3Memo.wpd S:\4HELEN\i ES\CNCLCOMM.SAV.wpd Committee/Workgroup NPFMC COMMITTEES AND WORKGROUPS (as of December 2000) Council SSC AP... | 02/07/2001 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | NPFMC ltr re ABM 9-29-20.pdf | NPFMC October 2020 - 251st | Halibut ABM My name is Simeon Swetzof, Jr., owner and captain of the F/V Wind Dancer. Also, National Standards for Allocation state: National Standard 4 - Allocations As you know our local halibut fleet commercial fishery is 100% dependent on halibut We have developed our local fleet and related infrastructure to provide an economy for our residents over the last forty years! Our community is also heavily dependent upon subsistence halibut - even more so during these harsh economic times.... bycatch in the Bering Sea is totally unacceptable. Halibut bycatch caps were set when halibut were more abundant, and caps must now be reduced and tied to halibut abundance. Halibut has tremendous cultural, recreational and economic value to Alaskans, and to people from the Lower 48 who travel to Alaska to fish, or for those who enjoy eating halibut at home or in restaurants. It’s a high value fish, served in the finest of restaurants. Unless bycatch caps are reduced, the fishermen in the d... | 10/02/2020 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D1 Halibut PSC Stock Impacts.pdf | NPFMC June 2014 - 219th | halibut in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and the impacts of Prohibited Species Catch Ian J. Stewart, Steven J. D. Martell, Bruce M. Leaman, Ray A. Webster, Lauri L. Sadorus Abstract The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) requested that the International Pacific halibut Commission (IPHC) provide a summary of: 1) the status of the Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) resource in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI), and 2) the impact of Prohibited Species C... bycatch) on halibut stock biomass, reproductive potential, and the short- and long-term yields to the directed halibut fisheries. This report summarizes a variety of analyses conducted by IPHC staff, including previous yield calculations, stock assessments, apportionment, and survey summaries, as well as new and ongoing research on tag-recoveries, abundance trends, and harvest policy. Measures of current stock size reflecting the portion of the halibut stock available to the directed ... | 06/02/2014 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | PPT Council C2 ABM DEIS.pdf | NPFMC December 2021 - 257th | HALIBUT ABM OF A80 PSC LIMIT Presenters: Diana Stram, Anna Henry, Mike Downs Council December 9, 2021 ABM Workgroup: and other contributors ; Council staff: Diana Stram, Anna Henry, Mike Downs (Wislow Research), Sam Cunningham, Darrell Brannan (Brannan and Associates) AFSC: Carey McGilliard, Jim Ianelli, Dana Hanselman NMFS RO: Anne Marie Eich, Joseph Krieger, Bridget Mansfield IPHC: Allan Hicks OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION 1. Overview of timeline and action at this meeting 2. Description ... bycatch r«hKtKm prograins A91 Chinook K Alli Halibut 1993 Trawl - 3,775 mi Non Traw! - 900m i [fisheries, not area closures) 0EI$ published Fmal Action Dec2O21 2 Halibut ABM issues in October 2020: DEIS and a separate discussion paper focused on additional considerationsVactioras Council modified alternatives for look tip tables to set P$C limits J Initial review A.|>r 2021 Halibut PSC Measures Over Time TAIEUHE OF MANAGEMENT AIEaSUKS TOADMESS 65 Al HAMUT PSC 1981-ASESENT ... | 12/02/2021 07:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | B5 ADFAG Report.pdf | NPFMC April 2006 - 176th | Halibut Commission P.O. Box 95009 Seattle WA 98145-2009 Dear Dr. Leaman: Thank you for your letter expressing your concerns about the potential level of Pacific halibut (halibut) bycatch mortality that may occur in the new State of Alaska Pacific cod fishery in the Aleutian Islands (State Al cod fishery). You recommend that any bycatch in this fishery be accounted for within the halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) limits established by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Coun... bycatch agreements between the United States and Canada will be jeopardized if the State of Alaska allows an unmonitored fishery without bycatch limits and for which bycatch amounts will be unknown. We respectfully disagree that bycatch mortality in the State Al cod fishery will be unknown. We anticipate that some federally permitted vessels will continue to carry observers in this fishery because such coverage is credited toward Federal observer coverage requirements. We will continue to... | 04/05/2006 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | Staff Recs for 1991 Bycatch AM.pdf | NPFMC July 1991 - Teleconference | halibut. 4B Depth restrictions on sablefish longlining in GOA to protect halibut. 8 Authority to allocate trawl PSC by fishery in GOA. 10 Apportion unused quarterly PSC to any remaining quarter. 11 Gear modifications. 17 Retention of halibut. 19 Floating crab caps in GOA/BSAI. Also, for #4A and #4B, IPHC is compiling information on these issues which will not be ready for this summer’s analytical package. For #11, industry is doing some work on modifying gear and AFSC and IPHC have a joint ... Bycatch Committee meeting questions whether the area should be changed. This program is quite new and would benefit from a full year of observer data before changes are made. ADFG is examining data but will not be ready for this summer’s analysis. 22 Modifv/limit Rocksole Fishery The DAP rocksole fishery has halibut and crab PSCs, so this is more of a full utilization issue and should be taken up in that context, perhaps in 1992. A season delay will be analyzed under "Review of PSC Allowa... | 07/03/1991 01:00 PM AKDT |
| 0 | B1 July IPHC letter to Council.pdf | NPFMC October 2014 - 220th | HALIBUT COMMISSION ESTABLISHED BY A CONVENTION BETWEEN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TELEPHONE: (206) 634-1838 ROBERT ALVERSON SEATTLE, WA TED ASSU CAMPBELL RIVER. B.C. JAMES BALSIGER JUNEAU. AK DAVID BOYES COURTENAY B C. DONALD LANE HOMER, AK PAUL RYALL VANCOUVER. B C 2320 W. COMMODORE WY STE 300 SEATTLE. WA 98199-1287 DIRECTOR BRUCE M. LEAMAN FAX- (206) 632-2983 July 30, 2014 Mr. Eric Olson, Chairman North Pacific Fishery Management Council 605 W. 4th Ave... Bycatch Project Team. The report set out to address four objectives: (1) understand the amount of halibut bycatch occurring in each regulatory area, (2) understand the impact of bycatch on the conservation and allocation of the halibut resource and on the available harvest, (3) explore options for reducing the overall level of halibut bycatch, and (4) explore options for mitigating the impact of bycatch in one regulatory area on the available harvest in other regulatory areas. In the course of d... | 10/06/2014 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | RothC2ABMDec2021.pdf | NPFMC December 2021 - 257th | halibut, with option 4 or something close to it being the preferred alternative. Alaskans Want to Invest and Work I am a region 4 halibut and Bering Sea sablefish quota holder, and despite the somewhat negative outlook for halibut in that region am currently making additional investments in quota and fishing in the region. In part I am hopeful for the resources ability to recover because I believe that the council will do the right thing and limit bycatch wastage of hali... bycatch rates remain high. It is no secret that A80 bycatch of halibut is the largest cause of mortality for halibut in area 4CDE and could lead to directed fishery closures in that region, a terrifying consequence of bycatch combined with low abundance. Action by the council will send an important signal to the fisherman that comprise the future “recruits” to the industry that halibut bycatch is a concern that is being addressed A80 Bycatch Kills Baby Halibut in the Halibut Nurser... | 12/02/2021 07:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | E1 Groundfish Workplan.pdf | NPFMC June 2017 - 234th | halibut management framework Ongoing ‐ Review of Obs. Annual Deployment Plan Ongoing ‐ Halibut Management Framework Ongoing ‐ Halibut deck sorting EFP 2011 ‐ National Bycatch Report 2013 ‐ Restructured Obs. Program 2015 ‐ Bycatch limits for BS Chinook revised ‐ pending rulemaking Ongoing ‐ Halibut Management Framework 15. Develop incentive programs for bycatch reduction including the development of mechanisms to facilitate the formation of bycatch pools, vessel bycatch allowances... bycatch incentive systems. 17. Continue program to reduce discards by developing management measures that encourage the use of gear and fishing techniques that reduce bycatch which includes economic discards. 18. Continue to manage incidental catch and bycatch through seasonal distribution of total allowable catch and geographical gear restrictions. 2007 ‐ GOA area closures to reduce bairdi crab bycatch 2009 ‐ Trawl sweep elevation requirement in the flatfish fisheries Ongoing – Halib... | 06/05/2017 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | Certified_Minutes_June_11-14_1996.pdf | NPFMC June 1996 - 123rd | Halibut Commission on Tuesday afternoon, June 11. The Advisory Panel and the Scientific and Statistical Committee met June 10-12 at the Red Lion. The following members of the Council, staff, SSC and AP attended the meetings. Council Richard Lauber, Chairman Morris Barker for Robt. Turner CAPT Bill Anderson for RADM Riutta Linda Behnkcn David Fluharty Dave Hanson Bob Mace for R. Rosen Clarence Pautzke, Executive Director Darrell Brannan Marcus Hartley Jane DiCosimo David Withcrcll Walter P... bycatch quotas were removed from the agenda by the Executive Director following passage of an appropriations bill which included provisions prohibiting the Department of Commerce from expending funds to develop new fishery management plans, amendments or regulations which create new individual fishing quota, IFQ, or new individual transferable effort allocation programs developed after January 4,1995 until offsetting fees to pay for administration costs of such actions are expressly authoriz... | 06/10/1996 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | C1_BSAI_pacific_cod_allocations.pdf | NPFMC January/February 1996 - 121st | halibut bycatch before the total trawl apportionment was taken. In both years, portions of the trawl apportionment were reallocated to fixed gear. In 1995, part of the jig apportionment was also shifted to the other gear groups. In both 1994 and 1995, the fixed gear fishery was closed due to halibut bycatch, but this occurred after the remaining trawl apportionment was switched. % Ret. / Dis. is the retained catch (or discarded catch) for the year by that gear as a percent of the total catc... bycatch in other trawl target fisheries. This represented 24% of the Pacific cod catch by all gears in the year. In 1995, bycatch of Pacific cod in other trawl target fisheries accounted for 49,932 mt, or 20% of the total Pacific cod catch by all gears. In making a decision to open a directed fishery for trawl gear under the various allocation options, the NMFS would compare the amount available for harvest by the trawl group with estimated bycatch needs. It is likely that NMFS would use an... | 01/29/1996 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | D1 General Groundfish.pdf | NPFMC January 1990 - 90th | halibut 1 -1 lx'' PSC by gear, by fishery, V by season, and by individ. operator, and (b) develop plan amdmt. to provide authority to establish a PSC reserve system and to permit retention of halibut in longline fisheries * 45 Seasonal Apportion ment of TACs 26 Define bottom and Assumes minimal analytic mid-water trawls effort: 1 line change to FMPs and implementation by regulatory amendment 4 Cost recovery Develop if included in program for observer program MFCMA reauthorizatio... bycatch issues in 828-31,33 Regulatory High High Depends on Cncl. action on ltd. entry Regulatory Medium Medium Defer to bycatch issues in 834 Regulatory Medium Medium Policy High High SSC develop guidelines;revisit in June MFCMA amdmt? Policy N/A Defer to groundfish ltd. access Plan amendment N/A N/A Refer to Council's FPC Plan amendment N/A N/A Refer to Council's FPC Plan amendment N/A N/A Combine with #24; inshore/offshore Plan amendment High High Combine with 823; seek SSC advice Plan ame... | 01/16/1990 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | C4 KARRLF-Agenda Item Resolution.pdf | NPFMC October 2021 - 256th | HALIBUT BYCATCH IN BSAI PACIFIC COD TRAWL CATCHER VESSEL COOPERATIVE PROGRAM WHEREAS, the Kodiak Archipelago Rural Leadership Forum is a consortium of tribal, municipal, Alaska Native Corporation and other leaders from the coastal communities of Akhiok, Kodiak, Larsen Bay, Old Harbor, Ouzinkie and Port Lions; and WHEREAS, fish and access to marine resources have always been a foundational resource for these island communities which rely on strong fisheries and fishermen to thrive; and... bycatch indirectly affects all Pacific halibut fishermen, because maturing Bering Sea halibut not taken as bycatch migrate to the Gulf of Alaska; and WHEREAS, coastal communities are dependent on the halibut resource and it is the responsibility of the State of Alaska and the Council to conserve the halibut resource and its cultural, recreational and commercial value to Alaska halibut fishermen, processors, visitors, and consumers; and WHEREAS, National Standard 9 of the Magnuson-Steve... | 09/30/2021 07:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | AP Minutes.pdf | NPFMC September 1988 - 83th | Halibut Management The AP heard a presentation on the management team and Halibut RAAG’s review of halibut allocation proposals. The AP concurred with the grouping of those proposals into five categories and made the following recommendations: 1. Limited access - The AP voted to follow the Halibut RAAG recom mendations. The majority of the AP acknowledges an urgency in the current management of the fishery and recommends that the Council begin gathering information from the industry (via ... Bycatch of halibut - The original idea behind the split season was to reduce bycatch of halibut during the spring. Although the staff analysis indicates that the bycatch of halibut declines between the spring and fall, the staff described the data as inconclusive since it is based largely on the foreign fishery which is difficult to calibrate to the current domestic fishery. Furthermore, if the sablefish season was split, it appears some fishermen would target on Pacific cod in the spring ... | 09/28/1988 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D3 Staff Tasking.pdf | NPFMC January 1992 - 100th | halibut bycatch management analyses: 1. Reduce halibut PSC caps by 10% per year for 5 years; 2. Change accounting of halibut bycatch from halibut handled to mortality of halibut discarded; and 3. Preferentially allocate PSC to gears or fisheries with low bycatch rates. Bob Trumble of the IPHC will present a report indicating the Commission's ability to analyze these proposals. A letter from the IPHC is under D-3fc). D-3 Memo 2 HLA/MTG/JAN AGENDA D-3(a) JANUARY 1992 November 22, 1991 ... Bycatch issues, and (d) stock assessments issues. Team members volunteer themselves or are assigned to such workgroups based on technical expertise. The idea is to have the assigned members think and work year-round on their topic so they can be more current and useful to the council when analytical teams are formed, with work groups, the Teams will also be in a better position to work on amendments and review them when appropriate. The Pla%% Teams hope you will support our suggestions. ... | 01/15/1992 08:30 AM AKST |
| 0 | D2(b-c) Bycatch Issues.pdf | NPFMC February 1998 - 131st | halibut mortality avoidance program through trawl towing protocols and regulated deck sorting, and re-evaluate methods for estimating halibut mortality including development of regulations for quick release of halibut to reduce mortality. The first two of these potential amendments will be developed for review by the Council in April 1998. The remaining proposals, along with ongoing efforts on the Vessel Bycatch Account (VBA) initiative, may require additional analytical time. Other selecte... bycatch (MRB) of Pacific cod in the shallow water flatfish fishery in the GOA, and increasing the MRB of arrowtooth flounder in the GOA; and, (2) two ADF&G proposals, one to require full retention of demersal shelf rockfish (DSR) and the other to prohibit fishing on the Cape Edgecomb pinnacles. Staff has prepared a short discussion paper on the bycatch proposals (Item D-2(cKl)). The paper lays out the alternatives considered for analysis and other issues for Council consideration. The staff ... | 02/03/1998 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | CBSFA Council comment letter on PCTC program final.pdf | NPFMC June 2021 - 255th | halibut fishery in IPHC Area 4CDE (Bering Sea); in addition to fishing CDQ halibut, a number of the local residents also hold halibut IFQ. From a historic, cultural, subsistence, and commercial perspective, halibut is a critically important species to the mostly Unangan (Aleut) residents of St. Paul. CBSFA has a direct interest in ensuring that Pacific halibut stocks are equitably utilized among user groups. This includes a community and corporate commitment to reducing the use of halibut a... bycatch in trawl fisheries. CBSFA manages cod, pollock and groundfish allocations that are important to CBSFA’s business operations and its ability to fund projects and programs that benefit St. Paul in furtherance of CDQ Program objectives. Given its stake in both the halibut stocks and the cod and groundfish fisheries that use halibut PSC, CBSFA is uniquely positioned to understand the balancing that is needed under the Magnuson-Stevens Act’s (MSA) National Standards to provide for hea... | 06/03/2021 07:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D5 PRESENTATION.pdf | NPFMC February 2019 - 242nd | Halibut Abundance-Based Management – discussion papers • Halibut retention in BSAI pots • Observer Annual Report for 2017 • 2019 Observer Program Annual Deployment Plan • Trawl EM 2019 Cooperative Research Plan • Fixed gear CV rockfish retention - initial review 15. Develop incentive programs for bycatch reduction including the development of mechanisms to facilitate the formation of bycatch pools, vessel bycatch allowances, or other bycatch incentive systems. • Halibut deck sorting EFP • ... bycatch limits, as information becomes available. • Salmon genetics bycatch composition reports 3-River Index • Forage stock evaluated in Groundfish SAFE reports (ongoing) • Halibut Management Framework (ongoing) 17. Continue program to reduce discards by developing management measures that encourage the use of gear and fishing techniques that reduce bycatch which includes economic discards. • Halibut retention in BSAI pots • Adak pollock/Pacific Ocean perch EFP 18. Continue to manage inc... | 02/04/2019 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | 2019octABM comments.pdf | NPFMC October 2019 - 246th | Halibut Commission (IPHC) subtracts bycatch of over 26-inch halibut (026) from the total allowable catch in each area before setting catch limits for the directed fisheries. In 2013, halibut bycatch in the Bering Sea reached a level that not only threatened to preempt the directed halibut fishery but also exceeded the Bering Sea total allowable catch (or Total Constant Exploitation Yield, TCEY, in IPHC terminology), requiring the Commission to contemplate preempting the directed fishery ... bycatch—clearly not a scientifically or socially acceptable response. The crisis was averted by voluntary action from the Amendment 80 fleet to reduce bycatch, but the situation highlighted the Council’s role in sustainable management of the halibut stock and fishery. The IPHC can only conserve the halibut spawning biomass at times of low abundance by reducing catch limits in the directed fishery. Once the directed fishery quota is consumed, the IPHC cannot protect the spawning biomass... | 09/30/2019 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | C5 BSAI halibut PSC limits Inital Review Jan2015.pdf | NPFMC February 2015 - 222nd | Halibut PSC February 2015 INITIAL REVIEW DRAFT Environmental Assessment/ Regulatory Impact Review/ Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for Proposed Amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Management Area Revise Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Halibut Prohibited Species Catch Limits January 19, 2015 For further information contact: Diana Evans, North Pacific Fishery Management Council ... bycatch to the extent practicable, potentially provide additional harvest opportunities in the directed halibut fishery, and help improve halibut stock conditions. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has also asked for additional information on other issues, which are not currently part of the action, except that they may inform the Council with respect to other options that could be considered for inclusion. C-5 Halibut PSC February 2015 Revise BSAI H... | 02/02/2015 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | D2a_Halibut_Grid-sorting_Am.pdf | NPFMC January 1995 - 116th | Halibut Grid-sorting Amendment ESTIMATED TIME 2HOURS ACTION REQUIRED (a) Initial review of analysis of grid-sorting of Pacific halibut in the non-pelagic trawl groundfish fisheries. (b) Approve document for public review. BACKGROUND In October 1993, the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), Highliners Association, and NMFS- AFSC conducted an experiment to evaluate methods of increasing survival of halibut taken as bycatch in bottom trawls. The experiment, conducted aboard the ... bycatch as practicable for immediate return to the sea. No sorting of other species would be allowed. The regulations would give the Council and the Alaska-Regional Director authority, through the regulatory amendment process, to determine which fisheries would participate in grid sorting, and the size of grid required. The regulations will require that the vessel crew assist the observer if on-deck samples are required, and that groundfish from a haul being sampled by an observer may not b... | 01/08/1995 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | 2020octABM comments_2.pdf | NPFMC October 2020 - 251st | Halibut PSC ABM Dear Chairman Kinneen, I am submitting these comments on behalf of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA). ALFA members commend the ABM workgroup and Council staff for the tremendous amount of work dedicated to this issue. Although we are all still wading through the various documents, we appreciate the clarity of the Draft EIS and the preliminary analysis of the identified alternatives. Below are ALFA’s recommendations for improvements to the mo... bycatch caps on the directed fishery and the impact of fishing at very low levels of abundance • Provide stakeholders with an opportunity to recommend alternative break points and stair steps if the Council chooses to move ahead with the State proposed look-up table approach. Purpose and Need Because all alternatives will ultimately be measured against the identified purpose and need, we wanted to briefly remind the Council of the issues that launched this amendment. First, w... | 10/02/2020 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | Halibut ABM copy.docx | NPFMC October 2020 - 251st | halibut and black cod fisherman of 24 years and also a member of the NPFMC’s IFQ Committee. Throughout my fishing career I have witnessed halibut abundance go from healthy and abundant levels to what appears to be a steady and concerning decline. All the while, halibut bycatch levels have been left to static caps, applied by sector, to fisheries for groundfish species. As halibut abundance declined, static bycatch caps have resulted in halibut PSC (bycatch) becoming a larger portion of tota... bycatch caps by 21% overall when halibut abundance had fallen over 40% since the Bering Sea caps were set. The heinous actions of the Council then left the brunt of halibut conservation to fall on the directed halibut fishery. In fact, in some years, the amount of halibut being discarded from the Amendment 80 fleet in the BSAI exceeded the amount dedicated to the directed halibut fishery. Why should the directed halibut fishery and its associated communities continue to suffer the inequita... | 10/02/2020 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D2 UCB-MTC Halibut PSC statement.pdf | NPFMC June 2014 - 219th | halibut bycatch rate applied to their vessels' P. cod catch, and also wanted more precise estimate of their vessels' PSC rates and amount. Beginning in 2012, the IC agreement also included a provision titled “Better Practices Protocols" that requires the AFA CV fleet to adhere to three practices, including: 1) each coop member fishing P. cod must use a halibut excluder; 2) each member shall not fish at night for P. cod; and, 3) vessels are required to use a codend with a minimum of 7" mes... bycatch data from the Pollock fishery in light of pursuing some sort of hotspot closure zone program. Results from preliminary analysis of the data indicate that halibut bycatch occurs at very low rates fairly evenly throughout the entire Eastern Bering Sea Pollock fishing grounds and fairly evenly throughout the seasons. It has been characterized as more like "drizzling rain", and less like a "lighting strike” occurrence. In addition, Mr. Haflinger also examined the relationship between C... | 06/02/2014 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | C4_Sablefish_Halibut_IFQs.pdf | NPFMC April 1996 - 122nd | Halibut IFQs ACTION REQUIRED (a) Final review of Amendment 43/43 to increase halibut and sablefish sweep-up limits. (b) Initial review of regulatoiy amendment to allow the use of pot longlines for sablefish in the Bering Sea and increase halibut use caps in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands. BACKGROUND (a) Final Review of Sweep-up Amendment 43/43 The Council is scheduled for final action on Amendment 43/43 to increase the current sweep-up limits of less than 1,000 lb for halibut IFQs and l... bycatch in the Alaskan groundfish fisheries. The Council accepted the invitation and has scheduled the joint meeting for Tuesday afternoon, June 11. This meeting will precede the start of the June Council meeting in Portland. Other topics that may be discussed include a commission staff report on Halibut Area 4 sub-area biomass calculations, a NMFS staff report on halibut grid-sorting, and an inter-agency report on the halibut and sablefish IFQ program. Item C-4(c) is a report from the Commi... | 04/15/1996 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D5(a) BSAI Groundfish FMP.pdf | NPFMC June 1986 - 72nd | halibut bycatch issue including closure of the Pot Sanctuary, reaffirmation of the emergency rule recommendations, the emergency rule with adjustable PSCs, and a more general framework approach. These are provided in the team report, which is found under Agenda D-5(a)(1). The team recommends that you approve this revised list of bycatch alternatives and a new Draft EA/RIR/IRFA. With respect to Inseason management (’’field order”) authority, it is apparent that the Central Office’s relucta... bycatches of crabs and halibut. All the options address only crabs and halibut, and only in the areas addressed by the emergency rule. Option 1 is a framework that specifies an annual procedure (modeled along the lines of the TAG procedure) which includes an annual Bycatch Resource Assessment Document (Bycatch RAD). The Bycatch RAD would be the primary decision document and provide the starting point for determination of annual changes to the existing PSC limits, area closures, etc. ... | 06/25/1986 08:30 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D2(k) Misc Groundfish.pdf | NPFMC June 1992 - 102nd | halibut and red king crab bycatch rate standards for the then-current vessel incentive program (VIP): Halibut (as a % of groundfish catch) Red King Crab (# individuals per ton groundfish catch) BSAI: P. Cod 3.0% BSAI: Flatfish 2.5/mt Flatfish 0.5% GOA: Rockfish 5.0% Cod 5.0% Under Amendment 19/24, which will be implemented sometime in the third quarter, the VIP will expand to authorize halibut bycatch rate standards for each trawl fishery category that receives a separate allocation of cr... bycatch rate standard would be specified for the pollock fishery that would become effective when the directed fishery for pollock by trawl vessels using non-pelagic trawl gear is closed. However, NMFS is recommending aggregating the fishery categories for the VIP into three categories, as follows: 1. yellowfin sole fishery; 2. the pollock fishery when fishing for pollock with non-pelagic trawl gear is prohibited; and 3. all other trawl fisheries. At this meeting, NMFS staff will recomme... | 06/23/1992 08:30 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D2(a-c) Initial Groundfish Specifications.pdf | NPFMC October 1998 - 134th | halibut and crab Prohibited Species Catch (PSC) includes all trawl fisheries in both the BSAI and GOA. The grouping for VIP fishing categories is: Fishery PSC Species BSAI midwater pollock BSAI bottom pollock BSAI yellowfin sole BSAI other trawl halibut* halibut halibut; red king crab** ? halibut; red king crab GOA midwater pollock GOA other trawl halibut halibut * % of groundfish ♦♦number of crabs per ton of groundfish Note that regulations specify that the vessel incentive program for... bycatch rate standards for these categories for the first two quarters of the 1999 fishery. F:\COUNCIL\MEETINGS\98\OCT98\ACnON\D2A-CMMO.OCT 2 Table 1 Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Council Recommended 1998 Catch Specifications (mt) Species Area 1998 Biomass 1998 OFL 1998 ABC 1998 TAG Pollock EBS 5,820,000 2,060,000 1,110,000 1,110,000 "A" season 45% "B" season 55% Al 106,000 31,700 23,800 23,800 Bogoslof 280,000 8,750 6,410 1,000 Pacific cod BS/AI 1,340,000 336,000 210,000 210,000 ... | 10/07/1998 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | AM80 Cooperative Reports 2014.pdf | NPFMC April 2015 - 223rd | halibut PSC levels. 2014 AKSC Catch The following tables provide AKSC catch. All data is rounded to the nearest whole number for simplicity. AKSC catch during the 2014 fishing year fell within allocation levels, and no overages occurred. It’s important to understand that fishing behavior and catch amounts under any given year of cooperative operations may not reflect those of other years. AKSC initially apportions its annual NMFS-issued allocation to individual companies or vessel... bycatch to allow for more fishing opportunities and greater choices later in the year. Otherwise, unexpected halibut rates at the end of the year could preclude a vessel from executing its fishing plan. An early end to fishing is likely to not only affect the company’s revenue stream, but also reduces crew shares and consequently crew retention as other crew opportunities may be more appealing. The cooperative typically sets aside a halibut reserve of 3 percent at the start of each year to ... | 04/06/2015 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | C6 Halibut Abundance-based PSC Limits - Discussion paper.pdf | NPFMC April 2016 - 228th | Halibut Abundance-based PSC APRIL 2016 BSAI Abundance-based PSC Limits – Discussion Paper, April 2016 1 BSAI Halibut Abundance –based PSC discussion paper April 2016 Executive summary ....................................................................................................................................... 1 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1 2 Dat... bycatch control rules to consider for abundance-based Pacific halibut PSC limits ....................................................................................................................................... 31 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Halibut Abundance-Based Prohibited Species Catch (PSC) Workgroup (Workgroup) comprised of Council, NMFS, and IPHC staff met on March 3, 2016 to consider the information and approach needed to establish abundance based halibut PSC limits. Based o... | 04/04/2016 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D3a,b_GOA_GF.pdf | NPFMC September 1993 - 109th | halibut. BACKGROUND SAFE Document The groundfish Plan Teams met in Seattle during the week of September 7-10,1993 to prepare the preliminary SAFE document provided at this meeting. This SAFE forms the basis for preliminary groundfish specifications for the 1994 fishing year. Many individual species or species complex stock assessments contained in the preliminary SAFE remain unchanged from the 1993 final SAFE. Any changes were based on incorporation of updated stock survey information (su... bycatch of halibut to provide guidance to the Council in establishing PSC apportionments. The attached tables from the SAFE lists 1993 ABCS, TACs, and catches to date, and the Plan Team’s recommended'ABCs-and'corresponding overfishing levels for each of the species or species complexes. None of the Plan Team’s recommended ABCs exceeds the overfishing level Set Initial ABCs, TACs, and Apportionments for the 1994 Fisheries During the week of this Council meeting, the SSC and AP recommendatio... | 09/20/1993 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | C5 Catcher Processor Gulf Bycatch Incentive Program.pdf | NPFMC October 2013 - 215th | halibut rate and mortality Tables in Chapter 4 from Amendment 95 EA for example) - used for implementing individual performance rewards o Incentive measures (in development) o CPs receive pro-rata share of halibut and salmon, under co-op mgmt., based on agreed upon formula (TBD) o Possible A80/Rockfish Program cost recovery payments tied to PSC usage (inverse relationship) • Cooperative communication o Monitor PSC by vessel, fishery, time and area o Daily call-in to discuss PSC, ongoing ... bycatch data, and disseminates daily (as in whiting fishery) • Reporting to the Council o Annual Report to Council, detailing bycatch avoidance measures and progress (similar to Seastate presentation on whiting ) Catcher processor Gulf bycatch incentive program NOTE - paper represents discussions of the sector - not consensus 2 o Cooperatives to inform Council on measures taken to date and what's in the pipeline, ie salmon excluders, BS and GOA halibut excluder) • Possible PSC measure... | 09/30/2013 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D1(b) GOA BSAI Groundfish Fishery Management Plans.pdf | NPFMC April 1991 - 96th | halibut, salmon, lingcod, and other non-groundfish species normally deliver shoreside. As such, enforcement of the directed fishing rule for retained bycatch of groundfish species can be effectively conducted through dockside monitoring of landed catch. Enforcement officers also have the authority to audit ancUsg^ weigh total retained catch of groundfish and non-groundfish E/Z'd TETZ-98S(206)XW-'S"d"W'N 6S:TT T6, E0 tidti Z tt?20£TS <-T£T299S 206 6 - - I WU9S:0T T6-£ -V • 0T02 yaidOD3131 X... bycatch in directed groundfish operations. Clarence, for the above reasons, the plan teams have not included analyses of the biennial cycles or the reporting requirements in the draft amendments. Nonetheless, should the Council request that these measures be included in the draft Public Review Packages anyway, we would prepare the necessary analyses following the April Council meeting. Sincerely/ Steven Pennoyer, Director, Alaska Region 2 E/E'd £ #!60£TS T£T2.-98S(Z06)Xb-*S*d’W’N 00... | 04/23/1991 01:00 PM AKDT |
| 0 | C3 Public Comment.pdf | NPFMC June 2015 - 224th | halibut and chinook salmon bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) trawl fisheries. A prevailing theme reiterated throughout the SEA is that the restructured program represents an improvement relative to the previous program due largely to the expansion of the sampling effort to smaller vessels, most of which participate in IPHC managed halibut fisheries.1 NMFS cites improved representativeness of data because of the increase in nearshore data and inclusion of smaller vessels, even with “very low d... bycatch estimates. The SEA ultimately concludes that there was neither “a specific level of observer coverage below which the data cease to be statistically reliable” nor a specific amount of coverage which would limit NMFS’ ability to manage the groundfish fisheries. [Id. at 107-108.] Instead the primary consequence of low coverage levels would be that “there are levels of observer coverage at which NMFS may not have data in specific strata or fisheries.” [Id. at 108]. In drawing these conclus... | 06/01/2015 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | C2 Public Comment Group 6 (52815).pdf | NPFMC June 2015 - 224th | halibut bycatch cap to under 10%. C2 Public Comments (Group 6) June 2015 Chairman Hull and Council Members NPFMC 605 W 4th Ave #306 Anchorage, AK 99501 May 21,2015 RE: C-2 BSAIPSC Halibut bycatch reductions Amendment 80 Fleet, Freezer Longline fleet IB© J1MMER MCDONALD PO BOX 920452 DUTCH HARBOR, ALASKA 99692 (907) 581-1386 • FAX (907) 581-3124 We support a vibrant and thriving small boat fleet as well. In fact, we have actively participated in various small boat fisheries over the pas... bycatch Provide family wage Jobs Work cooperatively to maximize retained catch and minimize bycatch Have observers aboard All their vessels, providing accurate date Halibut Bycatch -Agenda Item C-2 June SItica 223rt Plenary Meeting Via Email npfmc.comrnents@noaa.gov Mr. Dan HuH North Pacific Fishery Management Council 605 West 4th, Suite 306 Anchorage, AK 99501-2252 Sincerely, Sergei Roraback Waterfront Welding 2607 Airport Beach Road Dutch Harbor, AK 93692 C2 Public Comments (Group 6... | 06/01/2015 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | Management Framework.pdf | Halibut Management Committee - 10/04/16 | Halibut Management Framework North Pacific Fishery Management Council September 2016 Communication Coordination Collaboration Gap Analysis to Identify Research and Management Needs Research Priorities and Timelines Management and Policy Changes B1 Halibut Management Framework OCTOBER 2016 Table of Contents 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... Bycatch in Groundfish Fisheries ....................................................................................... 6 4 Current Research and Management Issues .......................................................................................... 8 4.1 Gap Analysis for Council Decision-Making .................................................................................... 8 4.2 Research Priorities ...................................................................................... | 10/04/2016 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D1 Public Comment.pdf | NPFMC December 2017 - 236th | Halibut PSC Rates (change start date) D3 Western GOA Pollock Trip Limits Dear Chairman Hull, I own and operate a 58' combination trawl/seine vessel based in Sand Point, Alaska. The boat primarily fishes in the Western Gulf. At last year's December council meeting I was actually a bit relieved when the Gulf Bycatch management plan went down, because I thought that I would be through with council meetings and having to spend time writing letters and everything else involved when issues... bycatch in the Western Gulf. First, and most important, these two proposals have absolutely nothing to do with controlling bycatch and is all about reallocating quota (money) to someone and I don't think anybody is really certain whom that someone is. I am adamantly opposed to changing the start time for cod in the Western Gulf only. At the time that I am writing this letter it appears that there won't even be a cod trawl season in the Western Gulf, and I am going to be curious if the ... | 12/04/2017 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | COMMENTS C5 all.pdf | NPFMC February 2015 - 222nd | Halibut fishing Best regards, lofl 1/25/2015 2:25 P1V In my estimation, it is not the sport fishermen who are responsible for any diminishing population of Halibut in the Cook Inlet fishery. We hope that you will consider changes in the current regulations. Hello - Thank you for requesting comments. I have been coming to Alaska to fish for two weeks every summer for the past 31 years, usually bringing along one or more guests. We spend about $5-6 thousand per person on these visits... Bycatch limits in the trawl fisheries should reflect the halibut population, and be brought down when the halibut bio mass is stressed. The trawl fleet has had ample time to adjust thier fishing practices to avoid halibut. The council should demonstrate some leadership, and force the trawl fleet to conform to sustainable fishing practices. Ian Ivan off Halibut IFQ Holder January 21, 2015 C5 Public Comment February 2015 Subject: Agenda item C-5 Bering Sea Halibut PSC From: i ian <ian.iva... | 02/02/2015 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | ABM Letter Final Action.pdf | NPFMC December 2021 - 257th | Halibut Abundance – Based Management Thank you for providing Groundfish Forum (GFF) the opportunity to comment to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (the Council) final action for Agenda Item C‐2: Bering Sea / Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Halibut Abundance Based Management (ABM). GFF is a trade association whose five member companies operate 19 trawl catcher processor vessels in the federal fisheries of the BSAI and Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This fleet is known as the Amendment 80 ... bycatch to the extent practicable is unsurpassed. Since 2015, GFF has been fully engaged in the Council’s process (via public and written testimony) commenting extensively on previous analyses related to the Council’s proposed halibut ABM actions. We have attached a copy of our comments on the DEIS as an appendix to this letter. 1. General Comments Since 2007, the A80 sector has undergone two major halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) reductions and is currently looking at a th... | 12/02/2021 07:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | Koniag comments BSAI ABM 9.30.20.pdf | NPFMC October 2020 - 251st | Halibut Abundance Based Management (ABM) Dear Chairman Kinneen and Members of the Council: Koniag is a regional Alaska Native Corporation formed under the terms of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. Koniag has approximately 4,200 Alutiiq Shareholders. Our region encompasses the Kodiak Island area in the Gulf of Alaska and a portion of the Alaska Peninsula. The communities in our region have traditionally been dependent on fisheries resources for subsistence and commercia... bycatch” system that has been in place for several decades in the Bering Sea was set when halibut abundance was significantly higher and is now too high given the reduction in halibut abundance. This static PSC cap is inequitable given the Amendment 80 fleet is allowed the same amount of bycatch every year while the directed halibut fishermen suffer continued reductions in available quota to catch. Furthermore, the decline in halibut abundance results in a higher proportion of halibut remo... | 10/02/2020 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D1(c) Halibut PSCs.pdf | NPFMC December 1985 - 69th | Halibut PSC limits. BACKGROUND Included in Amendment 14 was a framework procedure for the annual setting of halibut bycatch limits. Under the Gulf Groundfish Plan halibut is defined as a prohibited species and when caught incidentally must be discarded. Currently, the FMP specifies that no more than 29 mt and 52 mt of halibut in the Western and Central Areas can be taken by domestic/joint venture trawlers during the period December 1 through May 31. For 1984 and 1985 the Council raised t... bycatch limits to 270 mt and 768 mt in the Western and Central Areas, respectively, and exempted mid-water trawl gear by emergency rule to avoid a premature closure of the Shelikof Strait pollock fishery. The new framework will allow the Council to review and set halibut bycatch limits annually without requiring an emergency rule or plan amendment. In addition, bycatch limits specified using the framework will be effective for an entire year and when reached, all on-bottom trawling will be... | 12/10/1985 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | D2_Staff_Tasking.pdf | NPFMC December 2000 - 147th | halibut charter IFQ/community set-aside analysis (and two Committee meetings to review the draft); continued work on AFA report to Congress; development of RFPs/SOWs for long-term AFA related contacts; HAPC stakeholder process; Observer Program issues and Committee meeting; completion ofBSAI pot cod split amendment; finalize subsistence actions for submittal; and, GOA Rationalization Committee and associated preparation for February discussion. With these actions, and pending holidays, I don... bycatch of chinook and chum salmon, and to require 100% observer coverage on all trawl vessels fishing in the EEZ. The Council has enacted several measures to control bycatch of salmon in groundfish fisheries. Time and area closures for the Bering Sea trawl fisheries have been established to keep the fishery out of ‘hotspot’ bycatch areas. Additionally, the trawl fisheries are allocated a limited amount of salmon they can take as bycatch; if more salmon are taken, additional closures are im... | 12/04/2000 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | D2(d) BSAI Groundfish Fishery Management Plan.pdf | NPFMC December 1988 - 84th | halibut bycatch in Gulf bottom trawl fisheries in 1989. The rates formerly used in predicting halibut bycatch in these fisheries were based on the 1982-1986 foreign and joint venture fisheries and may misrepresent current conditions. The use of bycatch rates from the 1987 and 1988 observer data can only serve to more reliably predict halibut bycatch in 1989. Donald A. McCaughran Director cc: IPHC Commissioners COMMISSIONERS: UNOA ALEXANDER PARKSVILLE B.C. DENNIS N BROCK OTTAWA. ONT.... bycatch mortality limit remain at 2,000 mt, on the assumption that Bering Sea bycatch mortality will be set at about 3,900 mt. This would result in a total of 5,900 mt of halibut bycatch mortality for 1989. We have recommended in previous correspondence that groundfish harvests be managed such that halibut bycatch mortality remains at status quo levels until objective criteria are developed to justify an increase or decrease. For the past five years, total halibut bycatch mortality in Alas... | 12/05/1988 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | E1 Groundfish_Workplan 0217.pdf | NPFMC February 2017 - 232nd | halibut PSC limit reduction 2014 ‐ Template for BSAI crab bycatch limits initiated 2015 ‐ Partially addressed in BS salmon bycatch analyses 2015 ‐ Bycatch limits for BS Chinook revised ‐ pending rulemaking Ongoing ‐ revised PSC limits for BS Chinook Regulatory amendments related to this goal statement ● Annual specifica ons for se ng prohibited species limits ● Revisions to MRAs ● Revision to regula ons for prohibited species dona on program and fishmeal Other management actions related... bycatch ● Council encourages research through annual research priori es ● NMFS and observer program work on improving sta s cal methods for bycatch accoun ng (as part of Na onal Bycatch Report initiative) ● Development of a halibut management framework 2015, 2016 ‐ Halibut deck sorting EFP 21. Reduce waste to biologically and socially acceptable levels. 19. Continue to account for bycatch mortality in total allowable catch accounting and improve the accuracy of mortality assessments for targ... | 01/30/2017 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | D1 Halibut ABM EIS Scoping Report.pdf | NPFMC April 2018 - 238th | Halibut Abundance-Based Prohibited Species Catch Environmental Impact Statement Scoping Report Photo credit: Keeley Kent United States Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Region North Pacific Fishery Management Council March 2018 D1 Halibut ABM EIS Scoping Report APRIL 2018 2 Table of Contents List of Figures ..................................................................................... bycatch species and their users that are uncertain or unknown and may result in significant impacts on the human environment not previously analyzed. Thus, NMFS and the Council are initiating scoping for an EIS in the event an EIS is needed. NMFS published a notice of intent to publish an EIS on December 12, 2017. NMFS invited the public to comment on the range of issues and alternative management measures that the Council and NMFS should consider in developing abundance-based approaches f... | 04/02/2018 08:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | B3 NMFS Management Report.pdf | NPFMC June 1991 - 97th | halibut PSC is taken. June 1: Directed pollock fisheries in Bering Sea will reopen for non-roe season of approximately 605,000 mt. Aleutians will not reopen again in 1991. In Bering Sea, non-pelagic trawls cannot be used unless there is sufficient halibut PSC for the DAP Other Fishery to resume in the Bering Sea subarea outside Zones 1 and 2H on July 1. Reporting area 512 will remain closed to all trawling for the rest of 1991. Area 516 remains closed to all trawling until June 15, 1991 wh... bycatch in specified groundfish trawl fisheries is implemented. May 3: Prohibition on retention of Other Rockfish in any fishery in the BSAI. May 3: Annual primary halibut PSC taken and Zones 1 and 2H closed down to directed bottom trawling on cod and pollock for rest of 1991. Second quarter halibut PSC for DAP Other fishery taken and BSAI closes for bottom trawling until July 1, 1991 when about 450 mt of halibut bycatch will be available outside Zones 1 and 2H for the rest of 1991. May ... | 06/24/1991 08:30 AM AKDT |
| 0 | D2b Halibut PSC Discard Survival EFP.pdf | NPFMC February 2009 - 191st | Halibut PSC Discard Survival EFP ESTIMATED TIME: 4 HOURS (All D-2 issues) ACTION REQUIRED (b) Review of Halibut PSC Discard Survival EFP BACKGROUND An exempted fishing permit (EFP) application has been submitted to allow incidentally-caught Pacific halibut to be held on a trawl vessel after capture, in order to research survivability. The project proposes to collect data necessary to construct a reflex action mortality predictor (RAMP) for predicting delayed mortality in individual tra... bycatch discard survival for a Bering Sea non-pelagic trawl fishery. We recommend approval of this application. This recommendation is made with the following conditions: 1) AFSC is not the sponsor of this research (p6 of research plan). 2) All reference to the NMFS chief scientist and NMFS being in charge of the project must be revised. This is a NPFF project and NPFF must provide the chief scientist, take the lead and, if necessary, provide the technician(s). NMFS is capable of providin... | 02/04/2009 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | SUPPLEMENTAL C7 CBSFA Public Comment 214.PDF | NPFMC February 2014 - 217th | Halibut PSC Statement of concerns: 1 The BSAI encompasses the Halibut Regulatory Areas 4A, 4B and 4CDE. As shown in Figure 1 (BSAI EBio, FCEY and Bycatch Mortality) the exploitable halibut biomass available to the directed halibut fishery and other users of halibut has declined from 77.7 million pounds in 2011 to 35 million pounds in 2014. Correspondingly, the halibut available to the directed halibut fishery - the FCEY - has also dropped precipitously across most of the halibut regulato... bycatch users - it is clearly time for the Council, IPHC and the halibut resource users to collectively search for solutions to alleviate this developing inequity, including consideration of recalibrating the bycatch caps for halibut. In Area 4CDE, under the same scenario, and based on historic averages, 4.9 million pounds of total bycatch would be removed. This would result in a BANKRUPT TCEY balance of MINUS 200,000 pounds! In other words, the removal of halibut by the bycatch users at th... | 02/03/2014 08:00 AM AKST |
| 0 | 2021_04_01_C2_Halibut_ABM final.pdf | NPFMC April 2021 - 254th | Halibut ABM Dear Chairman Kinneen and Members of the Council, The Alaska Marine Conservation Council (AMCC) is committed to protecting the long-term health of Alaska’s oceans and sustaining the working waterfronts of our coastal communities. Our members include fishermen, subsistence harvesters, marine scientists, small business owners and families, many of whom rely on healthy fisheries. AMCC advances conservation solutions that address the interdependence between healthy marine ecosystems, s... bycatch which is responsive to the status of the stocks. The current fixed halibut prohibited species catch limits are inconsistent with management of the directed halibut fisheries, groundfish fisheries and crab, all of which are managed based on abundance. The current use of a static cap for halibut PSC is both antiquated and inequitable, and we applaud the North Pacific Council for dedicating the time and resources to move a holistic approach forward. The outcome of status quo bycatch manage... | 04/05/2021 07:00 AM AKDT |
| 0 | B4 IPHC Report.pdf | NPFMC February 2010 - 196th | halibut ♦ Data available ♦ Only one of many potential correlates possible ♦ Survey timing ♦ Reasonable premise ♦ Data available ♦ Staff developed method to estimate timing effect ♦ Depth stratification ♦ Post-stratification undesirable ♦ Sensitive to data and strata definition ♦ No areas have AF significantly different from LO Apportionment Adjustment Evaluation II ♦ Time weighting: Simple average (1:1:1) ♦ Index inherently variable, needs averaging ♦ Reverse weighting places too much emphas... Bycatch mortality ❖ Recent Commission research on halibut movements indicates greater extended impacts of bycatch mortality than currently estimated. Research on this issue continues but the IPHC is concerned about the adequacy of monitoring and estimation of bycatch mortality in the Gulf of Alaska. The Commission continues to believe that bycatch should and can be reduced in these fisheries, while preserving groundfish fishing opportunities. lOMO 20101PHC Annual Meeting 28 Alaska Gro... | 02/10/2010 08:00 AM AKST |
All comments received are part of the public record and will be publicly accessible.
- Are you an admin? Click here to login