The Bering Sea and Aleutian Island (BSAI) and Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Groundfish Plan Teams provide the Council with an annual review of fishery stock assessments and recommendations for harvest specifications, as well as information on the ecosystem and economic issues as they relate to the groundfish fisheries of the BSAI and GOA.
Plan Teams include scientists from the NMFS’ Regional Office, the Alaska Fishery Science Center, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the International Pacific Halibut Commission, and other institutions and universities. Two Plan Team meetings are held annually: the first prior to Council’s October meeting, and the second prior to the Council’s December meeting. The Plan Teams compile annual Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) reports that provide the Council with a summary of the most recent biological condition of the groundfish stocks and the social and economic condition of the fishing and processing industries. The SAFEs comprise the best available scientific information on the condition of the groundfish stocks and include overfishing level (OFL) and acceptable biological catch (ABC) recommendations for the Council’s groundfish fisheries. Current Membership
Staff contacts are: BSAI – Diana Stram GOA- Sara Cleaver
Resources
Plan Team Policies and Procedures
- Plan Team Terms of Reference
- Preparation of Groundfish SAFE chapters
- Policy on Documentation and Deadlines