• Contact Us
  • Subscribe

North Pacific Fishery Management Council

Managing our Nation's Fisheries off the Coast of Alaska

  • Home
  • Meetings
    • Council Meetings
      • Agenda Platform – All meetings
      • Current (or next) Council Meeting
      • Future Council Meetings
      • Archive of Council Meetings
      • Three Meeting Outlook
      • Calendar
  • About
    • Overview
      • FAQ
      • Recognition Awards
      • Management Policies
      • Navigating the Process
      • Staff
      • fisherycouncils.org
      • List of Acronyms
    • Engagement topics
      • Halibut Subsistence
      • Northern Bering Sea Research Area
      • Community Quota Entity Program
  • Membership
    • Council and Committee Members
      • Council Members
      • Scientific and Statistical Committee
      • Advisory Panel
    • Committees
      • List of Committees
      • Bering Sea FEP Climate Change Taskforce
      • Bering Sea FEP LKTK Taskforce
      • Charter Halibut Management Committee
      • Community Engagement Committee
      • Cook Inlet Salmon Committee
      • Ecosystem Committee
      • Enforcement Committee
      • Fishery Monitoring Committees
      • Halibut ABM Stakeholder Committee
      • Halibut Management Committee
      • IFQ Committee
      • Joint Protocol Committee
      • Legislative Committee
      • PNCIAC
    • Fishery Management Plan Teams
      • Overview
      • Groundfish Plan Teams
      • Salmon FMP
      • Scallop Plan Team
      • BSAI Crab Plan Team
      • Social Science Planning Team
      • Bering Sea Fishery Ecosystem Plan
  • Fisheries
    • Halibut
      • Halibut Subsistence
      • Charter Halibut Management
        • Charter Halibut Management Committee
        • Halibut Charter Stakeholder Committee
      • Halibut Bycatch Overview
    • Groundfish
      • Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska Groundfish
      • Groundfish Plan Teams
      • BSAI Groundfish FMP Doc
      • BSAI FMP Appendix
      • GOA Groundfish FMP Doc
      • GOA FMP Appendix
    • Crab and Scallop
      • BSAI Crab Plan Team
      • BSAI Crab FMP Doc
      • Scallop Plan Team
      • Scallop FMP Doc
    • Other FMPs
      • Salmon
      • Arctic
  • Current Issues
    • Habitat Protections
      • Overview
      • Bering Sea Canyons
      • Essential Fish Habitat (EFH)
      • Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC)
        • HAPC Proposals
      • Northern Bering Sea Research Area
      • Gear Modifications
    • Protected Species
      • Overview
      • Steller Sea Lions
      • Seals
      • Seabirds
      • Walrus
      • Whales
    • Catch Shares Allocation
      • AFA Pollock Cooperatives
      • Amendment 80 Program
      • BSAI Crab Rationalization
      • CDQ Program
      • Community Quota Entity Program
      • Cooperative Reporting
      • Economic Data Reporting
      • GOA Rockfish Program
      • Halibut/Sablefish IFQ Program
      • Pacific Cod Allocations
    • Other Conservation Issues
      • Alaska Marine Ecosystem Forum
      • Aleutian Islands Fishery Ecosystem Plan
      • Bering Sea Fishery Ecosystem Plan
      • Non Target Species Management
      • Observer Program
  • Bycatch Controls
    • Salmon Bycatch
      • Overview
      • BSAI Salmon Bycatch
      • GOA Salmon Bycatch
    • Crab Bycatch
      • Overview
      • BSAI Crab Bycatch
      • GOA Crab Bycatch
    • Halibut Bycatch
      • Overview
      • BSAI Halibut Bycatch
      • GOA Halibut Bycatch
    • GOA Trawl Bycatch
      • GOA Trawl Bycatch Management
  • Publications
    • Publications
      • Research Priorities
      • Scientific Papers
      • Summary Reports
      • NPFMC Newsletters
      • SAFE (Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation) Reports
    • Resources
      • Plan Teams
      • Related Links
      • Meeting Minutes
      • Council Mailings
      • NOAA Fisheries Policy Directives
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe

BSAI Groundfish Harvest Specifications for 2018 and 2019

You are here: Home » Newsletters » BSAI Groundfish Harvest Specifications for 2018 and 2019

December 14, 2017

The Council approved the BSAI Groundfish SAFE report and annual catch limits after recommendations from its advisory committees. The SAFE report provides an overview of the assessed stocks as well as a timeline for the assessment frequency for all stocks. Based on consideration of stock prioritization, including assessment methods and data availability, some stocks are assessed on an annual basis while others are assessed less frequently.

The Council also received a report on the Ecosystem Status Report in the Bering Sea as well as results from a survey conducted in the Northern Bering Sea (NBS). Results from the 2017 NBS survey showed a large increase in the biomasses of pollock (1.3 million t) and Pacific cod (288,000 t) as compared with the previous survey in 2010. Length frequencies from the pollock and Pacific cod in the NBS area were comparable with the fish from the Eastern Bering Sea survey in 2017 and raise questions regarding the potential within year population movement of these stocks between the two surveyed areas.

The sum of the biomasses for 2018 represents a 16% decrease from 2017. This is primarily due to declines in EBS pollock and Pacific cod. Nonetheless, the status of the groundfish stocks continues to appear favorable. The abundances of EBS pollock, EBS Pacific cod, sablefish, all rockfishes managed under Tier 3, and all flatfishes managed under Tiers 1 or 3 are projected to be above their target (BMSY or the BMSY proxy of B35%) in 2018.

Summary of Bering Sea stock status next year (spawning biomass relative to Bmsy; horizontal axis) and current year catch relative to fishing at Fmsy (vertical axis).

The sum of the total allowable catches (TACs) for all BSAI groundfish is 2 million t for 2018 and 2019. The TACs were set below the sum of the recommended ABCs. The sum of the recommended ABCs for 2018 and 2019 are 3,766,809 t and 3,578,956 t, respectively. The Council established the annual ABC reserve for three flatfish species, northern rock sole, flathead sole and yellowfin sole. The Council established the entire ABC surplus (the difference between ABC and TAC, by species) as the ABC reserve, which is used to allow for more efficiency inseason in the harvest of these flatfish species. The Council also adopted revised PSC limits for crab stocks, Pacific halibut, and herring, including apportionments where applicable. The herring abundance estimate declined and thus the overall PSC limit (established as 1% of the biomass) for herring declined in 2018 from previous years. The Council also confirmed halibut discard mortality rates (DMRs) for use by in-season management in 2018 and 2019.

Changes in the ABC projection for 2018 in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands.

The Council also received economic information on the ex-vessel value of the BSAI groundfish fisheries in comparison with previous years.  Due to the lagged availability of this information, ex-vessel value is available for 2016.  The ex-vessel value in 2016 was $657 million. The 2016 total groundfish catch decreased by 2%, and the total first-wholesale value of groundfish catch increased by 4%, relative to 2015. The Groundfish Economic SAFE report will be reviewed at the February 2018 Council meeting.

The final BSAI groundfish harvest specifications will be published as a final rule in the Federal Register by late February/early March 2018. They will replace the current 2017 harvest specifications that were adopted by the Council in December 2016.  Groundfish specifications for 2018-2019 are available on the Council’s website.  Staff Contact is Diana Stram.

Tagged With: BSAI groundfish specifications, December 2017

Upcoming Meetings

View Calendar →

Recent Updates

Current (or next) Council Meeting

Future Council Meetings

Archive of Council Meetings

Halibut/Sablefish IFQ Program

Charter Halibut Management

Photo Stream

More Photos →

Newsletters

All →

Subscribe to our Agenda/Newsletter:

Contact Info

View Map →

North Pacific Fishery Management Council
1007 West Third, Suite 400
Anchorage, Alaska 99501-2252
Phone: (907) 271-2809

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2021. North Pacific Fishery Management Council. All Rights Reserved. · Website by Sundog Media LLC · Login