The Council reviewed an EA/RIR/IRFA to evaluate moving squid stocks in both the BSAI Groundfish FMP and the GOA Groundfish FMP into the Ecosystem Component (EC) category. Newly revised National Standard 1 guidelines include options to identify non-target species in FMPs (species caught incidentally during the pursuit of target stocks in a fishery) that do… Read More →
Gear and Sector Specific GOA Skate MRAs
The Council reviewed a discussion paper examining gear and sector specific Maximum Retainable Amounts (MRAs) for Gulf of Alaska skates. Action by the Council in 2014, and implemented in January 2016, revised the MRA for skate species in the GOA from 20% to 5% in order to reduce the likelihood that catch of skates would… Read More →
Bristol Bay Red King Crab
The Council reviewed a discussion paper on groundfish bycatch management measures for the Bristol Bay red king crab stock. The paper summarized existing measures for BBRKC prohibited species catch (PSC) in groundfish fisheries as well as what data is available on PSC levels, accrual toward current PSC limits, observed data and current or planned research… Read More →
Stock Assessment Prioritization
The Council and SSC received reports from the Groundfish and Crab Plan Teams on their recommendations for applying the National Stock Assessment Prioritization Plan (SAPP). The SAPP, initiated by NMFS Headquarters, envisions the use a common approach by all regions to determine how often their stock assessments will be conducted. While some regions are unable… Read More →
Staff Tasking from February 2017
In addition to discussing the relative priority of previously tasked projects, the Council clarified direction and tasking for its various committees. The Council also took the following actions: Send a letter to the Alaskan Joint Command thanking them for the presentation on the planned 2017 military training exercise (Northern Edge) in the Gulf of Alaska,… Read More →
Council Appointments
The Council approved all current SSC members for another one-year term, as well as the appointment of Dayv Lowry from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. On the Pacific Northwest Crab Industry Advisory Committee (PNCIAC), the following members were appointed for two years: Lance Farr (Chair), Kevin Kaldestad, Steve Minor, Gary Painter, Dale Schwarzmiller,… Read More →
40th Anniversary Celebration
Nearly 350 guests enjoyed a banquet at the Captain Cook Hotel on December 8 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. At the event, Alaska Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan provided video addresses, thanking the Council and NOAA Fisheries for their… Read More →
Charter Halibut Management Measures
The Charter Halibut Management Committee met in October 2016, and again in December 2016, to consider management measures designed to keep the charter halibut harvest within each area’s (2C and 3A) 2017 allocation. Management measures recommended by the committee were evaluated by Scott Meyer (ADF&G) to determine their likelihood to keep the charter harvest within… Read More →
Charter Halibut Permits
The Council reviewed a discussion paper that presented information on the use of charter halibut permits (CHPs). The discussion paper addressed Council data requests on latent capacity and use of CHPs by non-CHP holders (i.e., leasing). The discussion paper highlighted some of the challenges associated with the CHP database, including the lack of a verification… Read More →
Charter Halibut Recreational Quota Entity
The Council took final action on a package that would allow the formation of a non-profit charter halibut recreational quota entity (RQE) to purchase and hold commercial halibut quota share (QS), to augment the charter catch limits in IPHC Regulatory Area 2C and Area 3A. Under the Council’s preferred alternative, any IFQ annually generated from… Read More →
