• 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
      • ACEPO
    • Resources
      • Plan Teams
      • Related Links
      • Meeting Minutes
      • Council Mailings
      • NOAA Fisheries Policy Directives
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe

GOA Halibut Bycatch

You are here: Home » GOA Halibut Bycatch

For a history of halibut bycatch actions, see the Overview Page.

In June 2012, the Council submitted Amendment 95 to the Gulf of Alaska Groundfish FMP in order to reduce occurrence of halibut bycatch in Gulf’s groundfish fisheries. According to the amendment, the reductions were to be achieved by implementing more restrictive halibut PSC limits for trawl and hook-and-line groundfish sectors. Reduced PSC limits were phased in, beginning in 2014, and have been fully realized as of 2016. The overall PSC limit reductions are:

  • 7 percent reduction for hook-and-line catcher/processors;
  • 15 percent reduction for hook-and-line catcher vessels;
  • 1 mt reduction for the hook-and-line demersal shelf rockfish fishery in the Southeast Outside district; and
  • 15 percent reduction for trawl.

Halibut PSC limits are apportioned to the groundfish fisheries annually through the groundfish harvest specifications process.

Directed halibut fisheries (commercial and charter) are expected to benefit from reduced groundfish fishery bycatch of halibut under Amendment 95. Analyses accompanying Amendment 95 suggest that first wholesale gross revenue for the commercial halibut sector may increase by $2.3 M annually. Among the IPHC Regulatory Areas, Area 2C revenue is estimated to increase by $1,900 annually, Area 3A by $1.4 M annually, and Area 3B by $875,000 annually. The charter sector and the commercial sector are under a combined catch limit, and allocations are expected to increase.

Under this action, the commercial groundfish fisheries that incidentally capture halibut while targeting groundfish are expected to lose approximately $10M annually by 2016.

The Council is currently working on a GOA trawl bycatch management action, which is described here. Staff contact for that action is Sam Cunningham: 907-271-1283.

Documents and Council Motions

2012

  • GOA PSC motion; 2012 Example Tables 6/12
  • GOA Comprehensive Bycatch motion 6/12
  • Comprehensive GOA Halibut PSC discussion paper 6/12
  • BSAI Halibut PSC discussion paper 6/12
  • GOA Halibut PSC EA/RIR/IRFA (Updated) Executive Summary, Supplemental; public comments 6/12 – Secretarial Review Draft (11/13)
  • GOA Halibut PSC 1/12; GOA Halibut PSC Motion 2/12

2011

  • Individual Bycatch Allowances discussion paper 10/11
  • GOA Halibut PSC Limit Action Plan 10/11
  • GOA Halibut PSC EA/RIR, Executive Summary 9/11
  • IPHC Halibut Bycatch report 3/11

2010

  • GOA Halibut PSC Limit Addendum to discussion paper 12/10
  • GOA Halibut PSC Limit discussion paper 6/10
  • Discussion paper: Modifying Halibut PSC Limits in Groundfish Fisheries 2/10

2008

  • Electronic Monitoring of Halibut Discards in GOA Rockfish Fishery 5/08

Upcoming Meetings

View Calendar →

Recent Updates

Current (or next) Council Meeting

Archive of Council Meetings

Future Council Meetings

Halibut/Sablefish IFQ Program

Enforcement Committee

  • October 2015 Newsletter
  • June 2015 Newsletter
  • April 2015 Newsletter
  • February 2015 Newsletter

Upcoming Meetings

Past Meetings →

Recent Updates

Call for Nominations

June 2022 Newsletter

Campbell Farewell

CGOA Rockfish Program

BSAI Small Vessel Access

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 © 2022. North Pacific Fishery Management Council. All Rights Reserved. · Website by Sundog Media LLC · Login