Courtesy Daniel Donich
At this meeting, the Council identified a purpose and need statement and directed staff to develop an expanded discussion paper further exploring an unguided rental boat registration requirement. The Council took this action in response to a preliminary discussion paper that identified concerns that the Council would need to address in order to move forward on consideration of a registry for self-guided halibut rental boats in Alaska. The purpose and need statement identifies that the Council is concerned that differences in regulations between the charter and non-charter sectors may result in increased halibut harvest in the non-charter sector, which may negatively impact other sectors. To address this, the Council intends to establish a registration requirement for vessels affiliated with charter operations, remote lodges, or businesses that require annual saltwater fishing guide licenses, and to estimate halibut catch from this segment of the sector. The discussion paper will provide focused consideration of several components of how to design and establish a selective registry, and to whom a registration requirement would apply. Information collected from a registration program may help the Council determine whether additional management measures are necessary for this segment of the fishery. Staff contact is Steve MacLean.
