Three species of squid from the family Gonatidae: Gonatopsis borealis, Berryteuthis magister, and Gonatus sp. caught in a single haul in the Bering Sea greenbelt. Credit: AFSC
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 not require conservation and management as ecosystem components. Following review of the EA/RIR/IRFA, the Council modified its problem statement, added some clarifications to Alternative 2 (move squid to EC), and added a new alternative that would also designate squids in both BSAI and GOA Groundfish FMPS as non-target species, but still requiring conservation and management. Under this new Alternative 3, a TAC for squids would not necessary, but unlike Alternative 2, this alternative would still require an OFL and ABC. The new alternative includes options for establishing a maximum retainable amount when directed fishing for other fisheries like those in Alternative 2. The Council also encouraged the Alaska Fisheries Science Center to continue to explore methods to estimate squid abundance and assess the squid stocks. Finally, the Council directed staff to explore whether the provisions in the statutory note to the section 303 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act that does not require the establishment of OFLs, ABCs, and TACs would apply to squid in the BSAI and GOA Groundfish FMPs. Staff contact is Diana Stram.
