The Council is calling for nominations for special expertise on two of its Committees. The Cook Inlet Salmon Committee does not currently include representation by the salmon processing sector, and the Council is announcing a call for nominations for a processor representative to the Committee. The Cook Inlet Salmon Committee was established to assist in… Read More →
Appointments and changes
Advisory Panel The Council reappointed Angel Drobnica, Dan Donich, Craig Lowenberg, and Joel Peterson to three-year terms. Ben Stevens was appointed to fill out the remaining two years of Shannon Carroll’s term, and John Gruver was appointed for a one-year term. Newly appointed to the AP for three-year terms are, Gretar Gudmundsson, Jamie O’Connor and Erik Velsko.… Read More →
Observer Annual Deployment Plan
The Council received a report on the Final Observer Program 2019 Annual Deployment Plan (ADP), which highlighted changes to the document since the Council’s review of the Draft ADP in October. The Final ADP uses the Council’s recommended deployment strata and a coverage allocation scheme of 15% plus optimized allocation based on discarded groundfish and… Read More →
2019 Charter Halibut Management Measures
The Council recommended the following management measures for charter halibut fisheries in Areas 2C and 3A for application in 2019, in order to achieve the charter halibut allocation under the Council’s Halibut Catch Sharing Plan: Area 2C If the allocation is 0.81 million pounds: one fish per day with a reverse slot limit that allows… Read More →
GOA Groundfish Specifications
The Council approved the 2018 Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Groundfish Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) report and recommended final harvest specifications for the 2019 and 2020 GOA groundfish fisheries. Harvest and prohibited species catch (PSC) specifications for the 2019 and 2020 fishing years are available here. The 2018 GOA Groundfish SAFE report includes stock… Read More →
BSAI Groundfish
Status of stocks and specification of OFL, ABC and TAC The Council reviewed the Ecosystem Status Report for the Eastern Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands; the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Groundfish Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) Report; and made final recommendations on groundfish harvest specifications, PSC limits and halibut DMRs, to manage the 2019… Read More →
Bering Sea Fishery Ecosystem Plan
The Council adopted the Bering Sea Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP). The Bering Sea FEP establishes a framework for the Council’s continued progress towards ecosystem-based fishery management (EBFM) of the Bering Sea fisheries, and relies and builds on the Council’s existing processes, advisory groups, and management practice. The Council noted that adoption of the FEP represents… Read More →
Aleutian Islands Pacific Cod Set-Aside Adjustment
The Council took final action to adjust Amendment 113 such that the prosecution of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Pacific cod fishery aligns with the Council’s original objective of providing stability to Aleutian Islands (AI) shoreplant operations, AI harvesters, and AI fishing communities dependent on AI Pacific cod harvesting and shoreside processing activity. The… Read More →
Snow Crab PSC Limits in Groundfish Fisheries
The Council reviewed an analysis of alternatives to modify methods to calculate and apportion snow crab PSC limits in groundfish trawl fisheries operating in the C. opilio Bycatch Limitation Zone (COBLZ). The Council paused development of the analysis and requested staff provide a data report on C. opilio bycatch in the directed crab and groundfish… Read More →
GOA Pollock and Cod Seasonal Allocation Adjustments
The Council adopted for public review an analysis of alternatives intended to relieve operational inefficiencies for the trawl catcher vessel (CV) pollock and Pacific cod fisheries in the Western and Central Gulf of Alaska. For pollock, additional flexibility would be achieved by moving from the existing equal (25%) four-season TAC allocation to equal (50%) two-season… Read More →
