The Council members and public enjoyed a spectacular seafood reception at the Renaissance Mariott Hotel in downtown Seattle following the first day of the Council meeting. Many thanks to the fishing industry businesses and groups involved in the North Pacific for hosting the event – a good time was had by all.
Nominations open for Charter Halibut Committee
The Council is seeking nominations for seats to be filled on the Charter Halibut Committee to include a 3A representative from a community that is not on the road system, and a 2C representative from one of the smaller communities to complement representation from Juneau and Sitka. Nominations are open until March 31. Representatives will… Read More →
BSAI Halibut Abundance-based PSC Management Workshop
In conjunction with the February Council meeting, the Council held a public stakeholder workshop to solicit input to identify measurable objectives and appropriate metrics for the development of alternative management measures for BSAI halibut PSC limits. Per Council request, the inter-agency Abundance-Based Management (ABM) workgroup translated the confirmed Council objectives into draft overarching goals to… Read More →
CDQ Ownership Caps
The Council made an initial review of an amendment package that would revise the American Fisheries Act (AFA) Program and the Crab Rationalization (CR) Program ownership attribution regulations and the Crab Fisheries Management Plan to provide for the different requirements for the CDQ groups, as distinguished from other program participants, which is mandated by the… Read More →
Mixing of Guided and Unguided Halibut
At the June 2016 meeting, the Council tasked staff to prepare a discussion paper on the mixing of guided and unguided halibut on the same vessel. Different regulations apply to guided and unguided (i.e., chartered and non-chartered) halibut fishing trips. Unguided sport fishermen may harvest two halibut of any size and they are not subject… Read More →
IFQ Leasing by CDQ Groups
The Council made an initial review of a regulatory amendment package that would allow CDQ groups to lease halibut IFQ in Areas 4B, 4C and 4D in years of low halibut catch limits in IPHC regulatory Areas 4B and 4CDE. In effect, this proposal would allow CDQ groups to lease halibut IFQ for use by… Read More →
IFQ Committee
The newly reconstituted IFQ Committee held its first meeting on Monday, January 30; the minutes from that meeting were subsequently reviewed by the Advisory Panel and the Council. The Committee provided comment on the initial review draft of the Area 4 halibut CDQ leasing action, and then addressed a list of items that the Council… Read More →
Norton Sound Red King Crab
The final Norton Sound red king crab assessment was reviewed by the SSC, AP and Council in order to set catch specifications for the 2017 fishery. This stock has a separate specifications timing in order to accommodate the CDQ fishery which can open in early May. The stock is healthy, with an estimated mature male… Read More →
BSAI Yellowfin Sole Trawl Limited Access Entry
At this meeting, the Council made an initial review of an analysis of management measures to limit access for trawl catcher vessels targeting Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) trawl limited access (TLA) yellowfin sole for delivery of the catch to a mothership or catcher processor. The management measures under consideration also include an option… Read More →
AFA Program Review
The MSA requires a formal and detailed review of Limited Access Privilege Programs 5 years after the implementation of the program, and thereafter to coincide with scheduled Council review of the relevant fishery management plan ( but no less frequently than once every 7 years). In December 2015, the Council reviewed a workplan for a… Read More →
