The Council reviewed a discussion paper that considered options for increasing partial coverage selection rates. The Council opted to initiate an analysis to consider increasing the observer fee, with the first steps of the analytical process to follow the Observer Advisory Committee recommendations to develop observer coverage reference points. The paper was prepared by a… Read More →
Draft 2018 ADP
The Council reviewed the Draft 2018 Observer Annual Deployment Plan (ADP), received a report from its Observer Advisory Committee (OAC) and its Electronic Monitoring Workgroup (EMWG), and provided recommendations to NMFS. The Council supports the ADP’s continuing recommendation to deploy observers by gear type in 2018, for trawl, longline, and pot gear (regardless of vessel… Read More →
Other Observer Issues
The Council reviewed the EMWG and the OAC recommendations on draft Statement of Work for the EM and observer service provider contracts for partial coverage, on which the NMFS Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO) is currently soliciting input. In staff tasking, the Council requested that the OAC, EMWG, and Advisory Panel comments be compiled and… Read More →
Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program Review
The Council reviewed the Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program review and allocation policy review, and accepted the reviews as complete and final, once the analysts include to the extent practical, the minor additions requested by the SSC. These include additional information on processed products, crew and processing workers, and some revision to the existing… Read More →
Salmon FMP
The Council received an update from staff on preliminary development of a Salmon FMP amendment that would extend federal management authority to three traditional net fishing areas that are located in federal waters, but are currently exempt from the FMP. The Council chose to sequence its action by focusing initially on Cook Inlet, and is… Read More →
BSAI Halibut Abundance-based PSC Management
The Council reviewed a discussion paper on the development of abundance based PSC limits for BSAI halibut prepared by an inter-agency workgroup of analysts from the Council, NMFS, and the IPHC. The paper compiled results from topic-specific discussion papers prepared for the Council over the last two years, and reviewed a range of potential indices… Read More →
Deck Sorting and Halibut Genetic Sample EFPs
The Council reviewed and supports two exempted fishing permit (EFP) applications that were presented at the meeting. The first is to allow on-deck sorting of Pacific halibut on non-pelagic trawl catcher processor vessels, as a means of reducing halibut bycatch mortalities. The EFP would extend, through 2018 and 2019, a current EFP granted to the… Read More →
IFQ Committee
The Council reviewed the minutes of the IFQ Committee which met on Monday, October 2. The committee reviewed staff papers on: NMFS’s cost recovery program, an action that would allow retention of halibut IFQ in BSAI pot gear, and a review of the first year of sablefish fishing with longline pot gear in the GOA.… Read More →
Halibut Retention in Pot Gear
After reviewing a staff discussion paper, the Council initiated an analysis to allow vessels using pot gear in the BSAI to retain legal-size halibut if they possess the appropriate IFQ. The Council established a purpose and need statement that recognizes the challenge of whale depredation on longline gear and on halibut that must be discarded… Read More →
Staff Tasking
In addition to discussing the relative priority and scheduling of previously tasked projects, the Council took the following actions and clarified direction and tasking for its committees: Tasked staff to add a module to the BSAI cod allocation review outlining steps necessary to remove obstacles that impede achieving, on a continuing basis, the complete harvest… Read More →
