The Council reviewed a Public Review Draft of an Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Impact Review (EA/RIR) and concluded that sculpins meet the requirements for classification as an ecosystem component species in both the BSAI and GOA FMPs. The analysis included alternatives for classifying sculpins as target species or ecosystem component species in the Bering Sea… Read More →
Thank you, Homer!
The Council held its October meeting in Homer, Alaska. We thank everyone in Homer who worked to ensure our meetings and our stay was a success. The meetings on the spit provided incredible views and a stunning background to the daily fish discussions. Evening events hosted by local residents, industry participants, and Homer businesses allowed… Read More →
New Council members and Election of Officers
At this meeting, the Council re-elected Simon Kinneen as Chairman, and re-elected Bill Tweit as Vice-Chair for the upcoming year. Additionally, Ms. Nicole Kimball and Ms. Cora Campbell were sworn in as new Council members for a three-year term. Ms. Kimball is the vice-president of the Pacific Seafood Processors Association, a non-profit trade association comprised… Read More →
Call for Nominations
The Council is accepting nominations for its Scientific and Statistical Committee, and its Advisory Panel. Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) nominees should have areas of expertise in biology/stock assessment, marine mammals, statistics, fisheries/resource economics, sociology/anthropology, or other relevant disciplines and be federal employees, state employees, academicians, or independent experts not employed by advocacy or interest groups.… Read More →
Appointments
SSC Appointments Dr. Amanda Bishop, of the Alaska Sea Life Center, will replace Dr. Jennifer Burns, who has resigned from the SSC, for the remainder of her appointment period. Dr. Bishop has been acting as the alternate for Dr. Burns since 2017. At the October SSC meeting, Dr. Milo Atkinson, of the University of Alaska… Read More →
Halibut Abundance Based Management
The Council reviewed a preliminary draft analysis of a management program for BSAI halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) limits tied to the abundance of halibut (also described as halibut abundance-based management (ABM)). The Council is considering modifying current static PSC limits to fulfill multiple objectives: to index PSC limits to halibut abundance which may achieve… Read More →
Observer Fee Analysis
The Council approved an increase to the observer fee that supports the deployment of observers and electronic monitoring (EM) systems in the commercial groundfish and Pacific halibut fisheries under partial coverage monitoring throughout the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea Aleutian Islands. The Council adopted a fee increase from the current 1.25% to 1.65%. Under… Read More →
Observer Program Draft 2020 Annual Deployment Plan
The Council reviewed the Observer Program Draft 2020 Annual Deployment Plan (ADP), received a report from the Fishery Monitoring Advisory Committee (FMAC), and supported NMFS’ recommendations for observer deployment in the partial coverage fisheries in 2020. The Council supported NMFS’ recommendation to not deploy observers into tender-specific strata in 2020, and to instead only deploy… Read More →
Trawl Electronic Monitoring
The Council reviewed an exempted fishing permit (EFP) application on Implementing Electronic Monitoring systems in the Eastern Bering Sea (EBS) and Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Pollock Pelagic Trawl Catcher Vessel Fisheries and recommended that the EFP be approved, taking into account recommendations of the SSC and the Trawl EM Committee. This EFP would exempt participating… Read More →
BSAI Crab Harvest Specifications
The Council reviewed the BSAI Crab Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation Report, and specified crab OFLs and ABCs for 2019/2020. Approval of the SAFE and 2019/2020 OFL/ABC Dr. Martin Dorn, Co-Chair of the Crab Plan Team, presented the 2019 Bering Sea and Aleutian Island Crab Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) and the September 2019… Read More →
