The Council and AP reviewed a discussion paper on the potential creation of a discard allowance for the fixed gear individual fishing quota (IFQ) sablefish fishery, and took action to initiate an analysis. The Council’s motion for the analysis cites the low commercial value and high survival rate of small sablefish, and suggests that allowing… Read More →
Small Sablefish Discarding
The Council reviewed a second discussion paper on allowing sablefish discarding in the directed Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) longline and pot fisheries, and tasked staff with continuing to explore issues related to sablefish discarding. The sablefish discarding allowance was initially evaluated as a management response to the extremely large 2014 year class, but is now… Read More →
Sablefish Depredation Workshop
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is preparing a two-hour evening working session to bring together fishermen, stock assessment authors, and SSC members to discuss opportunities for cooperative research to investigate the impacts of sablefish depredation by killer whales and sperm whales from fishing gear in the GOA and BSAI. Cooperative research efforts are those… Read More →
Small Sablefish Discarding
The Council reviewed a discussion paper that considered modifying the requirement to retain sablefish in the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) longline and pot fisheries. The Council’s request for the discussion paper was responsive to public testimony in April 2018 that the IFQ fishery was experiencing an increase in catch of small sablefish due to an… Read More →
