The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fisheries division is seeking public input on a new amendment to the American Fisheries Act that would minimize halibut bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska while maintaining full harvest of groundfish in the region.
The proposed fishery management plan amendment, "Amendment 95," would minimize halibut bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries to the extent practicable while preserving the potential for the full harvest of groundfish in the Gulf of Alaska.
Two broad sectors that harvest groundfish in the Gulf of Alaska that will be directly affected by the amendment — vessels using hook-and-line gear and vessels using trawl gear. The hook-and-line gear sector is further divided into catcher vessels and catcher/processor vessels.
Under the proposed amendment, the bycatch limit reductions for each sector would be:
• Hook-and-line catcher/processor: 7 percent; implemented in 2014
• Hook-and-line catcher vessel: 15 percent; phased in over 3 years by 2016
• Trawl vessel: 15 percent; phased in over 3 years by 2016
A phased-in halibut bycatch reduction schedule would allow the affected industry sectors time to adapt to the reduced halibut bycatch limits. The percentage reductions for the trawl, and the hook-and-line catcher vessel and catcher/processor sectors are based on each sector's historic halibut bycatch, as well as a recent reduction of the hook-and-line catcher/processor's halibut bycatch limit under another action. The jig gear and pot gear sectors are not affected by this rule, as they historically have been exempt from halibut bycatch limits.
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council recommended reducing the annual Pacific halibut bycatch limits for the commercial groundfish fisheries to minimize halibut bycatch in the groundfish fisheries to the extent practicable and promote conservation of the halibut resource. In addition, the proposed halibut bycatch reductions could potentially increase the amount of halibut available to catch in the directed halibut fisheries, such as the commercial Individual Fishing Quota fishery and the charter halibut fishery.
Comments must be received no later than 17 October.
