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Published: June 22, 2011
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During its June 2011 meeting, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) voted to establish the first ever limit on Chinook salmon bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska pollock fishery.
In 2010 the groundfish fleet caught over 51,000 Chinook salmon. This all-time high number reinvigorated a call from coastal Alaskans and members of the NPFMC to pursue a limit for future years. While a limit on Chinook bycatch was established for the Bering Sea pollock fishery in 2009, this will be the first salmon bycatch restriction in the Gulf of Alaska pollock fishery.
In their deliberations the NPFMC considered a range of caps from 15,000 to 30,000 Chinook that would be allowed to be taken as bycatch in the pollock trawl fishery. If thepollock trawl fleet reaches the Chinook cap, the pollock fishery will be shut down.
In April, 2011, the NPFMC selected a preferred alternative of 22,500 fish, signaling the direction intended by the fishery managers. In Nome, the NPFMC heard testimony from the pollock industry calling for the least restrictive cap.
They also received testimony and a letter signed by over 500 fishermen and coastal Alaskans urging fishery managers to adopt the preferred alternative, pointing out that this number was already a compromise
and represented the middle ground. A 22,500 cap represents an amount higher than the pollock fleet’s 10 year bycatch average.
The State of Alaska made the motion to adopt the 22,500 Chinook bycatch cap. Other NPFMC members argued that the pollock fleet deserved a 25,000 cap to give vessels more cushion to catch the allowable amount of pollock without hitting the king salmon cap.
After lengthy debate a majority of NPFMC members voted to change the cap to 25,000 to create more cushion for the pollock fleet to operate within a king salmon limit.
source: Alaska Marine Conservation Council
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Published: June 22, 2011
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EmailDuring its June 2011 meeting, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) voted to establish the first ever limit on Chinook salmon bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska pollock fishery.
In 2010 the groundfish fleet caught over 51,000 Chinook salmon. This all-time high number reinvigorated a call from coastal Alaskans and members of the NPFMC to pursue a limit for future years. While a limit on Chinook bycatch was established for the Bering Sea pollock fishery in 2009, this will be the first salmon bycatch restriction in the Gulf of Alaska pollock fishery.
In their deliberations the NPFMC considered a range of caps from 15,000 to 30,000 Chinook that would be allowed to be taken as bycatch in the pollock trawl fishery. If thepollock trawl fleet reaches the Chinook cap, the pollock fishery will be shut down.
In April, 2011, the NPFMC selected a preferred alternative of 22,500 fish, signaling the direction intended by the fishery managers. In Nome, the NPFMC heard testimony from the pollock industry calling for the least restrictive cap.
They also received testimony and a letter signed by over 500 fishermen and coastal Alaskans urging fishery managers to adopt the preferred alternative, pointing out that this number was already a compromise
and represented the middle ground. A 22,500 cap represents an amount higher than the pollock fleet’s 10 year bycatch average.
The State of Alaska made the motion to adopt the 22,500 Chinook bycatch cap. Other NPFMC members argued that the pollock fleet deserved a 25,000 cap to give vessels more cushion to catch the allowable amount of pollock without hitting the king salmon cap.
After lengthy debate a majority of NPFMC members voted to change the cap to 25,000 to create more cushion for the pollock fleet to operate within a king salmon limit.
source: Alaska Marine Conservation Council
Submit Article