NPFMC Adopts AP Recommendations on Chum Salmon Bycatch

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council's motion on agenda item C2 Chum Salmon Bycatch by ADFG Deputy Commissioner Rachel Baker, adopts recommendations from the Advisory Panel. Additionally the motion clarifies some language from the AP and adds two new sections suggested in public comment.

A new sub-option under Alternative 2 would 'establish a CDQ chum salmon PSC reserve pool'. A new option 3 under Alternative 5 would be mutually exclusive to Alternative 3, because like Alternative 3,  Alternative 5 option 3 would establish a chum salmon abundance-based threshold, also adding suboption 1 to use the 75th percentile of Yukon River summer and fall run reconstructions, and suboption 2 to use the 90th percentile.

The only attempt to amend the motion, from member Vanderhoeven, would have added a 3rd suboption under Alt 5 to use the 50th percentile of the Yukon River summer and fall run reconstructions, below which the corridor cap and closure provisions would not apply. The amendment failed 3-8.

Final comments from Council members praised excellent staff, AP & SSC work, the extensive and meaningful public participation and Chair Drobnica's competent leadership through the process at the special February meeting.
The chum bycatch action is tentatively scheduled for final action at the October meeting, but could also come back at the December meeting.