AK Board of Fisheries - King and Tanner Crab, and Supplemental Issues - List of Actions Taken

List of Actions Taken on 3/25/11

Proposal #299 - Motion Failed - In the Aleutian Islands golden king crab fishery, allow fishery to extend beyond May 15 if total allowable catch not achieved.

Proposal #300 - Motion Carried - Vote: 6 to 1 - In the Aleutian Islands golden king crab fishery, increase the biodegradable twine requirement to 90 thread.

Proposal #301 - Motion Failed - Vote: 0 to 7 - Change boundary in the Bering Sea District Tanner crab fishery.

Proposal #302 - Motion Carried - Vote: 7 to 0 - Amend onboard observer standards.

Proposal #303 - Motion Carried - Vote: 7 to 0 - Amend onboard observer standards.

Proposal #304 - Motion Carried - Vote: 7 to 0 - Modify preaseason pot storage criteria in the Eastern Aleutian District Tanner crab fishery.

Proposal #305 - No Action - Change fishing season for St. Matthew Island blue king crab fishery (withdrawn by author).

Proposal #306 - Motion Failed - Vote: 0 to 7 - Escape mechanism for king crab pots in Norton Sounds.

Proposal #311 - Motion Failed - Establish an Alaska Peninsula Community Harvest Area in the Bering Sea for king and Tanner crab, and establish community subsistence harvest permit conditions.

Proposal #312 - No Action - Modify Alaska Peninsula-Aleutian Islands king and Tanner crab subsistence bag and possession regulations to accommodate Community Harvest Permit.

Proposal #313 - No Action - Modify king and Tanner crab subsistence customary and traditional use findings for Alaska Peninsula-Aleutian Islands Area.

Proposal #314 - No Action - Modify statewide shellfish subsistence proxy methods for Community Harvest Permit.

Proposal A - Motion Carried - Vote: 5 to 2 - Steller sea lion measures in Aleutian Islands parallel Pacific cod fishery. (Proposal A was adopted as an emergency regulation by the board on January 19, 2011, and it expressed its intent to make the regulation permanent. The board scheduled public comment on the regulation at this meeting.)

BOF Meeting Scheduled March 22nd - 26th at Anchorage Hilton Hotel

The Alaska Board of Fisheries (BOF) is scheduled to meet at the Anchorage Hilton Hotel March 22 - 26, 2011 to discuss king and tanner crab statewide, except Southeast/Yakutat and supplemental issues.

Click on the title of this blog post to access the BOF link to meeting information.

Reminder: Council Plans to Adopt Preliminary Preferred Alternative on Chinook Salmon Bycatch Restrictions at Next Meeting

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is scheduled to adopt a preliminary preferred alternative on chinook salmon bycatch restrictions governing the Gulf pollock trawl fleet at its next meeting (March 30 - April 5, 2011) in Anchorage. This may be the last opportunity local fishermen will have to work on the chinook bycatch measures for the Western Gulf of Alaska pollock fishery.

Last week, Aleutians East Borough Mayor Stanley Mack sent a letter to the Council, requesting that the Council take more time to develop regulations addressing chinook bycatch in the GOA pollock fishery so local fishermen, who will be most affected, can participate in the process (Click on title of this blog posting to see letter in Fish News).

Click on the links below for the Council agenda and the GOA Chinook salmon bycatch motion.

http://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/npfmc/Agendas/311Agenda.pdf

http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/bycatch/GOAchinookbycatchMotion211.pdf

2011 South Alaska Peninsula Area State-Waters P. Cod Season Opening Delayed

Emergency Order Number 40GF-07-11

According to the Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G), the South Alaska Peninsula Area state-waters Pacific cod season opening will be delayed for 24 hours until 12 p.m. (Noon) on Friday, Feb. 25, 2011 because of severe weather conditions. The National Weather Service (NWS) marine weather 48-hour forecast issued at 4 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011 for Area 155 contained gale warnings.

If the NWS Area 155 marine weather 48-hour forecast issued at 4 a.m., February 25, contains gale warnings, the season will be delayed for an additinal 24 hours. Season opening delays may continue on a rolling basis for 7 days beyond the initial opening date.

ADF&G will manage the 2011 South Peninsula Area state-waters Pacific cod fishery based on in-season reports from fishery participants. Reports will be taken daily, starting at 9 a.m. by Matrix dispatch (7894), phone (907) 486-1840 or email: mark.stichert@alaska.gov .

For further details, contact the Alaska Department of Fish & Game in Kodiak at (907) 486-1840.

Aleutian Islands Dist. 2011 State-Waters P. Cod GHL Announced

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the guideline harvest level (GHL) for the 2011 Aleutian Islands District state-waters Pacific cod season is 15,542,430 pounds. The GHL will be apportioned so that a maximum of 70% is available prior to June 10 (A season), and 30% plus any unharvested amount from the A season is available beginning June 10 (B season). The state-waters season will take place inside state waters of the Aleutian Islands District west of 170 degrees W longitude.


GHL (pounds)


A Season prior to June 10: 10,879,701


B Season beginning on June 10: 4,662,729


Total: 15,542,430


The state-waters Pacific cod season in the Aleutian Islands District will open, as announced in a subsequent news release, four days after the closure of the initial parallel catcher-vessel trawl season for Pacific cod in the federal Bering Sea-Aleutian Islands Area. The parallel Pacific cod season is closed in the Aleutian Islands west of 170 degrees W long. during the state-waters Pacific cod season. Fishermen should note that the management plan provides for the parallel season to be opened, and the state-waters season closed, on April 1 and September 1.

The daily harvest limit of Pacific cod in the state-waters season for each vessel is 150,000 pounds round weight, with a maximum of 150,000 pounds of unprocessed Pacific cod on board the vessel at any time.

For more information, click on the headline of this blog post.

NMFS Extends Comment Period on Proposed Fishing Restrictions in Far Western Aleutian Islands

Comment Period for Western Steller Sea Lions Protection Measure Rule Pushed Back 45 Days

NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service is extending the comment period for the interim final rule to reduce commercial fishing for groundfish stocks in the far western Aleutian Islands. The original public comment period for the interim final rule ends tomorrow (Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011). Today, NMFS filed a notice with the Federal Register to extend the public comment period for an additional 45 days to February 28, 2011.

NMFS claims the fishing restrictions in the far western Aleutian Islands are necessary to protect food sources for endangered Steller sea lions. However, Governor Parnell and a number of commercial fishing groups say NOAA's response is too drastic and that the agency's conclusion isn't supported by the best available scientific information. The State of Alaska filed a lawsuit last month in an attempt to stop NMFS from implementing the restrictions. Earlier this month, several commercial fishing groups also filed suit.

The original comment period occurred over the holiday season, limiting the number of work days available to the public for developing a response to this action. Various stakeholders and members of the public requested more time, so NOAA's Fisheries Service filed for the extension.

For more details, click on the headline of this post to see the press release.

South AK Peninsula Area Tanner Crab & State Waters P. Cod Preseason Stakeholders' Meeting To Be Held in King Cove

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game will host a preseason commercial shellfish stakeholders' meeting on Thursday, January 13, 2011 at 10 a.m. at the Harbor House in King Cove. The purpose of this meeting is to provide commercial stakeholders an opportunity to discuss the 2011 South Alaska Peninsula Area Tanner crab and state waters Pacific cod fisheries with ADF&G management staff. This meeting is open to the public and all interested parties are encouraged to attend. Sand Point residents may participate by teleconference at the Borough Building. False Pass residents may participate by teleconference at the City Office.

Topics to be covered include:

• 2011 Tanner crab and Pacific cod guideline harvest levels (GHLs)


• Commercial shellfish and groundfish fishing regulations


• ADF&G management strategies


• In-season catch reporting and dockside sampling


• Statewide king and Tanner crab Board of Fisheries proposals


• Other shellfish or groundfish issues as time permits

For additional information, please contact March Stichert with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Kodiak at (907) 486-1840.