Find amendments across Fishery Management Plans

49 Improved Retention / Improved Utilization Program

This amendment establishes the Improved Retention/Improved Utilization (IR/IU) Program for the Gulf of Alaska by requiring full retention of pollock, Pacific cod, and shallow-water flatfish and setting minimum utilization standards for at-sea processors. The action reduces discards, improves utilization of harvested groundfish, and responds to the socioeconomic needs of the fishing industry while supporting the goals of the Fishery Management Plan.

49 Development of the Improved Retention/Improved Utilization Program

This amendment establishes the Improved Retention/Improved Utilization (IR/IU) Program by requiring full retention of pollock, Pacific cod, rock sole, and yellowfin sole and setting minimum utilization standards for at-sea processors. The action reduces discards, improves utilization of harvested groundfish, and responds to the socioeconomic needs of the fishing industry while supporting the goals of the Fishery Management Plan.

41 Bairdi PSC Caps

This amendment reduced the prohibited species catch (PSC) limits for Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi) in Bering Sea Zones 1 and 2 and adjusted the associated PSC allocations for BSAI trawl fisheries. The intended effect was to protect the declining Tanner crab stock and support the conservation objectives of the Fishery Management Plan.

44 Overfishing Definitions

This amendment revises the definitions of acceptable biological catch (ABC) and overfishing levels (OFL) for groundfish species and species groups in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands. The action ensures conservation and management measures are based on the best scientific information available and supports the Council's ability to achieve optimum yield from the fisheries.

G44 Overfishing Definitions

This amendment revised definitions of acceptable biological catch and overfishing levels for groundfish species or species groups. This action was necessary to ensure that conservation and management measures continue to be based upon the best scientific information available. It is intended to advance the North Pacific Fishery Management Council's ability to achieve, on a continuing basis, the optimum yield from fisheries under its authority.

37 Modify Red King Crab Prohibited Species Catch Limits, Establish Bristol Bay Red King Crab Savings Area and Nearshore Bristol Bay Trawl Closure Area, Increase Observer Coverage

Amendment 37 closes portions of Bristol Bay, make adjustments to the prohibited species catch limit for red king crab in Zone 1 of the Bering Sea, and increase observer coverage in specified areas related to the trawl closures. These measures are necessary to protect the red king crab stocks in Bristol Bay, which have declined to a level that presents a serious conservation problem for this stock.

46 Pacific Cod Allocation II

This amendment allocates the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Pacific cod total allowable catch among trawl, fixed gear, and jig gear fisheries, establishes seasonal allocations for the fixed gear sector, and provides procedures for reallocating unused quota among gear types. The action responds to the socioeconomic needs of the fishing industry while supporting the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan.

47 Authorize an Interim North Pacific Groundfish and Halibut Observer Program

This amendment establishes an Interim Groundfish Observer Program by implementing mandatory observer coverage requirements through 1997, repeals the North Pacific Fisheries Research Plan, and makes related technical and conforming changes to the groundfish and crab fishery management plans. The action improves observer data collection while supporting the development of a long-term observer program that addresses data integrity, cost distribution, and observer working conditions.

47 Authorize an Interim North Pacific Groundfish and Halibut Observer Program

These amendments establish an interim North Pacific groundfish observer program and maintain existing groundfish observer coverage requirements. They also remove references to the North Pacific Fisheries Research Plan and clarify observer requirements for groundfish vessels, processors, and crab fisheries.

43 Individual Fishing Quota Vessel Sweep Up

This amendment increases the consolidation ("sweep-up") limits for small Pacific halibut and sablefish quota share blocks under the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program. The action is intended to maintain the program's goals of preventing excessive consolidation, preserving fleet diversity, and supporting new entrants while providing greater flexibility and improving the economic efficiency of fishing operations.

G43 Individual Fishing Quota Vessel Sweep Up

This amendment was necessary to increase the consolidation levels for small quota share blocks for Pacific halibut and sablefish managed under the Individual Fishing Quota IFQ) program. This action was intended to maintain consistency with the objectives of the IFQ program (i.e., prevent excessive consolidation of quota share, maintain diversity of the fishing fleet, and allow new entrants into the fishery), while increasing the program's flexibility by allowing a moderately greater amount of quota share to be "swept-up'' into larger amounts that can be fished more economically.

G38 Revised Pacific Ocean Perch Rebuilding Plan

This amendment allowed the Council to recommend a Pacific Ocean perch total allowable catch at or below the amount dictated by the formula in the Rebuilding Plan. The regulations specify that any downward adjustments would be based on biological or resource conservation concerns about the Pacific Ocean perch stock or associated with the Pacific Ocean perch fishery that are not accounted for in the Rebuilding Plan or the annual stock assessment reports.

42 Vessel Buy-Down—IFQs

This amendment allowed quota shares (QS) and their associated individual fishing quota (IFQ) assigned to larger vessels to be used on smaller vessels. The intended effect was to increase flexibility in the use and transfer of quota shares while maintaining the management goals of the Individual Fishing Quota Program.

G42 Individual Fishing Quota Vessel Fish Down

This amendment allowed quota shares and their associated IFQ assigned to vessels in larger size categories to be used on smaller vessels. This action was necessary to increase the flexibility of QS use and transfer while maintaining the management goals of the IFQ Program. It was intended to relieve certain restrictions in the IFQ Program.

S1 One Year Closure

The management measures established under Amendment 1 and implemented by this final rule include: gear and efficiency restrictions; scallop registration areas and districts; procedures for specifying total allowable catch and crab bycatch limits; time and area closures; in-season management authority; fishing seasons; observer coverage requirements

33 Limited Processing of Non-Individual Fishing Quota Species

This amendment was necessary to allow fuller use of the fishery resources in and off of Alaska. It was intended to allow persons authorized to harvest individual fishing quota sablefish to process species other than IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish.

G37 Limited Processing of Non-Individual Fishing Quota Species

This amendment was necessary to allow fuller use of the fishery resources in and off of Alaska. It was intended to allow persons authorized to harvest individual fishing quota sablefish to process species other than IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish.

26 Salmon Retention for Food Banks

This rule authorizes a voluntary Salmon Donation Program for distribution of Pacific salmon taken as bycatch in the groundfish trawl fisheries off Alaska to economically disadvantaged individuals by tax-exempt organizations through a NOAA Fisheries-authorized distributor. This action is necessary to support industry initiatives to reduce waste from discard in the groundfish fisheries by processing salmon bycatch for human consumption.

G29 Salmon Retention for Food Banks

This rule authorizes a voluntary Salmon Donation Program for distribution of Pacific salmon taken as bycatch in the groundfish trawl fisheries off Alaska to economically disadvantaged individuals by tax-exempt organizations through a NOAA Fisheries-authorized distributor. This action is necessary to support industry initiatives to reduce waste from discard in the groundfish fisheries by processing salmon bycatch for human consumption.

G45 Pollock Trimester Allowances

This amendment combined the third and fourth quarterly allowances for pollock in the three statistical areas of the combined Western and Central Regulatory Area into single seasonal allowances that become available on September 1 of each fishing year. Changes to the final 1996 harvest specifications of Gulf of Alaska pollock were also made to reflect the revised seasonal allowances. These measures were necessary to address management problems that had been identified by the fishing industry.