G16 Catcher Processor Reporting Requirements
Purpose and Need
Amendment 16 for the Gulf of Alaska 11a For the Bering Sea were proposed in response to a need for better information from catcher/processors and mothership processor vessels in order to sufficiently address fishery management problems, enforce current regulations, and meet the conservation goals identified in the FMPs. The amendment intended to add to the currently required weekly catch reports by catcher/processors and motherships: information on the number of cartons and unit net weight of a carton of processed fish by species; a Product Transfer Report; and a Cargo Transfer/Offloading Log.
The purpose of the amendment also was to redefine the definition of prohibited species and respecify the other three species categories, and to institute some regulatory changes that would affect the public comment period. Several other minor regulatory changes were made specific only to the Gulf of Alaska FMP.
Analysis
An EA/RIR/IRFA was prepared for which determined that there was no significant environmental impact as a result of this action..
Regulation Summary
The regulations implemented the following provisions to both the GOA and BSAI FMPs:
1) Revised the definition of prohibited species to include Pacific salmonids, Pacific herring, Pacific halibut, king crab, Tanner crab, and steelhead trout. Re-specified the other three categories:
• Target species–pollock, Pacific cod, flounders, rockfish, and sablefish
• Other species–Atka mackerel, squid, sculpins, sharks, skates, eulachon, smelts, capelin, and octopus
• Non-specified species–those species taken incidentally in the groundfish fisheries but are not managed by the FMP. No catch records are required.
2) Required the public comment period for proposed annual specifications and PSC limits to be 30 days following the date of filing of the notice for public inspection with the Office of the Federal Register
3) Augmented the current catcher/processor and mothership reporting requirements with at-sea transfer information, specifically, a Cargo Transfer/Off-Loading Log and Product Transfer Report.
In addition, several minor regulatory changes were included that apply only to the GOA FMP:
• the term “target quotas” for groundfish was changed to “total allowable catches”;
• general reorganization and editing;
• the addition of a vessel safety section; and
• removal of the reserve category for some species of groundfish.
Results
In 2010, Amendment 87 eliminated the “other species” category and allowed for squids, sculpins, sharks, and octopus in the GOA to be managed separately in the “target species” category, and as such, are considered “in the fishery”. Prohibited species and forage fish were moved to the “ecosystem component” category. Non-specified species were removed from the FMPs. Annual Catch Limits (ACLs) were established for all stocks ‘in the fishery’ and set equal to ABC levels that are already annually specified under both FMPs.