14 Regulate Pollock Roe Stripping, Seasonal Allowance Schedule for Pollock
Purpose and Need
Growth of the domestic harvesting and processing capacity in the pollock fishery had created competition for the pollock TAC by 1990. Competition for pollock during the roe season is intensified due to the high value of the roe relative to other products. In addition, extraction of roe can be done faster than production of other pollock products. By roe stripping, fishermen can increase their share of the pollock TAC by quickly producing the most valuable product at the least cost. This amendment was intended to address the following problems:
(a) roe stripping is a wasteful use of the pollock resource;
(b) roe stripping causes unintended allocation of pollock TAC among seasons and industry sectors;
(c) roe stripping may adversely affect the ecosystem;
(d) roe stripping may adversely affect the future productivity of the stock; and
(e) roe stripping increases the difficulty of accurately monitoring the pollock TAC for inseason management.
Analysis
A 138-page EA/RIR/IRFA (final draft dated July 20, 1990) was prepared for this amendment. Five primary alternatives including the status quo were considered. The other alternatives that were not chosen would have just prohibited pollock roe-stripping, required full utilization of all pollock in pollock fisheries, or implemented seasonal allowances for pollock to reduce the amount harvested in the winter-early spring. Options for these alternatives included applying the regulations only to certain areas, and restricting the GOA pollock fishery to midwater gear only. The alternative adopted combined the elements of roe-stripping and seasonal allowances for all areas.
Regulation Summary
The amendment implemented rules that regulated the practice of stripping roe (eggs) from female pollock and discarding female and male pollock carcasses without further processing, and seasonally allocated the TAC of pollock. Season opening dates were established as follows for the GOA: January 1, April, July, and October, and for the BSAI: January 1 and June 1. To get at the issue of roe stripping, product recovery rate standards were established, which if exceeded would constitute a violation. The recovery rate standard established was 10 percent of the total round-weight equivalent of pollock and other pollock products onboard a vessel at any time during a fishing trip. To extrapolate round weight equivalents, the rule established product recovery rates as follows: fillet (18%), surimi (15%), mince (17%), meal (17%), and head & gut (50%).
Results
Since the amendment was approved, the practice of roe stripping has stopped. In 1993, regulations were further tightened to close loopholes that could have potentially undermined the intent of the roe stripping regulations (58 FR 57752). "Fishing trip" and "pollock roe" were better defined as were pollock products that could be used to calculate retainable amounts of pollock roe. Full retention and utilization of pollock were required under Amendment 49.
Correction to proposed rule: Correction (55 FR 39352, 09/26/1990)