17 Renew Walrus Islands Closures, Experimental Permits, Establish Bogoslof District
Purpose and Need
The purpose of the amendment was to address several conservation issues in one package:
1. Authorize experimental fishing permits:
An FMP amendment is proposed whereby the Regional Director, in consultation with the Council and Alaska Fishery Science Center, may issue experimental fishing permits to persons for purposes of obtaining information necessary to promote fishery conservation and management of the fisheries.
2. Establish Walrus Islands groundfish fishing closures:
An FMP amendment is proposed which would institute protective measures for the Walrus Islands in northern Bristol Bay, by reducing the potential disturbance problems caused by vessel activity in the vicinity of haulout areas. The 12-mile buffer zone created in 1989 will expire at the end of 1991.
3. Establish the Bogoslof District:
An FMP amendment is proposed which would create a separate statistical subarea around Bogoslof Island. This measure would allow for the establishment of a separateTAC for pollock in this subarea, thereby providing regulatory protection of Aleutian Basin pollock during spawning to help rebuild the Aleutian Basin pollock stock.
4. Definition of a groundfish pot:
A regulatory amendment is proposed that would define a groundfish pot to differentiate it from king crab and Tanner crab pots. The intent of this action was to address potential enforcement problems of potential crab fishing under the guise of groundfish fishing.
Analysis
A 71-page EA/RIR/IRFA (final draft dated May 14, 1991) was prepared for this amendment. Five management actions were evaluated under this amendment package. The number of alternatives considered under each action were as follows: experimental fishing permits (2), walrus haulout buffer zones (3), rescind GOA area 68 (2), establish the Bogoslof District in the Bering Sea (2), and pot gear restrictions (4). The alternative not adopted for the walrus haulouts would have established a larger groundfish fishing closure from Cape Constantine to Cape Pierce, which would have prohibited the fleet from a productive fishing area for yellowfin sole. This alternative was not chosen because it would have resulted in forgone exvessel revenues of up to $14 million per year, and would have resulted in higher halibut and crab bycatch rates by pushing the fleet to outside areas. Regarding pot gear restrictions, the alternatives not chosen would have conflicted with State regulations or would have required fishermen to have separate pots for groundfish and crab.
Regulation Summary
Amendment 17 prohibits all vessels federally permitted to fish for groundfish from entering the walrus haulout closure areas from April 1 through September 30. These areas include the EEZ within 12 miles of islands named Round Island and The Twins, and around Cape Peirce.
Amendment 17 allows the NMFS Regional Director, after consulting with the Director of the Alaska Fishery Science Center and with the Council, to authorize for limited experimental purposes, the target or incidental harvest of groundfish that would otherwise be prohibited. The amendment also established the Bogoslof Area.
Effective date of implementation was April 24, 1992, except for certain sections effective April 1, 1992.
Results
Since the amendment was approved, the Aleutian Basin pollock stock has not recovered from overfishing by international fleets in the Donut hole, which occurred in the mid to late1980s. Numerous experimental fishing permits have been issued to test gear modifications, observer sampling, methodology, bycatch mortality reduction techniques, etc.