G22 Authorize Experimental Fishing Permits, Rescind GOA Statistical Area 68, Define Groundfish Pot
Purpose and Need
The purpose of GOA Amendment 22 (BSAI Amendment 17) was to address several conservation issues in one package:
1) Authorize experimental fishing permits (BSAI and GOA): A FMP amendment is proposed whereby the Regional Director, in consultation with the Council and Alaska Fishery Science Center (AFSC), may issue experimental fishing permits to persons for purposes of obtaining information necessary to promote fishery conservation and management of the fisheries.
2) Rescind GOA Statistical Area 68: A FMP amendment is proposed to delete Statistical Area 68 (East Yakutat District), because it is not needed for fishery conservation and management and is therefore imposing unnecessary recordkeeping and reporting costs.
3) Define a groundfish pot (BSAI and GOA): 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
This amendment allows the NMFS Regional Director, after consulting with the Director of the AFSC 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 combined Statistical Area 68 (East Yakutat District) with Statistical Area 65 (Southeast Outside District).
Effective date of implementation was April 24, 1992, except for certain sections effective April 1, 1992.
Results
Since the amendment was approved, numerous experimental fishing permits (now called “exempted fishing permits”) have been issued to test gear modifications, observer sampling, methodology, bycatch mortality reduction techniques, etc. Links to recent EFPs can be found at: https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries/efp .