Purpose and Need

Salmon are a target species in salmon fisheries, but are taken as incidental bycatch in groundfish trawl fisheries.   The objective of the alternatives considered in the analysis is to provide the Council with the means to control chum salmon bycatch in the BSAI groundfish trawl fisheries.  Chum salmon bycatch control measures were thought to be needed for two reasons. First, many chum salmon stocks are fully utilized, and uncontrolled bycatch constitutes an additional, unaccounted for allocation of the resources.  Second, uncontrolled bycatch levels exceeding recent highs may lead to conservation problems for Alaskan chum salmon populations.  During the previous 10 years, several major river systems had experienced low levels of returns, particularly the Nushagak, Yukon, and Kuskokwim rivers.

Analysis

A 132-page EA/RIR/IRFA (final draft dated March 21, 1995) was prepared for this amendment.  Four alternatives including the status quo were considered, along with seven  options for closure areas.  The other alternatives not chosen would have established a year-round closure in hotspot areas, or changed the starting date for the pollock ‘B’ season.  The alternative chosen allowed for a time/area closure that would be expected to have high bycatch of chum salmon, and allowed for continuation of the closure if salmon bycatch remained high.

Regulation Summary

Amendment 35 established measures to control the amount of chum salmon taken as bycatch in BSAI trawl fisheries.  Specifically, the alternative adopted would close an area in the BSAI to all trawling from August 1 though August 31 (the time of year when bycatch is highest).  In addition, the area would remain closed or re-close after September 1, upon the attainment of a bycatch limit of 42,000 "other" salmon taken within the catcher vessel operational area (CVOA), through October 14.  The chum salmon savings areas is the area bounded by a straight line connecting the following pairs of coordinates in the order listed:

56°00'N., 167°00'W.;

56°00'N., 165°00'W.;

55°30'N., 165°00'W.;

55°30'N., 164°00'W.;

55°00'N., 164°00'W.;

55°00'N., 167°00'W.;

56°00'N., 167°00'W. 

Results

Although more than 42,000 chum salmon were taken over the course of a year from 1995 through 1999, closure of the area has not been triggered because the cap was not attained within the CVOA during the accounting period.  Total number of chum salmon taken annually as bycatch in BSAI groundfish fisheries is shown in the adjacent table.