Purpose and Need

The purpose of the amendment was to modify the regulations designed to control halibut bycatch in the foreign longline fisheries.  Under the original FMP, foreign longline vessels were prohibited from fishing landward of the 500 meter depth contour in the Winter Halibut Savings Area (WHSA) from December 1 through May 31. The provision was intended to protect juvenile Pacific halibut when they concentrate in the WHSA. An amendment was proposed by the Japanese longline industry to eliminate the 500 meter depth restriction, because they felt it would prevent the harvest of their Pacific cod allocations.

Analysis

An 18 page EA was prepared for this amendment.  Three alternatives including the status quo were considered.  The other alternative not chosen would have eliminated all area restrictions on foreign longliners and thus allowed them to fish year-round in the WHSA regardless of depth.  Problems identified with this alternative included gear conflicts and an increase in bycatch of halibut.

The alternative chosen would allow foreign longline vessels to pursue Pacific cod in shallow waters, while at the same time provide incentives to reduce halibut bycatch.  The 500 meter depth restriction was maintained because bycatch rates for halibut in the Pacific cod fishery are higher in shallower waters.  The 105 mt bycatch limit was a 25 percent reduction from the average 1978-81 incidental take of halibut in the BSAI foreign longline fishery.  

Regulation Summary

Amendment 7 allowed the foreign longline fleet to fish in the shallow waters of the WHSA so as to allow them to catch their allocation of Pacific cod.  However, the depth restriction would be reimposed if the foreign longline fleet in the entire BSAI caught 105 metric tons of halibut as bycatch during the 12 month period of June 1 through May 31.  Thus, if the incidental catch of Pacific halibut by foreign longline vessels in the BSAI reached 105 mt between June 1 and November 30, the WHSA would be closed to foreign longlining landward of the 500 meter depth contour for the 6-month period December 1 through May 31.  If the incidental catch limit of 105 mt was reached from December 1 though May 31, the restriction would be reimposed for whatever remained of that 6-month period.

Results

Foreign longline vessels were able to catch their allocation of Pacific cod, until phased out by domestic fisheries. The adjacent table shows the catch of Pacific cod in foreign and domestic longline fisheries.  No information could be found on the bycatch of halibut associated with this fishery.