Purpose and Need

Rapid growth of the domestic groundfish fleet led to the development of reporting requirements of catch information by vessels that process their catch at sea. While fish tickets collected catch data from vessels landing at shore-based processing facilities, the action was aimed at collecting necessary and timely catch information from at-sea processors on extended trips.

While not required by law at the time, incorporation of habitat concerns into the FMP was approved in response to the NMFS Habitat Conservation Policy which advocated such consideration in development of FMPs and amendments. The policy further aimed to strengthen the federal/state partnership to act as stewards of marine habitat.

Analysis

A 40-page RIR/IRFA (dated May 28, 1985) reviewed two actions which arose from the Council's first call for proposals:

Reporting requirements:

• operators of catcher/processor and mothership vessels must indicate on federal fishing permits their capability and intent to preserve catch at sea;
• same operators must check-in/out of a regulatory area;
• same operators that retain fish at sea for 14 days or more to provide a weekly report of the amounts of groundfish caught or received by species by fishing area.  

Four rejected alternatives included the status quo, weekly processor reports with no check-in/check-out reporting, placing observers aboard a portion of the catcher/processor and mothership fleet, and placing observers aboard the entire processing fleet. Approximately 25 vessels harvesting $114 million of groundfish were affected by the decision in 1985.

• Habitat. The Council identified habitat as the source of productivity of the groundfish resource. Two rejected alternatives included status quo and a general habitat conservation objective that would include habitat information in a separate, referenced document rather than in the FMP.

Regulation Summary

Three parts of Amendment 9 were approved:

1. incorporate catcher/processor and mothership vessel reporting requirements to provide NMFS with more timely catch information necessary for adequate in-season management. A reporting system for catch held aboard for 14 days or more by the expanding domestic fleet was established. Permit holders must identify vessels as: harvesting/processing, mothership processing, harvesting only, support only

2. incorporate the NMFS habitat protection policy into the FMP in response to NMFS’ Habitat Conservation Policy which advocates consideration of habitat concerns in developing or amending FMPs

3. incorporate a definition of directed fishing

One action associated with habitat consideration in the FMP, to prohibit the discard of fishing gear and marine debris, was reserved until the required analysis was prepared. A measure to reduce bycatch of fully utilized species by closing an area within 20 miles of the Aleutian Islands to foreign trawling was disapproved.

Results

Under Amendment 9, NMFS implemented weekly processor reporting which has provided necessary data for inseason management and numerous subsequent groundfish analyses.