Purpose and Need

Atka mackerel was an important target species of the foreign fishery in the Gulf of Alaska. The directed fishery for this species waned and through lack of interest by the domestic fishery, was combined with "other species" in 1988. The "other species" category was intended to allow for bycatch of species of minor commercial importance such as sculpins, skates, squid, smelts, etc. The "other species" category has been generally available as a Gulf-wide TAC equal to 5% of the sum of TACs for all target fisheries.

In 1990, a directed fishery resumed when a closure of the Atka mackerel fishery in the BSAI resulted in vessels moving into the Western GOA to continue targeting this species. The fishery expanded significantly in 1992 (13,835 mt) and accounted for almost the entire TAC of “other species” in the GOA. As a result, “other species” became non-retainable early in the year (May) in the entire GOA. This closure preempted fishing for “other species” and caused discarding of minor species such as octopus. In 1993, Atka mackerel were again targeted in the GOA, accounting for almost the entire TAC of other species in the Western GOA. As a result, “other species” was closed to directed fishing early in the year (April 2) in the Western GOA. 

The GOA FMP defined “other species” as groundfish species and/or species groups, which are only of slight economic importance or contain economically valuable species, but insufficient data exist to allow separate management. Atka mackerel no longer met this definition. The purpose for the proposed amendment was to improve management of the Atka mackerel resource in the Gulf of Alaska. By establishing Atka mackerel as a target species, harvest levels would be based on biological stock assessments. The proposed amendment would not only reduce the potential for overfishing Atka mackerel, but also allow for increased harvesting of the "other species" complex, and reduce user conflicts within the Western GOA.

Analysis

A 45-page EA (final draft dated July 3, 1993) was prepared for this amendment. Two alternatives including the status quo were considered. The alternative chosen was more conservative in establishing a biologically based acceptable biological catch level for this species in the GOA, rather than allowing for relatively unrestricted catch.

Regulation Summary

Amendment 31 created a separate target category for Atka mackerel in the GOA groundfish FMP. This meant that harvest levels of Atka mackerel would be based on biological stock assessments. Although the catch would primarily occur in the Western Gulf, TAC's for Atka mackerel would be set Gulf-wide to avoid waste and discarding of the small amount caught in the other subareas. The species composition of the other species category would remain the same, with the exception of Atka mackerel. TACs for other species in the GOA would increase to include 5% of the TAC for Atka mackerel.
Correction (58 FR 42758, 08/11/1993)

Results

In the late 1980s, an Atka mackerel population existed in the GOA, primarily in the Shumagin Islands area. By the late 1990s, the TAC was set at bycatch levels (600 mt) because there is no reliable estimate of current biomass and the species had exhibited vulnerability to fishing pressure in a foreign trawl fishery in the 1970s and early 1980s. Because Atka mackerel is thought to be a common prey item for Steller sea lions, all directed fishing for Atka mackerel was prohibited in the GOA beginning in 1996. Data from 2003 to 2011 indicated that most of the Atka mackerel bycatch in the GOA, which was coming out of the Shumagin and Chirikof areas, was taken in the rockfish fisheries. There appears to have been some limited targeted fishing on Atka mackerel since 2003. In 2003, the flatfish and Pacific cod fisheries retained significant amounts of Atka mackerel. For the most part, there has been very little Atka mackerel retained by fisheries, other than rockfish, since 2003. In 2007, the pollock and flatfish fisheries retained Atka mackerel. The amount of Atka mackerel caught by the rockfish fisheries has declined since 2011, dropping significantly in 2014. However, catches of Atka mackerel nearly doubled in the 2015 rockfish fishery. Reports of the fleet encountering more Atka mackerel on the fishing grounds in 2016 led the Council to increase the 2017 TAC from 2,000 to 3,000 t. Catches of Atka mackerel in the rockfish fishery declined in 2016, but retained catches of Atka mackerel in the shallow water flatfish fishery increased. Total catches of Atka mackerel have not increased since 2012, and have remained at about 1,100-1,200 t.