Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Modify Groundfish Season Timing in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Fisheries
Key claim: NOAA proposes to let managers set Alaska sablefish season hours to match the Pacific halibut season and to close groundfish fisheries at times other than a fixed clock, so boats discard less fish and harvests can be limited more precisely.
Abstract
(Proposed Rule · Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) NMFS proposes two technical revisions to regulations for the opening and closing times of groundfish fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) and Gulf of Alaska (GOA) management areas. First, this proposed rule would authorize NMFS to determine the opening and closing times for the sablefish Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) and Community Development Quota (CDQ) fishing season, taking into consideration the halibut IFQ/CDQ season set by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). Second, this proposed rule would allow NMFS flexibility to change the time of day for closing a groundfish fishery. This proposed rule is necessary to minimize regulatory discards, reduce uncertainty for fishery participants, and enable fuller utilization and more precise limitation of allowable harvest. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act), the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish of the BSAI Management Area (BSAI FMP) and the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish Fisheries of the GOA (GOA FMP), and other applicable laws.
Why this matters
Alaska sablefish and Pacific halibut are often caught on the same trips, and mismatched season clocks force fishermen to discard legal fish or make extra trips. Giving NMFS discretion to align sablefish hours with halibut and to close groundfish fisheries at non-fixed times is a technical change aimed at reducing waste and tightening in-season catch control without altering who may fish or how much may be caught. Consumer and price effects should be minimal; the main impact is on Alaska longline operators’ efficiency and bycatch.