Fishery summary as of September 11, 2008 NMFS Alaska Region Inseason Management Juneau: Mary Furuness 907 586 7447 Patty Britza 907 586 7376 Josh Keaton 907 586 7519 Steve Whitney 907 586 7269 (Rockfish pilot program, Amendment 80) Kodiak: Tom Pearson 907 481 1780 Dutch Harbor: Brian Dixon 907 581 2062 Reports Effort report (updated Tuesdays): http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/reports/aeffort.txt Status of Fisheries reports: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/2008/status.htm Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Pollock The B season opened noon, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), June 10, 2008. The pollock amounts available for the B season are: inshore 260,680 mt, catcher processors 217,122 mt, motherships 52,138 mt, and CDQ 62,854 mt. This compares to the 2007 B season amounts of: inshore 366,841 mt, catcher processors 293,473 mt, motherships 73,368 mt, and CDQ 83,640 mt. Through September 6, 2008 inshore component delivering 224,727 mt during the B season and are at 92% of the annual TAC. The catcher processors reported 159,645 mt during the B season and are at 86% of the annual TAC. The motherships reported 30,832 mt during the B season and are at 59% of the annual TAC. CDQ reported 47,257 during the B season and are at 87% of the annual TAC. The B season Chinook and non-Chinook salmon (no CDQ) taken in the pollock fishery is: WEEK Chinook Non-Chinook 14-Jun-08 116 1,037 21-Jun-08 71 1,035 28-Jun-08 21 597 05-Jul-08 6 171 12-Jul-08 20 774 19-Jul-08 20 994 26-Jul-08 262 400 02-Aug-08 31 547 09-Aug-08 29 457 16-Aug-08 72 742 23-Aug_08 315 787 30-Aug-08 142 742 09-Sep-08 90 1,407 Total 1,195 9,692 Pacific cod Hook-and-line catcher processor The hook-and-line gear fisheries opened August 15 with 35,400 mt remaining. Thirty-nine catcher processors have participated in the B season. In 2007, 37 CPs took 28,900 mt and the fishery closed October 2. The average weekly rate was about 4,200 mt/week. The 2008 average rate for the three full weeks of the fishery is 3,700 mt. At this rate the 2008 TAC would be reached around October 20-23. The increased allocation to 48.7 percent for the hook-and-line catcher processors and new rollover provisions from Amendment 85 make it likely there will be no further Pacific cod rolled over to the hook-and-line catcher processors in 2008. Hook-and-line catcher processors are now last on the list for Pacific cod rollovers. Week MT Week MT 8/16/08 694 8/18/07 2,347 8/23/08 4,488 8/25/07 5,301 8/30/08 3,744 9/01/07 4,620 9/06/08 2,989 9/08/07 3,997 Total 11,914 16,265 Hook-and-line and pot less than 60 ft NMFS is reallocated 153 mt from the >= 60 ft hook-and-line catcher vessels and 424 mt from the jig gear to the <60 ft hook-and-line or pot catcher vessel fishery. NMFS announced a reopening of the <60 ft hook-and-line or pot catcher vessel fishery at noon, Alaska local time, September 12, 2008 (see information bulletin #08-101). About 597 mt will be available. Hook-and-line greater than or equal to 60 feet LOA No vessels have fished for the Pacific cod allocation for catcher vessels >= 60 ft. NMFS reallocated 150 mt to the jig fishery and 153 mt to the less than 60 ft hook-and-line or pot fishery, see above. Jig Twelve vessels have caught 169 mt of the 260 mt allocation. Trawl The Amendment 80 cooperative is managing their quota. The AFA catcher/processors and Amendment 80 limited access sector allocations are closed to directed fishing. Trawl catcher vessel The trawl catcher vessel C season opened at noon, A.l.t., June 10, 2008. As of August 30 there has been minimal directed fishing in the C season fishery and 3,412 mt remains. The average B season incidental catch through 8/30 in the pollock fishery is about 85 mt/week. Based on this rate about 900 mt of Pacific cod is necessary for the incidental catch in other groundfish fisheries (mostly pollock). This leaves 2,512 mt for a directed fishery. At this time there is no projected closure date for the directed fishery. Pot catcher processor Directed fishing for Pacific cod by pot catcher processors opened September 1, 2008. About 1,067 mt is available. Currently NMFS shows 5 pot catcher processors fishing. NMFS estimates a closure around the end of week ending September 20. In the 2007 B season three catcher processors caught 1,040 mt and the fishery closed September 28, 2007. Pot catcher vessels greater than or equal to 60 feet Directed fishing for Pacific cod by pot catcher vessels >= 60 ft opened September 1, 2008. About 6,142 mt is available. Twelve vessels reported catch for the week September 9. In the 2008 A season, 42 catcher vessels participated. In 2007 B season, 22 catcher vessels >= 60 ft caught 3,414 mt and the fishery closed September 28, 2007. Then the fishery reopened from October 2 to 18, 2007 catching 434 mt. Atka mackerel In 2008 the Atka mackerel allocations change under Amendment 80. NMFS established harvest limit area (HLA) limits for the CDQ reserve and each of the three non-CDQ fishery categories as follows: the BSAI trawl limited access sector, the Amendment 80 limited access sector, and Amendment 80 cooperatives. NMFS reallocated 1,300 mt from the Eastern Aleutian Islands/Bering Sea incidental catch allowance to the Amendment 80 cooperatives B season allocation. Also, NMFS closed the BSAI trawl limited access sector's Atka mackerel fishery in the Bering Sea/Eastern Aleutian District effective September 1 and opened the HLA fisheries on September 3. See information bulletins #08-94 and 08-95. Flathead sole, rock sole, yellowfin sole, and Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch In 2008 the flathead sole and rock sole allocations change under Amendment 80. Flathead sole and rock sole are allocated to the CDQ reserve, Amendment 80 limited access sector, and Amendment 80 cooperatives. Yellowfin sole is allocated to the CDQ reserve, BSAI trawl limited access sector, Amendment 80 limited access sector, and Amendment 80 cooperatives. In 2008 Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch is allocated to the CDQ reserve, BSAI trawl limited access sector, Amendment 80 limited access sector, and Amendment 80 cooperatives. In 2008 there is no seasonal allocation of Pacific ocean perch for these sectors. Halibut mortality limits Trawl gear The 2008 total trawl halibut mortality is 2,064 mt compared the 2007 amount for the same time period of 3,192 mt. In 2007 the trawl fleet only fished pollock and Atka mackerel after August, so the halibut mortality does not increase much after this. Most of the decrease in 2008 is from the Pacific cod target (700 mt), followed by rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish and yellowfin sole targets. Hook-and-line In 2008 the halibut mortality from the hook-and-line catcher processor B season Pacific cod fishery is slightly lower at about 36 mt per week compared to in 2007 at 42 mt per week. In 2008 Amendment 85 allocates the halibut mortality for the hook-and-line Pacific cod fishery between C/Ps and catcher vessels. See the report at: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/2008/car141_bsai_non_sb_without_cdq.pdf Gulf of Alaska Pollock The C season pollock fishery opened August 25, 2008. Area 610 closed September 4. Some catch was mis-reported and is not showing up on the reports. Any remaining amount will rollover to the D season opening at noon, A.l.t, October 1. Area 620 closed September 6 and will remain closed until the D season. Area 630 closed August 26, 2008 and reopened September 1. The effort has been directed at the Pacific cod and arrowtooth flounder fishery. Pacific cod As of September 6, 6,743 mt remains for the inshore and about 650 mt remains for the offshore in the Western GOA. The catch report has an error and shows -73 mt remaining for the offshore component in the Western GOA. About 700 mt of Pacific cod from the State waters South Alaska Peninsula fishery is accounting to the federal allocation for the Western Offshore component. NMFS is working to correct the catch reports. In the Central GOA, 5,935 mt and 1,054 mt remains for the inshore and offshore sectors, respectively. Crab sideboard B season allocations Annual Crab vessel sideboard Catch TAC Remaining Inshore, Central GOA 743 824 81 Offshore, Central GOA 453 590 137 Inshore, Western GOA 1,160 1,579 419 In 2007 the crab sideboarded vessels started fishing in October. The crab sideboard for the inshore components closed October 11, 2007 for the Central and October 14, 2007 for the Western GOA. Halibut mortality As of September 6 the remaining amounts for the 4th season are 97 mt in the shallow-water complex. NMFS is managing the 4th season shallow-water halibut mortality with short openings because of high halibut bycatch rates in past years. The first opening was from September 1 to September 3 and the second from 8 am, September 10 to 8 pm, September 11. NMFS will assess the data next week and determine if another opening is possible. The deep-water complex closed September 11 (see information bulletin #08-104). Halibut mortality for the hook-and-line fleet is at 215 mt of the 290 mt annual allocation. For the first week of the Pacific cod fishery the fleet took 9 mt of halibut mortality. At this rate the limit would be reached in about 8 weeks or November 1. In 2007 the hook-and-line fishery did not close due to halibut mortality. Rockfish Rockfish pilot program (RPP) On September 1, the Entry level fisheries for Pacific ocean perch, pelagic shelf rockfish, and northern rockfish opened when trawl and fixed gear fisheries rolled into the combined catcher vessel fisheries. Information on the Rockfish Program can be found at http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/goarat/default.htm. As in 2007, two catcher/processor cooperatives with five vessels and five shoreside cooperatives with 44 catcher vessels were formed. Seven (four in 2007) catcher/processors and two (three in 2007) catcher vessels elected to participate in the limited access fisheries. Four (seven in 2007) catcher/processors elected to participate in opt out fishery. Five (three in 2007) catcher vessels registered to participate in the entry level fishery. The catch from vessels not registered to participate in the Rockfish Program fishing in State waters will be deducted from the entry level fishery.