Current Issues

The Council takes up many issues involving Alaska's fisheries.  Some issues occur annually, like setting the total allowable catch for each species and area; some are a result of an individual or group's request or proposal.  After a proposal is presented and the Council reviews it, it may go to a committee where alternatives and options are drafted.  The Council may then initiate an analysis of the proposal.  This analysis examines the impacts to the fisheries, to the economics of communities, the effects on the ecosystem, and how the proposed changes would effect the current way the fisheries operate. 

Analysis goes through several reviews and modifications.  Decisions to change, select, or otherwise modify the proposal are made my recorded vote in the council in a public forum after public comment.  Final decisions then go to the Secretary of Commerce for a second review, public comment, and final approval.  Decisions must conform with the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Regulatory Flexibility Act, and other applicable law including several executive orders.  Regulatory changes may take up to a year or longer to implement, particularly if complex or contentious.