NOAA Fisheries

Amendment 80 to the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Fishery Management Plan (FMP)

Last updated: 03/11/09

Fishery Information

Allocations - Groundfish and Prohibited Species Catch (PSC)

• 2009 Allocations

Applications and Forms

• Application to Transfer Quota Share
• Application to Transfer Cooperative Quota
• Application for Quota Share
• Application for the Limited Access Fishery
• Application for Cooperative and CQ Permit Issuance
• Economic Data Report

Program Information

Checklist - Small Entity Compliance Guide

• Amendment 80 Checklist

Cooperative Reports

• Best Use Cooperative, March 2009

Permits Issued and Related Information

• A-80 Account Balances and Ledger Reports
• A-80 Cooperatives and Member Vessels: 2009, 2008
• A-80 Limited Access Permits and Holders: 2009, 2008
• A-80 Quota Share Holders: 2009, 2008
• A-80 Quota Share Pools: 2009
• Initial Issuance of A-80 QS holders
• Final Fishery Denominators

Sideboard Management

• Guide to Amendment 80 and Rockfish Program Sideboards

Vessel Replacement

• Implementation and of Amendment 80 Vessel Replacement Provisions, Arctic Sole Seafoods v. Gutierrez, October 2008

Final Rule

• 73 FR 27768, May 14, 2008. Correction to 72 FR 52668 (September 14, 2007). Effective January 1, 2008.
  • Program Overview
  • Summary of Key Changes Made in the Amendment 80 Final Rule in Response to Public Comment
  • 72 FR 52668, September 14, 2007. Final rule to implement Amendment 80 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the BSAI.
  • Final EA/RIR/FRFA

Fishery Management Plan (FMP) Amendment

• 72 FR 21198, April 30, 2007. Notice of Availability of Amendment 80 to the BSAI FMP.
• Amendment 80 to BSAI FMP
• June 2006 North Pacific Fishery Management Council Motion

About Amendment 80 to the BSAI FMP

Amendment 80 was adopted by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) in June 2006. The final rule implementing Amendment 80 published in the Federal Register on September 14, 2007. This action allocates several Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) non-pollock trawl groundfish species among trawl fishery sectors, and facilitate the formation of harvesting cooperatives in the non-American Fisheries Act (non-AFA) trawl catcher/processor sector.

The Council adopted Amendment 80 to meet the broad goals of: (1) improving retention and utilization of fishery resources by the non-AFA trawl catcher/processor fleet by extending the groundfish retention standard (GRS) to non-AFA trawl catcher/processor vessels of all lengths; (2) allocating fishery resources among BSAI trawl harvesters in consideration of historic and present harvest patterns and future harvest needs; (3) authorizing the allocation of groundfish species to harvesting cooperatives and establishing a limited access privilege program (LAPP) for the non-AFA trawl catcher/processors to reduce potential GRS compliance costs, encourage fishing practices with lower discard rates, and improve the opportunity for increasing the value of harvested species; and (4) limiting the ability of non-AFA trawl catcher/processors to expand their harvesting capacity into other fisheries not managed under a LAPP.

The groundfish species in the BSAI directly affected by Amendment 80 include:

• Atka mackerel
• Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch
• Flathead sole
• Pacific cod
• Rock sole
• Yellowfin sole

In addition, Amendment 80 would modify the management of halibut and crab prohibited species catch (PSC) limits.

Contact Information

Glenn Merrill
PH: (907) 586-7228
Email: Glenn.Merrill@noaa.gov

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