Bering Sea Chinook Salmon Bycatch

The Council took action in 2009 to recommend a new approach to managing Chinook salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock fishery under Amendment 91.  This new approach combines a limit on the amount of Chinook salmon that may be caught incidentally with incentive plan agreements and performance standard to reduce bycatch. This program was designed to minimize bycatch to the extent practicable in all years, prevent bycatch from reaching the limit in most years, while providing the pollock fleet with the flexibility to harvest the total allowable catch.  This program was implemented by NMFS for the 2011 fishery.  Previously Chinook salmon bycatch had been managed in the Bering Sea through triggered time and area closures and most recently by a fleet-managed rolling hot spot (RHS) bycatch avoidance program.  The Council is currently developing a separate program for managing the bycatch of chum salmon in the Bering Sea Pollock fishery.

The amendment analysis for Amendment 91, information on historical Chinook salmon bycatch trends, incentive plan agreements and other information on Chinook salmon bycatch management and monitoring can be found at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/bycatch/default.htm. 
Other documents presented to the Council in conjunction with this action and prior amendments for management of Chinook salmon bycatch are included by year below. 

Documents and Council Motions

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005