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
- Salmon Bycatch Data Collection motion; BSAI Salmon Bycatch motion; Outreach plan - chum salmon bycatch in BS pollock fisheries - 12/09
- Chinook Salmon Bycatch Data Collection - 12/09
- Salmon Bycatch Workgroup Meeting MInutes - 12/09
- Salmon Bycatch Data Collection motion - 6/09
- Community Data Collection Powerpoint; AFA Pollock and Salmon Bycatch Data Collection ppt
- Salmon Bycatch data collection paper - 6/09
- Salmon Bycatch Motion - 4/09
- Chinook Salmon Bycatch in the Bering Sea Pollock Fishery PPT - 2/09
2008
- Notice of participating in community meetings on salmon bycatch Nome - 9/08
- Letter to Council from NMFS regarding Salmon Bycatch
- BSAI Salmon bycatch motion - 6/08
- BSAI Salmon bycatch EIS, RIR, IRFA, Appendix C - 6/08
- BSAI Salmon bycatch motion 4/08 (revised)
- BSAI Salmon Bycatch Description of Alternatives
- BSAI Salmon Bycatch Motion 2/08
- Salmon Bycatch Management and Monitoring in the Bering Sea Pollock Fisheries
- BSAI Salmon Bycatch discussion paper 1/08
2007
- Salmon Bycatch motion - 12/07
- BSAI AM 84: Modifying existing Chum and Chinook Salmon Savings Areas (final rule, 10/07)
- Salmon Bycatch Motion - 10/07
- Salmon bycatch workgroup report - 8/07
- Salmon bycatch workshop, AGENDA - 3/07 ( abstracts, amendment 84B alternatives, presentations: Gruver, Ianelli, Haflinger, Sandone)
- BSAI Salmon bycatch motion - 6/07
- Salmon Bycatch Workshop AGENDA - 4/07
- Salmon bycatch discussion paper - 2/07
2006
- SSC workshop on Salmon Bycatch - 4/06: Abstracts, SSC report. PowerPoints: BSAI Salmon; Overview; Gene; Haynie, Ianelli, Murphy, Seebs, Wilmont
2005
- Salmon bycatch motion 10/05
- BSAI Salmon Bycatch EA/RIR, maps - 6/05
- BSAI Salmon bycatch motion - 6/05
- BSAI Salmon Bycatch Motion - 4/05
- BSAI Salmon bycatch motion - 2/05
- BSAI Salmon bycatch discussion paper - 2/05