Final action is scheduled at December’s North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting on electronic monitoring integration and the charter halibut recreational quota entry program.
Also on the agenda for the Dec. 6-14 meeting in Anchorage are announcements on the final specifications for the harvest of groundfish in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and the Gulf of Alaska, 2017 charter halibut management measures, a preliminary analysis of Gulf of Alaska trawl bycatch management, a review of an application for a red king crab savings area, and industry reports on Amendment 80 cooperatives’ halibut prohibited species catch measures.
Amendment 80, implemented in 2008, allocates Bering Sea and Aleutian Island yellowfin sole, flathead sole, rock sole, Atka mackerel and Aleutian Islands Pacific Ocean perch to the head and gut trawl catcher processor sector, and allows qualified vessels to form cooperatives. The program establishes Gulf of Alaska groundfish sideboard limits for Pollock, Pacific cod, Pacific Ocean perch, northern rockfish, and pelagic shelf rockfish, as well as Gulf halibut prohibited species catch. The Gulf sideboard restrictions are based on historic participation from 1998 through 2004.
A highlight of the December meeting will be an already sold-out dinner marking the 40th anniversary of the federal fisheries council.
Speakers for the anniversary dinner have not yet been announced.
Other meetings slated at the Hilton in conjunction with the NPFMC session include the Scientific and Statistical Committee, Dec 6-9, the Advisory Panel, Dec. 7-11, the Charter Halibut Management Committee, Dec. 6, the Recreational Quota Entity Committee, Dec. 6, and the Ecosystem and Enforcement committees, both on Dec. 7.
All meetings are open to the public, except executive sessions.
The deadline for written comments is 5 p.m. on Nov. 29. Those comments should be emailed to
A link to information on submitting comments in writing or in person can be found in the public comment information, by clicking on the council agenda.
The council meeting will be broadcast at https://npfmc.adobeconnect.com/december2016
.gif)