Halibut bycatch reduction approved for gulf, starting in 2014 - 1080p Car DVR - HD720p Car Black Box
A hard fought battle by stakeholders of Alaska s halibut resourceto limit the incidental harvest of the prized fish is taking a stepforward, in a move calculated by federal fisheries managers to giveGulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries time to adjust. The action before the North Pacific Fishery Management Council atKodiak at June 8 came after extensive testimony mostly for, butalso against putting in place a 15 percent reduction in the tons ofhalibut taken annually in Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries.Under the motion passed by a 10-1 vote, the bycatch reduction willbe phased in at 7 percent in 2014, then 5 percent in 2015 and 3percent in 2016. More than 1,500 people signed onto a letter asking the council forthe reduction in the bycatch quota, particularly in the face ofdeclining halibut stocks and a decline in the average size of thesucculent flatfish. The motion approved a 15 percent reduction in bycatch in the trawland hook and line gear in the catcher vessel fleet, plus a 7percent reduction in bycatch in the freezer-longliner catcherprocessor boats. Jonathan Warrenchuk, an ocean scientist with Oceana, a conservationgroup dedicated to protection of the world s oceans, said thephased in approach was a bit of a surprise.
It is pretty clear,this is just a Band Aid, he said. The halibut resource lookslike it is in trouble and managers are making big cuts, but thecuts were needed now. They weren t even considering a large numberto begin with. This is too much of a compromise.
Still, Warrenchuk calculated that when fully in place in 2016, theaction would result in a reduction of over 300 metric tons ofhalibut annually. Linda Behnken, executive director of the Alaska LonglineFishermen s Association in Sitka, and a long time advocate ofsharing the responsibility of resource sustainability among thestakeholders, thanked the council for taking meaningful action toprotect our halibut resource. Behnken said she was speaking onbehalf of the longliner association, and the more than 1,500 sport,commercial, subsistence harvesters and other halibut users inAlaska who called for reducing the waste. What we are saying is that at this point it is important toreduce exploitation on the stocks by all users to protect thatrebuilding potential of the stock, she said. Behnken reminded the council that in the late 1980s, when theprevious halibut bycatch allowance was determined for Gulf ofAlaska groundfish fisheries, that the commercial catch limit was 69million pounds. HD720p Car Black Box
By 2012, the International Pacific HalibutCommission had, in a series of conservation efforts of its own,lowered the allowable commercial catch to 34 million pounds. Fifteen percent is a reasonable compromise, she said. This action will help protect the health of the halibutpopulation and the jobs of thousands of commercial and charterhalibut fishermen in our coastal communities who rely on halibut, said Theresa Peterson, a fish harvester and Kodiak outreachcoordinator for the Alaska Marine Conservation Council. Weapplaud the council for taking this important first step and welook forward to the future action by fishery managers to furtherlimit bycatch for the long-term health of the halibut resource, she said. 1080p Car DVR
The council, said Alaska Commissioner of Fish and Game CoraCampbell, is moving to minimize bycatch to the extent practicablegiven the situation the fleet is in now. The phased cutback inbycatch limits is to provide time for the gulf groundfish industryto adjust to the reductions, she said. Council chairman Eric Olson said the phased bycatch reduction wouldhelp incrementally but that tools needed to be developed to helpthe fleet deal with less halibut and he hoped that discussion wouldbegin quickly. Julie Bonney, executive director of the Alaska Groundfish Data Bankin Kodiak , proposed a five year research plan to find out what iscausing the decline in the halibut biomass and size of the halibut.She urged the council to refrain from bycatch reductions until thematter had been studied further and tools developed to reduce thebycatch. HD720p Car Black Box
Making a big cut on the trawl side is not going to increase theproductivity of halibut stocks, she said. The council also heard proposed amendments from its own membershipto reduce the bycatch limits and to increase the phased inapproach. Council member John Henderschedt, of, Seattle, proposed reducingthe bycatch limit by 12 percent, rather than 15 percent, whilecouncil member Bill Tweit, of the Washington Department of Fish andWildlife offered an amendment to the motion to stretch the phasedin reduction in halibut bycatch limits to four years, in order toallow more time to develop tools to help reduce the bycatch. Both amendments failed.
The trawl fisheries have been under fire for decades because of thehuge nets they use, which catch many fish other than those they aretargeting. By the time those fish are dumped back into the ocean,their mortality rate is negligible. National standards for fishery conservation and management set downa number of mandates for fisheries managers to follow in allfishery management plans and any regulations promulgated toimplement such plans. Much mention at the Kodiak meeting was made of these nationalstandards, particularly national standards 1, 8 and 9. The firstdirects that conservation and management measures preventoverfishing while achieving, on a continuing basis, the optimumyield from each fishery for the fishing industry.
National Standard 8 directs that conservation and managementmeasures must take into account the importance of fishery resourcesto fishing communities and minimize adverse economic impacts onsuch communities. National Standard 9 dictates that conservation and managementmeasures shall, to the extent practicable, minimize bycatch and tothe extent bycatch cannot be avoided, minimize the mortality ofsuch bycatch. People have waited decades for responsive action, saidKodiak s Peterson. Thirty-five communities in Alaska are calling for action here. Wedo not have the luxury to sit back and do nothing at this time.
You can reach Margaret Bauman with comments and suggestions at mbauman@thecordovatimes.com.
It is pretty clear,this is just a Band Aid, he said. The halibut resource lookslike it is in trouble and managers are making big cuts, but thecuts were needed now. They weren t even considering a large numberto begin with. This is too much of a compromise.
Still, Warrenchuk calculated that when fully in place in 2016, theaction would result in a reduction of over 300 metric tons ofhalibut annually. Linda Behnken, executive director of the Alaska LonglineFishermen s Association in Sitka, and a long time advocate ofsharing the responsibility of resource sustainability among thestakeholders, thanked the council for taking meaningful action toprotect our halibut resource. Behnken said she was speaking onbehalf of the longliner association, and the more than 1,500 sport,commercial, subsistence harvesters and other halibut users inAlaska who called for reducing the waste. What we are saying is that at this point it is important toreduce exploitation on the stocks by all users to protect thatrebuilding potential of the stock, she said. Behnken reminded the council that in the late 1980s, when theprevious halibut bycatch allowance was determined for Gulf ofAlaska groundfish fisheries, that the commercial catch limit was 69million pounds. HD720p Car Black Box
By 2012, the International Pacific HalibutCommission had, in a series of conservation efforts of its own,lowered the allowable commercial catch to 34 million pounds. Fifteen percent is a reasonable compromise, she said. This action will help protect the health of the halibutpopulation and the jobs of thousands of commercial and charterhalibut fishermen in our coastal communities who rely on halibut, said Theresa Peterson, a fish harvester and Kodiak outreachcoordinator for the Alaska Marine Conservation Council. Weapplaud the council for taking this important first step and welook forward to the future action by fishery managers to furtherlimit bycatch for the long-term health of the halibut resource, she said. 1080p Car DVR
The council, said Alaska Commissioner of Fish and Game CoraCampbell, is moving to minimize bycatch to the extent practicablegiven the situation the fleet is in now. The phased cutback inbycatch limits is to provide time for the gulf groundfish industryto adjust to the reductions, she said. Council chairman Eric Olson said the phased bycatch reduction wouldhelp incrementally but that tools needed to be developed to helpthe fleet deal with less halibut and he hoped that discussion wouldbegin quickly. Julie Bonney, executive director of the Alaska Groundfish Data Bankin Kodiak , proposed a five year research plan to find out what iscausing the decline in the halibut biomass and size of the halibut.She urged the council to refrain from bycatch reductions until thematter had been studied further and tools developed to reduce thebycatch. HD720p Car Black Box
Making a big cut on the trawl side is not going to increase theproductivity of halibut stocks, she said. The council also heard proposed amendments from its own membershipto reduce the bycatch limits and to increase the phased inapproach. Council member John Henderschedt, of, Seattle, proposed reducingthe bycatch limit by 12 percent, rather than 15 percent, whilecouncil member Bill Tweit, of the Washington Department of Fish andWildlife offered an amendment to the motion to stretch the phasedin reduction in halibut bycatch limits to four years, in order toallow more time to develop tools to help reduce the bycatch. Both amendments failed.
The trawl fisheries have been under fire for decades because of thehuge nets they use, which catch many fish other than those they aretargeting. By the time those fish are dumped back into the ocean,their mortality rate is negligible. National standards for fishery conservation and management set downa number of mandates for fisheries managers to follow in allfishery management plans and any regulations promulgated toimplement such plans. Much mention at the Kodiak meeting was made of these nationalstandards, particularly national standards 1, 8 and 9. The firstdirects that conservation and management measures preventoverfishing while achieving, on a continuing basis, the optimumyield from each fishery for the fishing industry.
National Standard 8 directs that conservation and managementmeasures must take into account the importance of fishery resourcesto fishing communities and minimize adverse economic impacts onsuch communities. National Standard 9 dictates that conservation and managementmeasures shall, to the extent practicable, minimize bycatch and tothe extent bycatch cannot be avoided, minimize the mortality ofsuch bycatch. People have waited decades for responsive action, saidKodiak s Peterson. Thirty-five communities in Alaska are calling for action here. Wedo not have the luxury to sit back and do nothing at this time.
You can reach Margaret Bauman with comments and suggestions at mbauman@thecordovatimes.com.
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