GROUNDFISH FORUM'S PROJECTS IN 2001
The H&G Sector has retained its seat on the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council's (NPFMC) Advisory Panel. With the departure mid-year of John Henderschedt, Teressa Kandianis stepped in to continue to provide representation for the H&G sector on the NPFMC's Advisory Panel. Teressa has done an impressive job of informing the panel on H&G issues and contributing to the development of improvements to management of our fisheries.
Groundfish Forum gave a presentation to the Alaska State Legislature on the industry perspective of the effects of fishing gear on benthic habitat.
In March 2000, the Fish and Wildlife Service published a proposed designation of critical habitat for Steller's eiders, which included the Kuskokwim Bay area. In June 2000, Groundfish Forum responded with a letter requesting a change in the critical habitat boundaries so the impact on the H&G fleet would be as minimal as possible. Groundfish Forum pointed out that the initial boundary proposal spanned an area that included depths well beyond the foraging range of Steller's eiders. Groundfish Forum specifically requested that boundaries be designated at either 25 miles from the shoreline or at the 10-fathom curve, whichever was closer to shore, thereby not including areas fished for yellowfin sole, while still providing adequate protections for eiders. Fish and Wildlife's final designation for critical habitat in the Kuskokwim Bay incorporates Groundfish Forum's proposal.The RPA Committee is made up of a cross section of industry, government scientists and managers and environmentalists. The committee is the North Pacific Fishery Management Council's (NPFMC) response to Senator Stevens' amendment to the final Appropriations bill for the 106th Congress, which directed the NPFMC to propose modifications to the November 2000 RPA's contained in the Biological Opinion. Groundfish Forum is a participant on the committee. The RPA Committee met several times during the year and proposed Alternative 4, the area and fishery specific approach, as the preferred alternative. The draft biological opinion, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act Section 7, concluded that the proposed action implemented by this alternative would not be likely to cause jeopardy or adverse modification. Alternative 4 includes a platoon management system for the Atka mackerel fishery participants which should allow that fishery to catch its harvest limit in sea lion critical habitat while adequately protecting sea lions.
This committee will make national policy recommendations for the management of fishing effects on fish habitat. Groundfish Forum staff and members gave presentations at the Panel's Anchorage meeting in June. The presentations focused on the history of fishing in Alaska, how fishing gear has been adapted over time, and a boat owner's perspective.
In early April 2001, part B of the 2000 EFP was conducted in the southeast Bering Sea aboard the F/V Northwest Explorer. This part of the EFP was a cooperative research effort between The Groundfish Forum, Trident Seafoods and scientists from the RACE Division of the NMFS's Alaska Fisheries Science Center. In contrast to previous studies, a recapture net was not used and tows with matched nets were alternated with and without the excluder, which allowed testing under actual commercial fishing conditions. Seven excluder tows were completed using the skate and slot excluders, as well as seven control tows. Comparisons of the catch per hour from those tows showed that the average cod catch with the excluders was 11% lower than the control tows, while decreases of halibut, pollock and rock sole were 86%, 97% and 99%, respectively. Only the cod difference was not statistically significant. Analysis of the length data indicates that cod escapes were mostly fish smaller than 55 cm. There was agreement that excluder performance would likely be improved by moving the device forward, further away from the codend.
MCA is an industry group created to take the counter-offensive against anti-fishing campaigns by pooling industry resources to promote science-based management of fisheries. Groundfish Forum joined the group and John Gauvin is on the MCA Board. MCA hired a noted attorney to provide comments on the role of the National Marine Fishery Service (NMFS) versus the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) in the development of management alternatives for the Programmatic Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (PSEIS). A benthic ecologist, Dr. Franz Mueter, was also hired to review the scientific baseline on the effects of fishing gear on habitat for the PSEIS. There is very little in the way of conclusive evidence regarding the long term negative effects of bottom trawling on habitat, yet the SEIS cited some PR driven studies, commissioned by anti-trawl environmental groups. Dr. Mueter's work has been incorporated into the trawl industry's written comments submitted to the Programmatic SEIS, the Supplemental SEIS, and the Draft Bi-op. Groundfish Forum was directly involved with working on these issues and we have been instrumental in working with the MCA to develop and deliver scientific and educational information about the impacts of commercial fishing on the environment.
Groundfish Forum presented the Council with an IR/IU modification package. The Council has scheduled the modification package to be analyzed and reviewed. Modifications are scheduled to be made prior to January 1, 2003 when IR/IU goes into full effect and will include yellowfin sole and rock sole. Our proposal keeps the flatfish industry economically viable while reducing flatfish discards considerably.