GROUNDFISH
FORUM'S PROJECTS IN 2006
Groundfish Forum was pleased to bring Lori
Swanson on
as Executive Director in January 2006. Prior to this position, Lori was
the Special Projects Coordinator for Groundfish Forum. Lori also worked
for NET Systems (a trawl gear designer/manufacturer) and as a deckhand,
observer and joint-venture representative on foreign fishing operations.
The
Coast Guard finalized this initiative in 2006
with extensive consultation with Groundfish Forum and other
associations, vessel owners and operators from the head & gut
(H&G) fleet. The goals of the initiative are to improve safety in
the H&G fleet in a reasonable and practicable manner, allowing the
H&G fleet to continue production of its historically important fish
produce lines, and integrate certain aspects of fishery management with
vessel safety by taking into account the H&G fleet's need to meet
future retention requirements.
Bi-weekly bycatch teleconferences,
organized by
Groundfish Forum Special Projects Coordinator Greer Cowan, continued
throughout 2006 during the fishing seasons between Groundfish Forum
members and other head & gut industry participants to help the
vessels control their prohibited species catch (PSC) so they could fish
as much of their target species as possible.
Lori Swanson continued to
represent the head &
gut sector on the AP throughout 2006.
Lori Swanson continued to participate in
the PIC
which focused on issues addressing fur seal decline, habitat issues and
halibut and crab decline around the Probilof Islands. The PIC held its
last meeting in November 2006.
Northern
fur seals. Photo: Tamra Faris, NMFS
In April of 2006, the North Pacific
Fishery
Management Council (Council) finalized Amendment 85 which revises
allocations of BSAI Pacific cod among the various fixed gear, trawl
gear and jig gear sectors. The action also apportions the trawl vessel
sector allocations between those vessels that are eligible under the
American Fisheries Act (AFA) and those that are not. Groundfish Forum
worked for recognition of the head & gut (H&G) sector's
historical dependence on Pacific cod.
Groundfish Forum and other members of the
industry
who fish for Pacific cod and flatfish in the Bering Sea/Aleutian
Islands and Gulf of Alaska hired the Alaska Fisheries Developed
Foundation and Moody Marine to begin the process of assessing these
fisheries for the pre-assessment phase of the Marine Stewardship
Council, which has developed an environmental standard for sustainable
and well-managed fisheries.
Dorothy Lowman, Natural Resources
Consultant hired in
2005, continued facilitation of a cohesive position between the Head
& Gut (H&G) fleet on Amendment 80 (IRIU) issue throughout 2006.
At the June 2006 North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council)
meeting in Kodiak, local vendors and City Council joined forces with
the H&G fleet to present testimony about the importance the
H&G fleet is to the local communities in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. At
that meeting, the Council took final action on Amendment 80, which
provides specific groundfish allocations to the Non-AFA Trawl Catcher
Processor sector and allows the formation of cooperatives.