Contents

Affiliation with Sailors' Union
NPFMC News
IFQ Catch
Market Prices
PFMC Season Update

Charter organizations, sport fishing groups along with a huge pile of letters of support from fishing citizens showed up for the guideline harvest level debate. In the Gulf (3A, 2C) sports charters are going to be allowed at 125% of historical levels of use by these charter and sports users. This looks like an attempt by this sector to have a use cap that never actually affects their catch. Their request is that their cap never be affected by declines in quotas. This is a huge issue for all users of the halibut resource, both directed and bycatch (trawl) needs are being challenged. This is an anti-commercial fishing problem that could effect all fisheries. The Council will make a final decision in June.

What is VMS?

Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) is a new electronic satellite system for tracking some or all marine vessel traffic. This new system has all types of possibilities. The system would be inter-active and able to both send and receive data. Uses range from catch data, market news, weather reports, emergencies, support services, parts ordering, the list is endless. The negative is that "big brother" will know our every move. NPFMC & NMFS are thinking about such a system for problem management species like Atka Mackerel. A vendor has been selected and a management plan is being developed.

American Fisheries Act (AFA)

The players in this drama are still trying to forge restrictions upon each other. "Sideboards" or restrictions by the catcher vessels, shore plants and individual catchers are fueling arguments that are on going. The issues of co-ops are still under debate.

A new proposal "The Dooley-Hall" idea that would allow AFA qualified catcher vessels to be released from their obligation to deliver to processors that they have historically delivered to. These boats want to be free-range players, able to negotiate with the highest bidder (shore plan) for their catch. NMFS has stated that for now, legal and technical problems prevent them from doing an analysis at least until late summer or fall of 1999.

With all the controversy, it looks like it might take two years before co-ops are workable for shoreside catcher vessels and sideboards are not likely until co-ops happen. We will be working on the AFA problems for years!

Sea Lions

Marine mammals continue to cause problems for fishermen. Most of the impact on the new rookery closures falls on the trawl fleets. The Greenpeace people feel that one way to assess if fishing is affecting the sea lion population is to shut down a large area like the Aleutian Islands. Since the only major fishery in the Aleutians is the Adka Mackerel Fishery (for trawlers) the possibility of a closure is not out of the question. The recovery of the sea lion populations will be a deciding factor in fish management for years to come.

Shortraker/Rougheye

The Council took action to reduce the maximum retainable bycatch (MRB) to 7% in the Eastern Gulf. This will not take effect until NMFS make some type of public announcement. Until such time the MRB for SR/RE is 15% of fish aboard the boat. Questions on this issue should be directed to NMFS (907) 586-7228 fish management.

Experimental Fishery Permits

Ground Fish Forum, an association of small trawl operators, has applied and received permits to do some innovative testing. The first is for deck sorting of halibut. This should help in reducing halibut mortality rates and offer some savings to the resource. The second experiment is to do some new work on the method by which basket samples are used in determining total catch composition by haul. Vessels that apply as participants will do this work in late August or September.

Enforcement Report

Since January 1, 1999, (8) vessels have been lost in Alaska fisheries statewide. (9) persons have lost their lives in fishing operations. The crab fleet lost (4) vessels and (4) longline vessels have been lost.

Association vessels that were boarded and were found to be in compliance with all current regulations: F/V Eclipse, F/V Evening Star, F/V Resolute. F/V Bergen was boarded on March 29^th and found in violation of in-proper logbook maintenance (IPHC Regulations).

The NMFS has in training 8 of the 9 vacancies for uniformed officers. These new IFQ enforcement people will be in service this summer.

Washington DC Rumors

The Council recommended that the main opening of the primary limited entry fixed gear sablefish fishery run nine days. Cumulative limits for the fishery would be about 84,800 pounds for Tier 1; 38,300 pounds for Tier 2; and 22,000 pounds for Tier 3. The fishery would open at noon on August 16^th and end at noon on August 25^th. As in years past, the fishery will be preceded by a 48-hour closure, close at sea, and be followed by a 30-hour closure. The closures apply to all fixed gear groundfish vessels (both limited entry and open access). There will be a mop-up opening as soon as possible after the close of the main opening (usually about three weeks after the closure). If the projections of expected harvest for the main opening are correct, the cumulative limit for the mop-up fishery will be about 1,250 pounds. All vessels have the same cumulative limit in the mop-up fishery. The primary limited entry fixed gear season, comprised of the main opening and mop-up, is open only to fixed gear limited entry vessels with sablefish endorsements operating north of 36º N latitude. All limits are in round weight.

Options for Fixed Gear Permit Stacking May Be Considered for 2000