Report by John Bruce

The North Pacific Fisheries Management Council met the week of February 2-8^th in Anchorage. The highlight of the week were the record low temperatures outside with wind chills in the –50 degrees. This was the coldest I have ever experienced. Items on the agenda of interest to the Union are as follows:

SEABIRD PROTECTION: The Council approved the release of a revised document about the problem of takes of seabirds in the longline fisheries. Some proposed changes have been made to the current regulations but are not yet law:

1. Weights must be added to groundline to make it sink immediately upon entry into the water.
2. All hooks must be removed from head and guts (offal) prior to discharge overboard.
3. Streamers and buoy bags both qualify as scaring devices.
4. Specific instruction on proper placement and deployment of scaring devices.
5. Boards, sticks and other towed bird scaring devices would no longer qualify as a seabird avoidance device.
6. Bird scaring devices might be required in conjunction with lining tubes and night setting.

Variations on different application by vessel size, fishery, location of fishing activity are all being looked at. By March 19^th Council and NMFS staff will have an analysis of the different options presented thus far. A copy of the amendment to reduce sea bird take in the commercial longline fisheries is in the Union office.

IFQ/CDQ CHANGES: The Karl Vedo observer coverage issue has been settled. Ice vessels between 60-80 ft. LOA, who have participated in a CDQ fishery prior to December 31, 1998, will be subject to the 30% observer coverage standard now in effect. CDQ operations will now have observer regulations for halibut harvest also. If the new CDQ requirements were put into place it would have had two observers, 100% of fishing time. The revenue from these small trips would have not been sufficient to cover these costs.

The Council addressed the request of Area 4D halibut fishermen (CDQ) to take their catch in Area 4E. A rule to allow this change should be ready in April. IPHC Commissioners approved this action in January at the Annual IPHC meeting in Prince Rupert.

NMFS reports to the Council, the IFQ/CDQ fee program should be ready for the year 2000 fishery.

SCALLOPS: The current federal moratorium will expire in the year 2000 for scallop fisheries in the North Pacific. The Council has taken final action to establish a license limitation program for all Alaska scallop fisheries. The details would bore you. The most interesting aspect of this new plan is that licenses for scallops in Alaska will be on only (9) vessels that qualify.

BAIRDI CRAB: Tanner crab (c. bairdi) will soon be declared over fished based on minimum stock size established by BSAI Crab Fishery Management Plan. This declaration will mandate actions to protect high areas of bairdi occurrence. Federal regulations make the time limit for rebuilding depressed stocks 10 years. The declaration of "over fished" will have broad impacts on other fisheries that take bairdi as bycatch (opilio, flatfish). Shifting of efforts of these other directed fisheries will impact all effort in BS/AI.

DEMERSAL SHELF ROCKFISH CHANGES: Demersal shelf rockfish; yellow eye, carary, china rock, copper rock, quial back, rose thorn, tiger. A regulatory change that requires full retention (keep it all) of all DSR by federally permitted vessels in Gulf longline fisheries will be in place for the year 2000 IFQ fishery. Some specific’s on the FMP change:

1. Would eliminate the maximum DSR poundage limits now in effect.
2. Require full retention in area 650 (southeast).
3. Would allow for sale of 10% of other retained catch.
4. After landing and weighing any amount above the 10%, would be surrendered to the State of Alaska. All excess fish (above the 10%) must be handled to maintain human consumption (food quality) standards. All excess fish will not account for catch history if and when DSR is developed into a privatization program.

AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT: Known as SB 1221 or Inshore/offshore or Washington versus Alaska. The Council is and will be far into the future dealing with various industry sectors to provide protection for these businesses’ not included in SB 1221. Co-ops, crossovers: catcher processors sideboards; catcher vessel side boards; scallops sideboards, groundfish sideboards; restrictions and who do they apply to when the catcher vessel restrictions should apply; nature of catcher vessel restrictions; determination of traditional harvest, determination of aggregate; compensation; management of non-Pollock fisheries; assigning PSC cops for co-ops; processor sideboards; 1999 co-op agreements excessive share; confidential catch and bycatch release data.

All these topics on AFA are on the agenda of Council and staff for discussion and interpretation. More, much more to come!