Vessel Master Survey

OMB Control No. 0648-XXXX
Expiration Date: XX/XX/XX

ANNUAL

AMENDMENT 91
AFA POLLOCK FISHERY
VESSEL MASTER SURVEY
CALENDAR YEAR 2011
This form can be downloaded from
http://www.fakr.noaa.gov

PUBLIC REPORTING BURDEN STATEMENT
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 4 hours per response, including
time for reviewing the instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed,
and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden to Assistant
Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, P.O. Box
21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Before completing this form, please note the following: 1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is
required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of
information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection of information
displays a currently valid OMB Control Number; 2) This information is mandatory and is required to manage
commercial fishing efforts for groundfish under section 402(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1801, et
seq.) as amended by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Reauthorization Act of
2006; 3) Responses to this information request are confidential under section 402(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens
Act (16 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.). They are also confidential under NOAA Administrative Order 216-100, which sets
forth procedures to protect confidentiality of fishery statistics.

ANNUAL AFA POLLOCK VESSEL MASTER SURVEY
Introduction
An owner or leaseholder of an AFA permitted vessel must submit a Vessel Master Survey
completed by each master of each vessel used to harvest pollock in the Bering Sea in the
previous year. It is the responsibility of the vessel owner/leaseholder to submit all completed
surveys to NMFS and fill out Part 1A for each MS. Part 1A must list each Vessel Master who
participated in the BS pollock fishery. Each Vessel Master Survey submitted by the owner or
leaseholder of an AFA permitted vessel must have Part 1B and Part 2 filled out by the Vessel
Master.
This survey is intended to provide information to fishery managers to evaluate the
effectiveness of Chinook salmon bycatch management measures. The questions in this survey
ask about different aspects of your decision-making during the pollock season, including your
incentives, fishing location choices, and salmon bycatch reduction measures.
Please contact Brian Garber-Yonts at the NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center with any
questions regarding this survey. He can be contacted at (206) 526-6301 or [email protected].

PART 1A: CERTIFICATION PAGE (OWNER AFA PERMITTED VESSEL)
Complete and submit with each vessel master survey for an AFA Permitted Vessel. Provide all
information requested below.
Vessel Owner /Leaseholder Name

Vessel Name

AFA Permit Number

Vessel Master Name

CFEC Gear Operator Permit Number

Vessel Master Name

CFEC Gear Operator Permit Number

Vessel Master Name

CFEC Gear Operator Permit Number

Vessel Master Name

CFEC Gear Operator Permit Number

Read the following statement, and sign and date the box below:
I certify under penalty of perjury that I have reviewed all the information in this report and that it is true
and complete to the best of my knowledge.
Signature (owner or leaseholder of an AFA permitted vessel)
Date signed

PART 1B: CERTIFICATION PAGE (VESSEL MASTER)
This is to be completed by the Vessel Master of each AFA vessel. Provide all information requested
below.
Vessel Owner /Leaseholder Name

Vessel Name

AFA Permit Number

Vessel Master Name

CFEC Gear Operator Permit Number

Read the following statement, and sign and date the box below:
I certify under penalty of perjury that I have reviewed all the information in this report and that it is true
and complete to the best of my knowledge.
Signature (Vessel Master)
Date signed

Part 2: Pollock Fishing and Salmon Bycatch Avoidance
Please consider the following questions carefully and provide the most complete answers you
can. Where applicable, please note any differences between the A and B pollock seasons.
Please attach extra sheets if more space is needed to complete your answers.

1. If the vessel participated in an Incentive Plan Agreement (IPA), did the IPA affect your
fishing strategy? o Yes o No
If yes, please describe and discuss what incentives had the largest impact on your strategy.

2. Did the amount and/or cost of Chinook PSC allocation available to the vessel lead you to
make changes in pollock fishing operations? o Yes o No
If yes, please describe.

3. How would you compare the Chinook salmon bycatch and pollock conditions during the A
and B seasons this year relative to the last two years? Please describe any unique aspects of
the season.

4. Did Chinook salmon bycatch conditions cause you to delay the start of your pollock fishing
or otherwise alter the timing of your pollock fishing for some period during the past A and/or B
season?
O Yes O No
If yes, please describe the Chinook salmon bycatch condition, when it occurred, and any
change in your pollock fishing as a result.

5. In the past year, did you end a trip and return to port early because of Chinook salmon
bycatch conditions? Please indicate the number of trips that this occurred in each season (use
a check to mark the appropriate answer for each season).
Number of trips
suspended due to
bycatch
0
1-3
4-10
More than 10

Season
A

B

O
O
O
O

O
O
O
O

6. Please describe how any area closures or restrictions for the purpose of reducing Chinook
salmon bycatch affected where and how you fished.

7. Please describe how any regulatory or other area closures or restrictions for a purpose
other than reducing Chinook salmon bycatch affected where and how you fished.

8. Compared to a typical year, did weather or sea ice conditions have more, less, or about the
same impact on fishing as in a typical year? Please describe especially if there were
particularly uncommon conditions at any point this year. If these conditions had an impact on
your ability to avoid Chinook salmon bycatch, please describe.

9. Were there exceptional factors that affected your pollock fishing this year? For example,
were there unusual market or stock conditions, unusual pollock fishing conditions, or
maintenance problems? Please describe.

10. Separate from an Incentive Plan Agreement, were there other incentives for you to reduce
Chinook salmon bycatch?
O Yes O No
If yes, please describe.

11. Did actual or potential bycatch of species other than Chinook salmon cause you to change
your harvesting decisions during the pollock season? O Yes O No
If yes, please describe.