Instruction - A80 BSAI Halibut Bycatch Avoidance Progress Report

Revised: 12/12/2016 OMB Control No. 0648-0678 Expiration Date: XX/XX/20XX

A80

BSAI HALIBUT BYCATCH AVOIDANCE PROGRESS REPORT

R egional Administrator NMFS Alaska Region P.O. Box 21668 Juneau, AK 99802-1668 Fax: (907) 586-7557 Online: https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/webapps/efish/login

This Amendment 80 Progress Report allows each sector in the BSAI groundfish fisheries to inform the Council of their progress on voluntary, non-regulatory methods used within their fishery cooperatives to avoid halibut bycatch in the BSAI groundfish fisheries. The Council requested participants to describe methods their fleets or cooperatives are currently developing or have already undertaken to implement measures in their cooperative and inter-cooperative agreements to minimize the incidental catch of halibut. The voluntary information is expected to provide the fleet with more flexibility to adapt fishing operations to changing environmental and market conditions than would result from placing the information as a regulatory requirement.

The BSAI Halibut Bycatch Avoidance Progress Report allows each sector in the BSAI groundfish fisheries to inform the Council of their progress on voluntary, non-regulatory methods used within their fishery cooperatives to avoid halibut bycatch in the BSAI groundfish fisheries. The Council took final action to reduce halibut PSC mortality limits in the BSAI groundfish fisheries overall from 4,426 mt to 3,515 mt, a 21% reduction. PSC limits in the BSAI groundfish fisheries are apportioned among sectors and gear types (currently to all trawl fisheries and longline fisheries for all targets except IFQ sablefish), and a different reduction was applied to each. The Council requested that participants measures their fleets or cooperatives are currently developing or have already undertaken for implementing measures in their cooperative and inter-cooperative agreements to minimize the incidental catch of halibut.

The report will be provided to the Council by electronic or paper submittal, perhaps with an additional oral presentation.

Deadline: The annual A80 Halibut Bycatch Avoidance Progress Report for the prior calendar year must be received by the Regional Administrator not later than 1700 hours, A.l.t. on March 1 of each year.

When complete, submit:

♦ Online at: https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/webapps/efish/login

♦ By fax to: (907) 586-7557

♦ or by mail to: Regional Administrator

NMFS Alaska Region

P.O. Box 21668

Juneau, AK 99802-1668

BSAI Halibut Bycatch Avoidance Progress report

Development of effective and verifiable measures for halibut avoidance

Individual accountability

Use of incentives to reduce incidental catch of halibut in the groundfish fisheries

Estimated time to complete: 40 hours per report.

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PUBLIC REPORTING BURDEN STATEMENT

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 12-13 hours per response, including the time for reviewing the instructions, searching the existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the 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 under 50 CFR part 679 and under section 402(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.) as amended by Public Law 109-479; 3) Responses to this information request are confidential under section 402(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. They are also confidential under NOAA Administrative Order 216-100, which sets forth procedures to protect confidentiality of fishery statistics.

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