The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) meeting was held in October where the NPFMC reviewed a preliminary analysis on the Bering Sea Chum Bycatch Management. Chief/Chairman Brian Ridley provided testimony, as did Secretary/Treasurer Charlie Wright and Yukon River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Chair Karma Ulvi. During Chief Ridley’s testimony, he asked the NPFMC to take immediate regulatory action and define the set of options (alternatives) to anzlyze to reduce Western Alaska Chum and Chinook prohibited species catch (bycatch). Chief Ridley said the NPFMC should include a zero Chum and Chinook cap in its analysis despite industry perspectives saying that such an alternative is unrealistic.
On October 9, the NPFMC approved analyzing a set of options that change current Chum bycatch management measures. The next step is to do an impact analysis as required by Federal law, which includes analyzing potential environmental, social and cultural, and economic impacts.
The impact analysis will evaluate the following four management measures:
- Status quo
- Overall bycatch limit for Chum salmon. This looks into three options to limit bycatch: (a) A Chum bycatch limit (cap) taken by the Pollock fishery with a range from 200,000 to 550,000 total chum, or about 35,400 to 97,350 coastal Western Alaska Chum salmon. (b) A Chum bycatch limit triggered by the prior year’s Western Alaska Chum salmon abundance or strength indicators of Western Alaska Chum Salmon. (c) Chum bycatch limits allocated to the different commercial fishery sectors.
- An annual cap on Western Alaska origin Chum salmon bycatch, ranging from 40,000 to 53,000 Western Alaska Chum salmon.
- Additional regulatory requirements and incentives for the Pollock fleet to avoid Chum salmon with Incentive Plan Agreements. These agreements are industry-developed and managed by the commercial fisheries.
The first review of the impact analysis will be in mid-2024, and the NPFMC is scheduled to take final action by December 2024.
Get Involved in the Upcoming NPFMC Meeting
The NPFMC has been slow to take action on these issues, which is why it is important that Tribal representatives continue to show up to these meetings and provide testimony. We need to emphasize the need for immediate action.
The NPFMC is seeking nominations for the Alaska Native Tribal Advisory Panel Seat. This position will serve in the Alaska Native Tribal Seat for a three-year term beginning in 2024. Nominations are due November 17th. More information can be found online: https://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/3013
The next NPFMC meeting will be held December 4-12 in Anchorage, where the NPFMC will be reviewing Bering Sea/Aleutian Island (BSAI) Groundfish Management. Last year, the NPFMC increased the groundfish catch limits based off an outdated programmatic environmental impact status, prompting TCC to take suit.
At the NPFMC meeting held on February 5-12, 2024 in Seattle, the NPFMC will be refining alternatives for the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for all NPFMC -managed fisheries, where TCC hopes the NPFMC adopts a more adaptive ecosystem-based management policy and objectives.