NorthPacificFisheryManagementCouncil

C4BeringSeaSalmonBycatchFinalMotion41115

TheCouncilselectsthefollowingasitspreferredalternativesforChinookandchumsalmonbycatch
measuresintheBeringSeapollockfishery.

Alternative2. RemoveBSAIAm84regulationsandincorporatechumsalmonavoidanceintotheAm
91IncentivePlanAgreements.AnannualexemptionfromtheChumSalmonSavingsAreaiscontingent
uponparticipationinanincentiveplanagreementthatincludestheprovisionsbelow.Reviseregulations
at50CFR679.21(f)(13)toincludeassociatedreportingrequirementsforchumsalmon.Revise
regulationsat50CFR679.21(f)(12)(iii)(B)(3)toincludechumsalmonbycatchavoidanceasfollows:

(3)Descriptionoftheincentiveplan.
TheIPAmustcontainawrittendescriptionofthefollowing:

(i)Theincentive(s)thatwillbeimplementedundertheIPAfortheoperatorofeachvesselparticipating
intheIPAtoavoidChinooksalmonandchumsalmonbycatchunderanyconditionofpollockandChinook
salmonabundanceinallyears;

(ii)Theincentive(s)toavoidchumsalmonshouldnotincreaseChinooksalmonbycatch;

(iii)TherewardsforavoidingChinooksalmon,penaltiesforfailuretoavoidChinooksalmonatthevessel
level,orboth;

(iv)HowtheincentivemeasuresintheIPAareexpectedtopromotereductionsinavesselsChinook
salmonandchumsalmonbycatchratesrelativetowhatwouldhaveoccurredinabsenceoftheincentive
program;

(v)HowtheincentivemeasuresintheIPApromoteChinooksalmonsavingsandchumsalmonsavingsin
anyconditionofpollockabundanceorChinooksalmonabundanceinamannerthatisexpectedto
influenceoperationaldecisionsbyvesseloperatorstoavoidChinooksalmonandchumsalmon;

(vi)HowtheIPAensuresthattheoperatorofeachvesselgovernedbytheIPAwillmanagethatvessels
Chinooksalmonbycatchtokeeptotalbycatchbelowtheperformancestandarddescribedinparagraph
(f)(6)ofthissectionforthesectorinwhichthevesselparticipates;

(vii)HowtheIPAensuresthattheoperatorofeachvesselgovernedbytheIPAwillmanagethatvessels
chumsalmonbycatchtoavoidareasandtimeswherethechumsalmonarelikelytoreturntoWestern
Alaska;and

(viii)Therollinghotspotprogramforsalmonbycatchavoidanceandanagreementtoprovide
notificationsofclosureareasandanyviolationsoftherollinghotspotprogramtoatleastonethird
partyorganizationrepresentingwesternAlaskanswhodependonsalmonanddonotdirectlyfishina
groundfishfishery.

Alternative3. ReviseFederalregulationsat50CFR679.21(f)(12)(iii)(B)(3)torequirethatIPAsinclude
thefollowingprovisions,withassociatedreportingrequirementsaddedto50CFR679.21(f)(13):

Option1.
Restrictionsorpenaltiestargetedatvesselsthatconsistentlyhavesignificantlyhigher
ChinooksalmonPSCratesrelativetoothervesselsfishingatthesametime.Includea
requirementtoenterafisherywideinseasonPSCdatasharingagreement.

Option2,Suboption. Requireduseofsalmonexcluderdevices,withrecognitionofcontingencies,

fromJan20March31,andSept1untiltheendoftheBseason.
FinalCouncilMotion4/12/15

Option3.

ArollinghotspotprogramthatoperatesthroughouttheentireAandBseasons.

Option4.

SalmonsavingscreditslastforamaximumofthreeyearsforsavingscreditbasedIPAs.

Option5.

RestrictionsorperformancecriteriausedtoensurethatChinooksalmonPSCratesinthe
monthofOctoberarenotsignificantlyhigherthanthoseachievedinthepreceding
months.

Alternative4. RevisetheBeringSeapollockfisheryseasons:

Option3.
ReallocatepollockAandBseasonapportionmentsto:

Suboption:45%(A)and55%(B),withAtoBseasonrollovers

Alternative5. ReviseFederalregulationstolowertheperformancestandardandhardcapunderAm
91inyearsoflowChinooksalmonabundancepertheoptionsbelow.Lowabundanceisdefinedas
250,000Chinooksalmon,basedonthepostseasoninriverChinooksalmonrunsizeindexofthe
Unalakleet,UpperYukon,andKuskokwimaggregatestockgrouping.Theperformancestandardand
hardcapwouldbeloweredintheyearfollowingtheyearinwhichtheindexwas250,000Chinook
salmon.Sectorsthatexceedtheapplicableperformancestandard,in3outof7years,wouldbeheldto
theirproportionoftheannualapplicableperformancestandardinfutureyears(forexample,either
47,591ortheloweredperformancestandard,whicheverisinplacethatyear).Inayearinwhichthe
loweredperformancestandardisinplaceandtherearenoapprovedIPAs,thePSClimitallocatedto
sectorswouldequalthelowerperformancestandard.

Option:

33,318

Suboption: Reducethe60,000hardcapinyearsoflowChinooksalmonabundanceto

45,000.

ThepreferredalternativeincludestheregulatoryamendmentsrecommendedbyNMFSinSection2.6of
thepublicreviewdraftanalysis.Italsoincludesreportingrequirementsasnecessarytoimplementthe
Councilspreferredalternative,theremovalofthechumICAannualreport,andtheconsolidationof
chumandChinooksalmonIPAreporting.

FinalCouncilMotion4/12/15