Dan Hull, Chairman
David Witherell, Executive Director
SUBJECT: title
Groundfish Harvest Specifications - Proposed Specs
end
STAFF CONTACT: Jim Armstrong and Diana Stram
ACTION REQUIRED: recommended action
A. Review Groundfish Plan Team Reports
B. Recommend proposed BSAI and GOA groundfish harvest specifications for 2018-2019.
BACKGROUND:
A. Plan Team Reports
The BSAI and GOA Groundfish Plan Teams met during September 12-15, 2017, to review and recommend groundfish harvest specifications to be proposed for the upcoming 2018 and 2019 fishing years. The Teams also reviewed reports from assessment authors to identify items for inclusion in stock assessments that will be presented at the November Plan Team meetings. Minutes from the Joint BSAI/GOA Groundfish Plan Team and individual BSAI and GOA Groundfish Plan Team meetings are attached (Item 1).
B. Proposed Harvest Specifications
At this meeting the Council will recommend, for proposed rulemaking, BSAI and GOA groundfish harvest specifications for the upcoming two-year period (2018 and 2019) which will notify the public of expected Council action to set final harvest specifications in December 2017. Existing 2018 harvest specifications were published as a final rule in the Federal Register in February 2017 and will be in place January 2018 when the groundfish fishing year begins. Proposed harvest specifications for the year after next (2019) are typically set equal to the proposed upcoming year (2018) harvest specifications. In addition to harvest specifications, the Council will recommend, for proposed rulemaking, gear and target fishery apportionments of prohibited species catch (PSC) limits for halibut, red king crab, Tanner crab, opilio crab, and herring. The Council will also recommend updated halibut discard mortality rates. Final harvest specifications will be based on stock assessment reports included in the groundfish SAFEs for BSAI and GOA that will be released in late November 2017.
Ber...
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