Dan Hull, Chairman
Chris Oliver, Executive Director
SUBJECT: title
BSAI Crab Specification for 6 stocks - Final Specifications
end
STAFF CONTACT: Diana Stram
ACTION REQUIRED: recommended action
Review BSAI Crab Plan Team Report; Final specifications for 6 stocks
BACKGROUND:
The CPT met from September 20-23, 2016 in Seattle, WA to review the final stock assessments as well as additional related issues, in order to provide the recommendations and status determinations contained in this SAFE report and Crab Plan Team Report. The full SAFE report is attached as is the introduction to the report as a separate item. This final 2016 Crab SAFE report contains all recommendations for all 10 stocks including those whose OFL and ABC were previously determined in February and June 2016. The Crab Plan Team report from the meeting is also attached.
Under a revised process modified to accommodate specific fishery and data availability needs to determine overfishing level (OFL) determinations, and annual catch limit (ACL) requirements the CPT reviews assessments in a staggered time frame. The CPT provides recommendations on OFL, acceptable biological catch (ABC) and stock status specifications for review by the NPFMC Science and Statistical Committee (SSC) in February (NSRKC) and June (AIGKC, WAIRKC, PIGKC) and October (BBRKC, EBS Snow crab, EBS Tanner crab, SMBKC, PIRKC, PIBKC).
Ten BSAI crab stocks and the schedule for annual review by the CPT and SSC.
|
Stock |
CPT review and recommendations to SSC |
SSC review and recommendations to Council |
|
Norton Sound red king crab (NSRKC) |
January |
February |
|
Aleutian Is. golden king crab (AIGKC) |
May |
June |
|
Pribilof Is. golden king crab (PIGKC) |
May |
June |
|
Western Aleutian Is. red king crab (WAIRKC) |
May |
June |
|
EBS snow crab |
September |
October |
|
Bristol Bay red king crab(BBRKC) |
September |
October |
|
EBS Tanner crab |
September |
October |
|
Pribilof Is. red king crab (PIRKC) |
September |
October |
|
Pribilof Is. blue king crab (PIBKC) |
September |
October |
|
Saint Matthew blue king crab (SMBKC) |
September |
October |
The rationale for this staggered review process is the following: The stocks with summer fisheries as well as those established on catch data only have specifications set in June. The stocks which employ data from the EBS NMFS trawl survey thus cannot be assessed until survey data are available in early September. Summer catch data for NSRKC however are not available in time for fall specifications, nor is assessing this stock with the June timing feasible as the CDQ fishery can open as early as May thus this stock is assessed in the winter. Additional information on the OFL and ABC determination process is contained in this report.
The team recommends three stocks be placed in Tier 3 (EBS snow crab, Bristol Bay red king crab and EBS Tanner crab), four stocks in Tier 4 (St. Matthew blue king crab, Pribilof Islands blue king crab, Pribilof Islands red king crab, and Norton Sound red king crab) and three stocks in Tier 5 (AI golden king crab, Pribilof Islands golden king crab, and Adak red king crab). EBS Tanner crab and Pribilof Island red king crab are estimated to be above BMSY for 2016/17 while snow crab, Bristol Bay red king crab, Saint Matthew blue king crab and Norton Sound red king crab are estimated below BMSY. Pribilof Islands blue king crab stock remains overfished and estimated to be well below its MSST.