Legislature(2013 - 2014)CAPITOL 120
02/19/2013 10:00 AM House FISHERIES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Overview: Chinook Salmon Bycatch | |
| Presentation: Herring and Fish Protein Marketing Project | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES
February 19, 2013
10:05 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Paul Seaton, Chair
Representative Eric Feige
Representative Lynn Gattis
Representative Bob Herron
Representative Craig Johnson
Representative Kurt Olson
Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Geran Tarr
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
OVERVIEW: CHINOOK SALMON BYCATCH
- HEARD
PRESENTATION: HERRING AND FISH PROTEIN MARKETING PROJECT
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
NICOLE KIMBALL, Federal Fisheries Coordinator
Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the overview on Chinook salmon
bycatch.
BOB CLARK, Fisheries Scientist
Research and Technical Services Staff (RTS)
Division of Sport Fish
Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the overview on Chinook salmon
bycatch.
DIANA EVANS, Fishery Analyst
North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the overview on Chinook salmon
bycatch.
STEPHANIE MADSEN, Executive Director
At-sea Processors Association (APA)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the overview on Chinook salmon
bycatch.
PETE WEDIN, Representative
Alaska Marine Conservation Council
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the overview on Chinook salmon
bycatch.
ART NELSON, Policy Director
Bering Sea Fisherman's Association
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the overview on Chinook salmon
bycatch.
BRUCE SCHACTLER, Global Food Aid Director
Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
Kodiak, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the overview of the herring
and fish protein marketing project.
DR. NINA SCHLOSSMAN PhD, Tech. Assistance & Project Management
Global Food Aid Program
Washington, D.C.
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the overview of the herring
and fish protein marketing project.
ACTION NARRATIVE
10:05:44 AM
CHAIR PAUL SEATON called the House Special Committee on
Fisheries meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Representatives Seaton, Kreiss-Tomkins and Gattis;
Representatives Herron, Johnson, Olson, and Feige arrived as the
meeting was in progress.
^Overview: Chinook Salmon Bycatch
Overview: Chinook Salmon Bycatch
CHAIR SEATON announced that the first order of business would be
an overview on Chinook Salmon Bycatch.
10:07:10 AM
NICOLE KIMBALL, Federal Fisheries Coordinator, Alaska Department
of Fish & Game (ADF&G), said the North Pacific Fishery
Management Council (NPFMC), in conjunction with the National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), is responsible for managing the
federal groundfish fishery, and ADF&G also plays a role in
federal management via the commissioner's seat on the council.
The issue is the pollock fishery, which utilizes a mid-water
trawl to harvest the target species and results in an incidental
catch of Chinook salmon. Under the authority of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) the
council is charged with both minimizing salmon bycatch while
achieving optimum yield in the pollock fishery. The pollock
fleet operates under a cooperative structure that was setup by
congress. It is not an open access fishery and there is no race
for fish, hence the boats work cooperatively and in league.
Initial bycatch minimization measures involved large fixed
closure areas that applied to both Chinook and chum salmon. She
explained that when the pollock fleet caught a given amount of
salmon, in a specified area and time, a fishing closure was
imposed. However, this approach did not limit the total amount
of bycatch and it was evident that by having the pollock fleet
vacate one area and move to another, salmon bycatch occurred at
an even higher rate. The council then implemented the use of a
rolling hot spot (RHS) program. Sea State Incorporated is an
organization funded by the pollock fleet to track concentrations
of schooling fish and provides details of discrete areas for
closure or avoidance; based on bycatch information. In 2011,
along with the avoidance strategies, the first hard cap
restrictions on bycatch were established and imposed. When the
cap is reached, she said, the pollock fishery is closed. In
recent years, the bycatch rate has been variable, thus having a
steady hard cap number does not offer protection during years
when salmon numbers fluctuate downward. The council adopted a
system that provides a range of caps depending on the fishery
performance. She reported that the overall, performance
standard policy has a high cap of 60,000 and a low cap of 40,000
Chinook. The fleet is subject to the higher cap each year if
they have incentive plan agreements (IPAs) in place that detail
a means for remaining under the lower cap. She said that if the
higher cap is attained in more than two out of seven years, the
lower cap will become permanent; negating the dual cap system.
The pollock fishermen are being cautious to remain under the
upper cap limit, and management techniques have been adopted
within the fleet with the lower cap as the target number. The
incentive plans work hand in hand with the restrictive caps, she
stressed, and Chinook bycatch has become a factor in every
decision of the pollock fleet. The bycatch of Chinook, in 2012,
was just over 11,000, and the council will receive the salmon
avoidance reports in the April meeting. She anticipates that
the department will take a keen interest in understanding how
the fleet implemented avoidance strategies in a year when
bycatch did not approach the low cap limit. The Gulf of Alaska
(GOA) pollock fishery does not have a cooperative structure, and
the trawl fleet is managed as a limited access fishery. She
said this type of management results in a race to harvest target
species in the time allowed. The council's target measure for
this fishery is a hard cap; first implemented in August 2012.
The cap was established at 25,000 Chinook and last year about
19,000 were reported. The vast majority of Chinook are taken in
the pollock fishery, but the council may impose a hard cap on
other target species trawl fisheries in 2013. Additionally, the
council is working on a bycatch approach for the GOA trawl
fisheries with the intent to provide a level of bycatch
incentives and cooperative management strategies similar to the
Bering Sea program, in order to realize more significant bycatch
reductions.
10:13:53 AM
BOB CLARK, Fisheries Scientist, Research and Technical Services
Staff (RTS), Division of Sport Fish, Alaska Department of Fish &
Game (ADF&G), testified, paraphrasing from a prepared statement,
which read [original punctuation provided]:
In the Bering Sea, there is a very high level of
fishery observer coverage of groundfish fisheries so
that sampling of individual bycaught Chinook salmon is
possible. These bycaught Chinook salmon are sampled
for length, age, and genetic tissues. From these
data, federal scientists have been able to tell in
general what stocks of Chinook salmon are being caught
and are beginning to quantify the potential impact of
this bycatch on our runs of Chinook salmon here in
Alaska.
From records of bycatches, we know that most of the
bycatch of Chinook salmon occurs during the "A" or
winter season. We also know from genetics studies
that the general composition of stocks bycaught
changes from the winter "A" season to the later "B"
season, with a higher proportion of Alaska stocks
represented in the bycatch during the "A" season.
From genetic sampling we also know the general stock
composition of the bycatch of Chinook salmon in the
Bering Sea groundfish fisheries. For example from
sampling conducted during 2010, the bycatch was made
up of about 42% Coastal Western Alaska fish; which is
a combination of Bristol Bay, Kuskokwim, Lower Yukon,
and Norton Sound stocks; 20% Upper Yukon River stocks,
14% North Alaska Peninsula stocks, and 11% Middle
Yukon River stocks. The other 13% of the bycatch that
year was made up of a mix of Canadian, Lower 48,
Russian, and Gulf of Alaska stocks.
This general composition of stocks in the Bering Sea
bycatch during 2010 was similar to that seen during
sampling in 2005-2009. Genetic sampling of this
fishery is ongoing so we will continue to get
estimates of the general stock composition of the
bycatch into the future.
As part of the Governor's Chinook Initiative and the
Chinook Salmon Stock Assessment and Research Plan,
Fish and Game is working to develop better genetic
techniques so we can separate out the different stocks
from the coastal Western Alaska grouping in the
bycatch. We are also recommending higher levels of
sampling of this bycatch so that more coded-wire
tagged Chinook salmon can be recovered from this
fishery and if possible to better resolve where and
when bycatches of Alaska Chinook salmon are occurring
and what individual stocks are being bycaught. The
Research Plan also calls for new tagging programs for
juvenile salmon in the Nushagak, Kuskokwim, and Yukon
rivers so that we can find out when and where these
individual stocks are bycaught in these groundfish
fisheries.
The situation is very different in the Gulf of Alaska.
There has been little to no sampling of Chinook salmon
bycatch in federally managed groundfish fisheries in
the Gulf of Alaska.
However, as part of the North Pacific Fishery
Management Council's work in minimizing Chinook
bycatch in these fisheries and it's work in
restructuring of the fishery observer program, they
are also making it possible for fishery observers to
sample Chinook salmon from these fisheries so that we
can find out what stocks are being bycaught, and when
and where they are being bycaught.
Although we do not yet have representative samples
from these Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries,
sampling of Chinook salmon that has been done from
research vessels over the years tells us that, in
general, bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska groundfish
fisheries is likely to be composed of very few to no
western Alaska fish and higher proportion of Gulf of
Alaska, Canadian, and Lower 48 fish.
Fish and Game, as part of the Governor's Chinook
Initiative and the Chinook Salmon Stock Assessment and
Research Plan, is recommending that bycatch of Chinook
salmon in the Gulf of Alaska be sampled for length,
age, genetic tissues, and coded-wire tags. We are
also working to better define the genetics of Gulf of
Alaska stocks so we can identify individual stocks
from samples of the bycatch. The research plan also
calls for additional tagging of juvenile salmon in
Gulf of Alaska rivers, so that we can see when and
where individual stocks are bycaught in these
groundfish fisheries. The research plan recommends
new coded-wire tagging programs for juvenile Chinook
salmon in the Copper, Susitna, Kenai, Karluk, and
Chignik rivers in the Gulf of Alaska. The research
plan also recommends continued funding of coded-wire
tagging programs for four stocks of Chinook salmon in
southeast Alaska (Unuk, Stikine, Taku, and Chilkat).
10:19:13 AM
CHAIR SEATON asked whether the reported Chinook bycatch
percentages, on groundfish efforts in the Bering Sea, are only
for pollock fisheries.
MR. CLARK responded that the percentages are for all groundfish
fisheries and pointed out that primarily bycatch is from the
pollock fishery.
CHAIR SEATON noted that the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) report is
pending the processing of 4,000 fin clip and scale samples, and
asked how the analysis backlog is being handled.
MS. KIMBALL confirmed that the laboratory has a one year backlog
for processing samples, and said the next presentation to the
committee should provide further analysis.
CHAIR SEATON queried whether any GOA stock estimates are
available.
MS. KIMBALL said the stock analysis information available is
from 2010 and the recent results can only provide information of
the presence of stocks, not relative abundance.
10:22:11 AM
DIANA EVANS, Fishery Analyst, North Pacific Fishery Management
Council (NPFMC), reviewed the five page handout out titled,
"North Pacific Fishery Management Council - Update on Chinook
Bycatch," dated 2/18/13, paraphrasing from the prepared
document, which read [original punctuation provided]:
The Council manages the Federal fisheries off Alaska
in conjunction with National Marine Fisheries Service
under the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act,
which, among other things, includes ten national
standards.
As Nicole referenced earlier, this involves balancing
the need to minimize Chinook salmon bycatch to the
extent practicable, while also achieving optimum yield
for target fisheries, and minimizing adverse impacts
on fishing communities.
The Council manages Chinook salmon bycatch that occurs
in the trawl fisheries off Alaska. Salmon caught as
bycatch are accounted for, but by law, they are a
prohibited species in the groundfish fisheries, and
cannot be retained or sold. Chinook salmon bycatch
occurs primarily in the pollock fishery, although in
the GOA there is some bycatch in other target trawl
fisheries as well.
The graphs show the inter-annual variability in
Chinook salmon encounters in the fisheries, and note
that the scale of bycatch in the GOA is much smaller
than in the Bering Sea.
So what actions have the Council taken to address
Chinook salmon bycatch?
10:26:07 AM
CHAIR SEATON asked about sale restrictions on bycatch.
MS. EVANS said salmon are treated as a prohibited species, when
the fishery is targeted on groundfish. Regulation, and the
groundfish management plan, requires avoidance strategies and
generally the bycatch may not be retained or sold, although
there are some measures that allow retention of a prohibited
species for counting purposes. A bycatch food sharing program
has been established, she said, which will be discussed later in
the presentation.
10:27:15 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON asked why it is unlawful for salmon
bycatch to be retained and fully utilized; the restriction on
product sale is understandable.
MS. EVANS explained that the species have been prohibited since
the inception of the management plan, with the intent to create
an avoidance incentive for the fishermen. The rationale is that
if the product cannot be retained for sale, the fishermen will
embrace every means for avoiding the bycatch. The management
techniques have become more sophisticated and avoidance measures
have been established, along with the hard cap rules now in
place. Today, the salmon and halibut bycatch can be donated to
a food bank.
10:29:38 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS without the requirement for full
catch retention and given the limited observation coverage, he
asked about the confidence levels in the count based data for
the bycatch in the GOA troll fishery.
MS. EVANS responded that scientific estimates are made through
extrapolation of data gathered from observed vessels. The 2013
observation fishery should provide higher confidence intervals,
as the council will have the opportunity to control the
randomization of the observation practices throughout the fleet.
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS explained his understanding that
the observation program has not provided un-manipulated data,
and asked for the current confidence intervals.
MS. EVANS said the current data does not allow estimation of
confidence intervals; uncertainty exists for all the
extrapolated values. Manipulating observer data is difficult in
some fisheries more than others.
CHAIR SEATON concluded that fisheries with longer openings are
easier to assess with and provide higher confidence levels, than
those that open for a short span of effort time.
10:35:17 AM
MS. EVANS continued with page 3, paraphrasing from the
previously cited handout, which read [original punctuation
provided]:
Well, the primary management action has been to put in
place hard cap bycatch limits, that close the fishery
once the limit is reached. Nicole has described these
already; the next couple of slides summarize the
Council's action. In the Bering Sea pollock fishery,
the Council's hard cap was implemented in 2011; The
GOA pollock limit was implemented in mid-2012, and the
Council is currently considering a limit for the GOA
non-pollock trawl fisheries (flatfish, cod, rockfish).
Another important action that the Council has taken is
to support stock of origin research. The purpose of
this work is to understand the individual stock
composition of Chinook salmon caught as bycatch in the
trawl fisheries, in order to relate the impact of
offshore bycatch back to the status of individual
Chinook stocks.
So in the Bering Sea, the Council's action to
establish a hard cap or PSC limit was based on genetic
analysis of Chinook salmon caught as bycatch in the
pollock fishery between 2005 and 2007. This was used
to develop an adult equivalent model, which estimates
when and how many salmon that were caught as bycatch
in the pollock fishery would otherwise have returned
to their river of origin. The analysis showed that
for the Bering Sea pollock fishery, Chinook salmon
from Coastal Western Alaska comprise the largest
component of the bycatch.
Since the implementation of the hard cap, the Council
also put in place measures to allow for a systematic
sampling procedure for Chinook, which included
monitoring requirements to allow a full census of
salmon. These samples are analyzed, and a genetic
breakdown will be presented to the Council each April.
This coming April the Council will receive the
complete report for 2011, which is the first year
under the new program.
The background paper that I referred to earlier, which
was prepared by our staff member Diana Stram, extended
the earlier Council analysis with current data for a
recent symposium. The paper approximates that in
2011, bycatch from the Bering Sea pollock fishery
would have accounted for between 0.7 and 2.4% of the
combined run sizes for western Alaska.
In the GOA, available information is much more limited
than in the Bering Sea. There has been very limited
sampling until recently, and so we primarily only have
data to indicate that certain Chinook stocks have been
documented to be present in the GOA bycatch, and no
indication of their relative abundance.
Nonetheless, with the implementation of the hard cap
in the pollock fishery, the Council put in place a
similar systematic sampling procedure for Chinook that
also uses a census approach, although observer
coverage is lower here than in the Bering Sea. As
with the Bering Sea, the genetic analysis will be
presented to the Council each April, so we are
awaiting 2011 results. In 2010, based on the limited
samples available, stocks present were predominantly
from the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, and
coastal southeastern Alaska.
The Council is also considering how to put in place
requirements in the non-pollock trawl fisheries to
allow for stock of origin sampling. There are a
couple of other actions that the Council has taken
with respect to Chinook salmon bycatch. The Council
developed an extensive outreach program for the Bering
Sea chinook hard cap action, to dialogue with coastal
and interior communities prior to Council action.
The Council has also had a longstanding amendment in
place that allows bycaught salmon to be donated to
food banks, and in recent years, voluntary
participation in this program has increased
substantially in both the Bering Sea and the GOA. The
slide shows the combined total of salmon and halibut
donated to the program in 2012 from the two areas.
10:42:09 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON noted the council action indicates that it
will "promote two way dialogue." He asked for the meaning of
this phrase, and how it has been received.
MS. EVANS responded that the purpose was to allow communities to
have direct contact with council members, who would personally
visit villages. She reported that members have been well
received, and the visits have resulted in meaningful
conversations that otherwise might not have occurred.
10:44:51 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS queried why the council is still
awaiting analysis of the 2011 genetic data from the GOA fishery.
Also, he asked what percentage of the total bycatch is
represented by the reported 73,000 pounds of Bering Sea and
30,000 pounds of GOA halibut and salmon donated to food banks.
MS. EVANS explained there is a 16 month analysis backlog, and
offered to provide the food donation information to the
committee when it becomes available.
10:48:21 AM
MS. EVANS began to summarize, paraphrasing from the previously
cited handout, which read [original punctuation provided]:
Finally, I would like to note that in addition to
specific actions targeting Chinook salmon bycatch, the
Council also considers how other actions will affect
Chinook salmon. Two recent examples are the Bering
Sea chum salmon bycatch reduction measures, where the
Council has been working to identify management
measures that will effectively reduce chum salmon
bycatch, but not undermine existing Chinook bycatch
measures.
The second example is in the GOA, where the Council is
now developing an action to provide bycatch management
tools for the trawl fisheries, potentially including
cooperative management and bycatch avoidance
incentives, to help in the reduction of Chinook
salmon, halibut, and crab bycatch.
So in summary, Chinook salmon bycatch reduction is a
continuing priority for the Council, and while
management actions combine hard cap limits, incentive
programs, and research to better understand the
impacts of bycatch. Because this is such an important
issue, the Council receives reports on Chinook salmon
bycatch at each meeting, as well as annual reports on
genetics and from the fleet.
10:49:10 AM
STEPHANIE MADSEN, Executive Director, At-sea Processors
Association (APA), described the At-sea Processors Association
(APA) as a trade association of six owner companies operating
pollock catcher vessels, which fish solely in the Bering Sea,
and are restricted from harvesting in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA).
Partnerships exist with several of the community development
quota (CDQ) groups. She continued her presentation,
paraphrasing from a prepared statement, which read [original
punctuation provided]:
Amendment 91 is an innovative approach to managing
Chinook salmon bycatch in that it combines a
prohibited species catch (PSC) limit on the amount of
Chinook salmon that may be caught incidentally by the
fishery with an incentive plan agreement (IPA) and
performance-standard requirement designed to minimize
bycatch to the extent practicable in all years. The
approach is designed to motivate fishery participants
to avoid Chinook salmon bycatch at the individual
vessel level under any condition of pollock and
Chinook abundance in all years. The vessel-level
incentives are created through contracts among the
fishery participants.
MS. MADSEN directed attention to a committee packet handout,
titled "Chinook Salmon Bycatch Reduction Incentive Plan," dated
February 19, 2013, to point out the Amendment 91 limits under
which that the APA operates. Four sectors are identified in the
Bering Sea, each with a specific bycatch limit. The sectors
are: Inshore, Mothership, CDQ, and Catcher Processor (CP). She
stressed that the bycatch limits are upheld at the vessel/sector
level versus the cooperative level, representing a major change
in operation of the fleet. Detailed catch information is
contained in the handout and accompanying report, she pointed
out. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
required APA to devise an incentive plan agreement (IPA), which
each vessel would operate under beginning in 2011 to reduce
bycatch. The IPA governs all of the harvest vessels, in each of
the sectors, including the CDQ groups, and includes 100 percent
observer coverage. Additionally, video cameras are installed on
vessels to ensure that all salmon are accounted for using
census, actual counts, versus extrapolation methods; every tenth
salmon brought on board is genetically sampled.
10:54:03 AM
MS. MADSEN described the development of the IPA, paraphrasing
from a prepared statement, which read [original punctuation
provided]:
One of the most practical and direct methods to create
incentives to avoid Chinook salmon bycatch is to limit
the pollock fishing opportunities of a vessel when
bycatch performance is poor. This simple approach
works especially well for catcher-processors because
efficient processing requires an uninterrupted flow of
fish, and this can be achieved most reliably with
unrestricted access to the grounds. Because
experience has shown that high, local concentrations
of pollock may often be found where concentrations of
Chinook are also high (the vessels can "see" the
pollock but not the Chinook), limiting access to local
areas of relatively high Chinook bycatch is an
efficient way to create a financial incentive to avoid
Chinook salmon bycatch. The reason for this is that
losing access to good pollock fishing grounds
increases vessel operating costs and reduces the
amount of products that can be produced during a day
of fishing. A vessel that retains nearly unrestricted
access to good pollock fishing opportunities avoids
costs associated with moving and finding pollock in
other areas, and so the vessel can produce more
products each day.
Primary IPA components include: (1) data gathering,
monitoring, reporting, and information sharing; (2)
identification of bycatch avoidance areas (BAA); and
(3) fishing-area prohibitions for vessels with poor
bycatch performance. Additional components include:
(1) an A-season closed area of approximately 755
square nautical miles on the northern flank of the
Bering Canyon; and (2) a set of conditional B-season
closed areas of approximately 1,295 square miles along
the outermost Eastern Bering Sea (EBS) shelf. Vessels
are prohibited from fishing in the B-season areas
beginning on October 15th and continuing through to
the end of the season during those years when the
aggregate bycatch of all plan vessels during the month
of September exceeds a present threshold.
[She presented three slides, available in the committee handout,
depicting the Sea State, Inc. maps, as generated from bycatch
data, and used to describe discrete areas for determination of
fishing strategies for the pollock fleet.]
10:56:06 AM
MS. MADSEN said that based on the four year history of the Sea
State data, core trawling areas have been identified for
avoidance due to the possibility of high bycatch rates. The
avoidance areas are identified based on specific criteria and
managed accordingly. The criteria and measures include:
comparing pollock-fishery bycatch performance to a base rate of
Chinook bycatch - areas, within the core areas, with bycatch
rates higher than base rate may be specified as avoidance areas;
the base rate is allowed to change over time to reflect changes
in salmon abundance on the grounds; except at the start of the
season, the base rate is calculated as a three week rolling
average; a minimum value, or floor, is established at 3.5
Chinook per 100 tons of pollock catch; and vessels are
prohibited from fishing in the Chinook Salmon Conservation Area
during the A season. She explained that a vessels bycatch
performance is calculated using a two week rolling sum average
of pollock catch and Chinook bycatch, and a vessel with a
bycatch rate higher than 75 percent of the base rate must fish
outside the bycatch avoidance areas during the current week.
Additionally, the total numbers of Chinook counted can also
create an x-rolling hot spot (X-RHS) closure. A benchmark of
8,500 salmon was chosen, and a vessel exceeding their share of
the bycatch allowance, must fish outside of the bycatch
avoidance areas for two weeks. She pointed out that a great
number of details are involved in managing and operating the
fleet, including internal rules and built in buffers to ensure
share compliance. Finally, she said the draft report for 2012
indicates a total pollock harvest of 545,014 metric tons, and
2,933 individually counted Chinook salmon as bycatch.
11:00:31 AM
PETE WEDIN, Representative, Alaska Marine Conservation Council,
provided testimony, paraphrasing from a prepared statement,
which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
The Alaska Marine Conservation Council is a family of
seafood harvesters from all over Alaska and is
dedicated to protecting the long-term health of
Alaska's oceans and sustaining the working waterfronts
of our coastal communities. Our members include
fishermen, subsistence harvesters, marine scientists,
small business owners, and families. Our ways of
life, livelihoods and local economies depend on
productive oceans. We believe that coastal residents
have a valuable and unique perspective on the marine
ecosystem and have the right to meaningful and
influential participation in decisions.
I am here today to add our perspective to this
discussion of Chinook salmon bycatch and bycatch in
genera. Bycatch is simply that which is caught that
is either unintended or prohibited. In the case of
Chinook salmon, it is a prohibited species or PSC.
Although there is a measure of observation on the mid-
water and bottom trawl vessels that prosecute the
pollock and other ground fisheries in the Gulf of
Alaska and the Bering Sea, we believe the numbers are
even higher than those reported. Some Chinook salmon
are discarded over the side during "deck sorting," but
given the pace of the fishery, most are simply washed
down the chute with the targeted-species catch. In
the Gulf of Alaska, these fish are observed in the
processing plant, where they are ground up and
discarded after being counted and sampled. Under the
old observer program, most vessels were observed 30%
of the time, but some not at all. Under the new
program, vessels under 60 feet will be observed, but
coverage will be lower on the vessels that were
covered 30% of their trips. It should be noted at
that since 2011 all vessels in the Bering Sea have at
least 100% observer coverage. Many of the Chinook and
Chum salmon that are salvageable, are retained,
processed, and distributed through a program called
"Sea Share." Although we commend the effort and
recognize the good of sharing the "waste," our goal is
to reduce this waste of our most valuable resources.
The Gulf of Alaska non-pollock trawl fishery is
operating without a cap on Chinook salmon bycatch.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner
Campbell made a motion at the December North Pacific
Fishery Management Council meeting that would address
this management deficiency. There is a range of
alternatives included in the motion and two of the
elements that we think are important are full
retention of all PSC and a Chinook cap of 5,000 fish.
This alternative represents the only choice for a
meaningful reduction in Chinook bycatch. When the
Council recently placed a cap on the pollock fishery i
the Gulf, after a high Chinook bycatch of 54,000 kings
in 2010, the cap was set higher than the 10-year
average. This is not a meaningful reduction, but at
least it prevents the waste of more than 25,000
Chinook. We do not know the proportions, but we do
know that they are catching salmon from rivers that
flow into the Gulf of Alaska. Some of these rivers
include those in your district like, the Kenai,
Kasilof, Ninilchik, Susitna, Karluk, and many others
around the Gulf.
As you are aware, there are many rivers that the
Department of Fish and game have listed as "stock of
concern" both in the Gulf and the Bering Sea. In
2012, both commercial and recreational fishermen faced
severe closure due to low Chinook returns. We would
ask that the Council at this time would share this
pain and cap the Gulf of Alaska non-pollock trawl
fisheries to a Chinook cap of 5,000. We do not
believe that this bycatch of Chinook is the answer to
all the problems facing this stock, but we do know
that this is something we can and should do. Looking
at the charts of catch vs. bycatch from various
targeted fisheries and various vessels, we find that
some are fishing cleaner than others. Given the
present "race for fish" it seems that we will be
rewarding those that have the highest bycatch with the
most quotas.
The discussion has begun in the Council to pursue a
Catch Share Program for the Gulf of Alaska
Groundfisheries. This is the "tool" that the trawl
industry says is essential to bycatch reductions. We
must recognize the shortcomings of past programs and
commit to doing things differently this time. All
impacted community members should have an opportunity
to provide meaningful input.
For any management program design, goals must include:
Significant and meaningful bycatch reductions with
100% observer coverage
Mechanisms to reduce capital flight of the fisheries
resource
Direct allocations to community fishing associations
Avoid granting fishing rights into perpetuity
Maintain opportunity for crew, processing workers, and
support industries
Maintain entry level opportunity
Limit excessive consolidation in the harvesting and
processing sector
Promote active participation by vessel and quota
owners
Provide ecosystem protections
We ask that the legislature speaks out and support
these principles in order to maintain healthy
fisheries and robust working waterfronts in the Gulf
of Alaska and Bering Sea coastal communities.
11:06:05 AM
MR. WEDIN stressed the need to continue the two way dialogue, as
previously reported.
11:06:33 AM
ART NELSON, Policy Director, Bering Sea Fisherman's Association,
provided testimony, paraphrasing from a prepared statement,
which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted
amendment 91 which was implemented in 2011. At the
time of adoption, this coastwidefailure of Chinook
stocks had not yet occurred, however, they were aware
that the Yukon River stock was already trending
downward significantly and the eastern Norton Sound
kings had been in crisis for nearly a decade.
According to the EIS at the time of Am91, stock
composition estimates of chinook salmon taken as
bycatch in the Being Sea showed that approximately
5667% were from Alaskan rivers draining into the
Bering Sea (CWAK, Yukon, North Pen) (NMFS, 2009).
More recent information, while incomplete, indicate
that it could be even higher - 87% from samples
collected in 2010, as pointed out in earlier testimony
from Bob Clark with ADF&G. As the Council moved
toward final action on their plan, both the Alaska
Board of Fisheries and the US Fish and Wildlife
Service urged them to adopt a Chinook cap around
32,000 instead of the 60,000 cap they ultimately
adopted. Since the Council's action, things have only
gotten worse for Western Alaska king salmon, and the
crisis has spread throughout southcentral Alaska. The
Yukon River has been declared a fishery disaster for
every single year since 2008 (US Dept. of Commerce)
and has been listed as a stock of concern since 2000.
Throughout the 1980's and 1990's, commercial harvest
of Chinook salmon in the Yukon River were regularly
over 100,000 fish annually and residents throughout
the river drainage also enjoyed healthy and relatively
stable subsistence harvests of king salmon. However,
the recent 5year commercial harvests are down over 96%
from the prior 28year average (19802007) (Schmidt and
Newland, 2012). The subsistence lifestyle has also
been impacted by the poor runs. Subsistence harvests
have failed to meet the minimum "Amount necessary for
subsistence" in each of the past 5 years (ANS= 45,500
66,704, per 5AAC 01.236 (b)(1)…2012 estimated) (Brown
and Jallen, 2012). Additionally, we have failed to
deliver the minimum negotiated treaty amount of
Chinook salmon into Canada in 3 of the last 5 years
(Schmidt and Newland, 2012). Besides affecting
harvest of king salmon by Canadian residents, this
also fails to provide escapement needs when king
salmon spawned in Canadian waters have historically
represent about 50% of the entire Yukon drainage
production. In Norton Sound, the Unalakleet and
Shaktoolik Rivers are the major Chinook producing
systems and have been listed as a stock of concern
since 2004. The escapement goal on the Unalakleet
River has only been met in three of the past 5 years,
and when escapements were met, it was only due to
significant subsistence fishery restrictions. There
has not been a directed commercial harvest of king
salmon since 2001. Using the most recent 5year
averages, commercial harvests are down 98% and
subsistence harvests are down 67% from historical
average (Kent and Bergstrom, 2012). The bycatch of
Chinook salmon comes off the top of what subsistence,
commercial and sport salmon fishermen get along the
coasts and in the rivers. It is fortunate that
bycatch in the Bering Sea has been relatively low for
the past several years, but when you apply estimates
of stock composition to the current bycatch amounts,
even the current bycatch is taking almost as many
Yukon kings than the terminal commercial fishery when
inriver fishermen have been placed on incidental catch
only and the sale is prohibited. While the pollock
fishery celebrated a low bycatch of about 11,000 kings
this last year (NMFS website), subsistence fishermen
on the Kuskokwim river got tickets and their nets
seized for trying to catch a few kings to put on their
fish racks (KTUU, 2012). What's most alarming is the
potential at any time for the pollock fishery to take
a bycatch of 60,000 king salmon. By rough estimates,
that would represent somewhere between 30,00040,000
Alaska fish and perhaps as many as 13,000 Chinook
salmon from the Yukon alone. At current run
strengths, western Alaska fishermen are already
assuming that their commercial harvest of kings will
be foregone, and that amount of bycatch would have
dire consequences to inriver management, most likely
resulting in even more restrictions to subsistence
users who are already not meeting their needs at
levels determined by the Alaska Board of Fisheries.
Especially at these low levels of abundance, every
king salmon counts. BSFA has and will continue to ask
that the Council revisit their Chinook bycatch
measures to account for the recent and much more dire
stock statuses and shoulder a more equitable share of
the burden of conservation. Aside from whatever
action you may take regarding bycatch, I would urge
you to also support the State's research initiative as
well as Representative Herron's HB 49 which would
create a research endowment for Chinook salmon
research.
11:14:01 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 11:14 a.m. to 11:17 a.m.
^Presentation: Herring and Fish Protein Marketing Project
Presentation: Herring and Fish Protein Marketing Project
CHAIR SEATON announced that final order of business would be a
presentation on the Herring and Fish Protein Marketing Project.
11:17:17 AM
BRUCE SCHACTLER, Global Food Aid Director, Alaska Seafood
Marketing Institute, explained that the initial impetus began
ten years ago when there was an over-supply of canned pink
salmon. The marketing success resulted in reversing the
situation and currently not enough canned pink salmon is
available to meet the demand, thus making it necessary to
consider other species to fill the void. Herring were
identified as the answer. Approximately 4,000,000 tons of
herring are harvested on a global basis and Alaska currently
contributes about 10 percent. The herring roe fishery does not
utilize the male herring, leaving a viable supply for new
economic development. The herring fisheries in Alaska have been
waning with little or no local market of interest. However,
canned herring is a shelf stable, durable product, similar to
canned salmon. Canned fish products are extremely popular on a
global scale and with the food aid community, which represents a
$3 billion market. The approach to marketing herring has been
designed along similar lines as the successful approach used for
canned salmon. Launching the effort with a focus on food aid
programs has paid off and additional requests are being received
on a regular basis. Since the initial 10,000 surplus cases of
pink salmon were sold, in 2004, sales have increased and reports
for 2012 indicate that an excess of a million cases sold for
about $10 million. Herring is expected to generate similar
economic opportunity. In two years the herring project has been
developing as planned. Existing salmon machinery is primarily
being used, although the purchase of some herring specific
equipment was necessary; Ocean Beauty Seafoods has partnered in
the effort. He reported that in 2012, an appropriate can
container was designed and an NGO (nongovernmental organization)
contact was identified; Samaritans Purse partnered with ASMI to
bring a pilot program to Africa. A barge container of canned
herring was shipped to Liberia for distribution by the
Samaritans Purse volunteers. He underscored that Alaskan canned
fish products are the only animal protein products in the food
aid arena. Each ready to each can of fish delivers 100 percent
protein, making it unique and valuable.
11:30:30 AM
DR. NINA SCHLOSSMAN PhD, Technical Assistance & Project
Management, Global Food Aid Program, said introducing new
products can be a lengthy process, and many inquiries must be
fielded such as taste and cooking possibilities. The fish
products provide relief to the billion people who go to bed
hungry or are undernourished and the ASMI partnership has
allowed delivery of this nutrient rich product to a large
populace; including many with HIV/AIDs. Fish represent the only
source of marine protein and Omega III nutrients, which are
known to be a key factor for good health. The Alaskan product
has been well received, especially in Liberia where fish is a
favorite aspect of any meal. The health impacts, on those
receiving the product via Samaritans Purse, have been analyzed
over the past nine months and shown remarkable results. In the
five programs, 42 percent overall experienced improvement of
health. In the HIV/AIDS community 80 percent improved to
normal, in conjunction with the prescribed medicine.
MR. SCHACTLER added that the only dietary difference, during the
studies, was the addition of four cans of herring per week.
DR. SCHLOSSMAN said that often the allotment was eaten
continuously until it ran out and more was obtained in the next
month. Statistics for weights and measures were accurately
gathered, and confidence in the data is high.
11:37:53 AM
MR. SCHACTLER said another program is planned for the spring of
2013, in conjunction with Ocean Beauty Seafoods, which will
provide fresh product. The entire attention of the food aid
community is on ASMI, and in the coming months Alaskan products
will become an official purchase item on the USDA, world
hunger/food aid buy list. Two other NGO's are prepared to
purchase Alaskan products in quantity, as soon as they are
available. The next shipping container will be filled with
canned fillet products. The crosscut processing approach did
not provide accurate weights and using herring fillets should
remedy the discrepancy by creating a solid pack meat unit.
Additionally, fresh frozen herring will be introduced to the
global retail markets via the Boston and Brussels seafood shows
this spring. The canned pink salmon demand cannot be met on a
domestic level and herring are being requested.
11:43:12 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS asked what a fully developed
market might generate.
MR. SCHACTLER said it could easily be $10 million in canned
sales but the frozen market would be more difficult to estimate,
primarily due to freight prices.
MR. SCHACTLER mentioned the canned salmon seafood powder and
said next year will see the product being developed for sale in
the summer of 2014. The food aid and world food programs are
interested in powder products to minimize freight costs while
still providing nutrient rich products. The powder was first
produced 15-20 years ago, but this may be the best time for it
to be marketed on a global scale. He said the prospects are
exiting and purchasers are awaiting buying opportunities.
11:47:54 AM
REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE asked how the powder is produced.
MR. SCHACTLER explained the process briefly and offered to bring
a chemist to next year's briefing. He then provided a brief
video of images of the products being used in locales around the
world. He said that once people have good nutrition, appetite
returns, and the body can once again benefit from prescribed
medicinal products; general good health ensues. The programs
ten year history has shown value added to the seafood industry
and the stabilization of the pink salmon market. It is
anticipated that, through similar marketing strategies, western
Alaska herring fisheries will also benefit.
CHAIR SEATON acknowledged the positive work being accomplished
by ASMI.
11:56:40 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Fisheries meeting was adjourned at 11:56
a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| APA-CP IPA Report 2011.pdf |
HFSH 2/19/2013 10:00:00 AM |
chinook bycatch |
| AMCC presentation.pdf |
HFSH 2/19/2013 10:00:00 AM |
Chinook Bycatch |
| NPFMC Chinook briefing 2-19-2013.pdf |
HFSH 2/19/2013 10:00:00 AM |
Chinook Bycatch |
| Stram and Ianelli - Dec 2012 - briefing paper for AYKSSI.pdf |
HFSH 2/19/2013 10:00:00 AM |
Chinook Bycatch |
| Inshore SSIP - House Fisheries Comm - 2-19-2013.pdf |
HFSH 2/19/2013 10:00:00 AM |
chinook Bycatch |
| Excluder Update Feb 2013.pdf |
HFSH 2/19/2013 10:00:00 AM |
chinook bycatch |
| Chinook Presentation 2013 FCommittee1.pptx |
HFSH 2/19/2013 10:00:00 AM |
chinook bycatch |
| West Coast Salmon Genetic Stock Identification Collaboration.pdf |
HFSH 2/19/2013 10:00:00 AM |
Chinook Bycatch |