Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska Management Area Fishery Management Plan Historical Amendments 11 through 20

These actions are necessary to promote management and conservation of groundfish and other living marine resources. They are intended to further the goals and objectives contained in the fishery management plan that governs these fisheries.

Amendment 11

This amendment adjusted the management of the pollock resource by increasing the optimum yield in the Central Regulatory Area and reducing the sum of the optimal yields for sablefish. It also:

• modified the reserve apportionment procedure
• divided the Yakutat District into two districts to better manage sablefish
• provided the regional director the authority to impose on foreign nations season and/or area restrictions for conservation reasons
• placed radio or telephone catch reporting requirements on domestic vessels leaving State waters to land fish outside Alaska.

Federal Register

• Final Rule (48 FR 43044, 09/21/1983)
• Proposed Rule (48 FR 30409, 07/01/1983)

Supporting Materials

• Regulatory impact review/Initial regulatory flexibility analysis

Amendment 12

Pot Gear Prohibition for Sablefish (withdrawn)

Amendment 13

This amendment adjusted the management of the pollock resource by combining the Western and Central Regulatory Areas of the Gulf of Alaska for management and increasing the optimum yield of pollock for the combined area from 200,000 metric tons (mt) to 400,000 mt. The intent is to allow both the harvest of the increased surplus production of the pollock resource and the distribution of fishing effort according to pollock availability. It made permanent regulations implemented by an emergency Interim rule that became effective March 20, 1983.

Federal Register

• Final Rule (49 FR , 07/17/1984)
• Proposed Rule (49 FR 18144, 04/27/1984)

Amendment 14

This amendment established gear/area restrictions and OY apportionments to gear types for sablefish, established a Central Southeast Outside District with 600 mt OY for demersal shelf
rockfish, and changed OYs for pollock, Pacific Ocean perch, other rockfish, Atka mackerel, and other species. It also revised the reporting system for catcher/processors, implemented a framework procedure for setting and revising halibut PSC limits, and implemented NMFS habitat policy. Finally, it set seasons for hook and longline and pot sablefish fisheries and defined directed fishing.

Federal Register

• Proposed Rule (51 FR 13891, 04/21/1986)
• Correction (50 FR 48601, 11/26/1985)
• Final Rule (50 FR 43193, 10/24/1985)
• Correction (50 FR 34881, 08/28/1985)
• Correction (50 FR 32456, 08/12/1985)
• Proposed Rule (50 FR 30481, 07/26/1985)
• Notice of Availability (50 FR 26812, 06/28/1985)

Supporting Materials

• Regulatory Impact Review/Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
• Environmental Assessment of Amendment 14

Amendment 15

The amendment revised the management goals and objectives and established a single optimum yield range and a procedure for setting annual harvest levels for each species category of groundfish. It also:

• established a procedure for setting prohibited species catch limits for full utilized groundfish species
• revised an existing reporting requirement for catcher/processor and mothership/processor vessels
• established four time/area closures to non-pelagic trawling around Kodiak Island for a three-year period to protect king crab
• authorized the Secretary of Commerce to make certain in-season changes to gear regulations seasons, and harvest quotas.

Federal Register

• Emergency Interim Rule (52 FR 10761, 04/03/1987)
• Final Rule (52 FR 7868, 03/13/1987)
• Emergency Interim Rule (52 FR 422, 01/06/1987)
• Proposed Rule (51 FR 44812, 12/12/1986)
• Notice of Availability (51 FR 42603, 11/25/1986)

Supporting Materials

• Environmental Assessment

Amendment 16

This amendment revised the definition of prohibited species, and re-specified the categories of target species, other species, and non-specified species. It also augmented catcher/
processor and mothership reporting requirements, changed the starting date of the public comment period for proposed annual specifications for the Gulf of Alaska, renamed target quotas as total allowable catches, and authorized in-season reapportionments of domestic annual processing to joint venture processing.

Federal Register

• Final Rule (53 FR 7756, 03/10/1988)
• Proposed Rule (52 FR 48304, 12/21/1987)
• Notice of Availability (52 FR 45215, 11/25/1987)

• Supporting Materials

• Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Impact Review

Amendment 17

This amendment required all vessels receiving groundfish harvested in the U.S. exclusive economic zone adjacent to Alaska to hold a federal permit and comply with federal reporting requirements.

Federal Register

• Final Rule (54 FR 18519, 05/01/1989)
• Proposed Rule (53 FR 34322, 09/06/1988)
• Notice of Availability (53 FR 30322, 08/11/1988)

Supporting Materials

• Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Impact Review/Initial Regulatory Flexib…

Amendment 18

This amendment authorized a comprehensive domestic fishery observer program. It also:

• established Shelikof Strait area as a management district
• closed areas around Kodiak Island to bottom trawl gear
• established for one year, interim Pacific halibut PSC limits for fixed gear (750 mt) and trawl gear (2,000 mt)
• deleted fishing season dates from the plan but retained them in regulation
• clarified authority to recommend TACs for additional or fewer target species within the “target species” category.

Federal Register

• Final Rule (56 FR 5775, 02/13/1991)
• Final Rule (55 FR 4839, 02/12/1990)
• Correction (55 FR 1036, 01/11/1990)
• Proposed Rule (54 FR 51042, 12/12/1989)
• Final Rule (54 FR 50386, 12/06/1989)
• Proposed Rule (54 FR 39022, 09/22/1989)
• Proposed Rule (54 FR 36333, 09/01/1989)
• Notice of Availability (54 FR 31861, 08/02/1989)

Supporting Materials

• Environmental Assessment

Amendment 19

The amendment implemented rules that regulated the practice of stripping roe (eggs) from female pollock and discarding female and male pollock carcasses without further processing. It also seasonally allocated the total allowable catch of pollock.

Federal Register

• Final Rule (56 FR 492, 01/07/1991)
• Proposed Rule (55 FR 37907, 09/14/1990)
• Notice of Availability (55 FR 33737, 08/17/1990)

Supporting Materials

• Environmental Assessment/Regulatory Impact Review/Initial Regulatory Flexibilit…
• Environmental Assessment/Regulatory Impact Review/Initial Regulatory Flexibilit…

Amendment 20

This amendment established an individual fishing quota (IFQ) limited access system in fixed gear fisheries for Pacific halibut and sablefish in and off Alaska. The IFQ program is intended to resolve various conservation and management problems that stemmed from the "open access" regulatory regime.

Federal Register

• Correction (59 FR, 10/13/1994)
• Final Rule (58 FR 59375, 11/09/1993)
• Proposed Rule (57 FR 57130, 12/03/1992)
• Proposed Rule (57 FR 49676, 11/03/1992)

Supporting Materials

• Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Statemen…
• Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program