Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska Management Area Fishery Management Plan Historical Amendments 31-40

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 31

This amendment removed Atka mackerel from the "other species" category and established Atka mackerel as a separate target species in the Gulf of Alaska.

Federal Register

• Final Rule (58 FR 54553, 10/22/1993)
• Correction (58 FR 42758, 08/11/1993)
• Notice of Availability (58 FR 39794, 07/26/1993)

Supporting Materials

• Final Environmental Assessment

Amendment 32

This amendment established a plan to rebuild stocks of the rockfish Pacific ocean perch (Sebastes alutus) in the Gulf of Alaska.

Federal Register

• Final Rule (59 FR 18103, 04/14/1994)
• Proposed Rule (59 FR 10612, 03/07/1994)
• Notice of Availability (59 FR 295, 01/04/1994)

Supporting Materials

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

Amendment 33

Kodiak Pelagic Trawl Closures (Withdrawn)

Amendment 34

This amendment corrected the plan so that it does not include a section on the Community Development Quota program. This action is necessary to raise the sablefish community development quota allocation limit for qualified applicants from 12 percent to 33 percent, and to clarify the evidence that may be used to verify vessel leases for the Pacific halibut and sablefish individual fishing quota program. It is intended to allow total allocation of the sablefish community development quota reserve and to provide individual fishing quota program applicants with information about the evidence required for vessel lease verification.

Federal Register

• Final Rule (59 FR 43502, 08/24/1994)
• Proposed Rule (59 FR 28048, 05/30/1994)

Amendment 35

This amendment created both blocked and unblocked quota shares based on the 1994 quota. The amendment also clarified that blocked and unblocked quota share would be transferable subject to the approval of the NMFS Regional Director.

Federal Register

• Final Rule (59 FR 51135, 10/07/1994)
• Proposed Rule (59 FR 33272, 06/27/1994)

Amendment 36

This amendment was necessary to facilitate full utilization of the allocated resources managed under the Individual Fishing Quota Program for the Pacific halibut and sablefish fixed gear fisheries in and off of Alaska. It was intended to relieve transfer restrictions on Community Development Quota compensation quota shares, thereby allowing transfers to persons that could use the resulting individual fishing quota to harvest the resource.

Federal Register

• Final Rule (61 FR 1843, 01/24/1996)
• Proposed Rule (60 FR 53331, 10/13/1995)
• Notice of Availability (60 FR 51452, 10/02/1995)

Supporting Materials

• Regulatory Impact Review

Amendment 37

This amendment was necessary to allow fuller use of the fishery resources in and off of Alaska. It was intended to allow persons authorized to harvest individual fishing quota sablefish to process species other than IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish.

Federal Register

• Final Rule (61 FR 33382, 06/27/1996)
• Proposed Rule (61 FR 14547, 04/02/1996)
• Notice of Availability (61 FR 11376, 03/20/1996)

Supporting Materials

• Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Impact Review

Amendment 38

This amendment allowed the Council to recommend a Pacific Ocean perch total allowable catch at or below the amount dictated by the formula in the Rebuilding Plan. The regulations specify that any downward adjustments would be based on biological or resource conservation concerns about the Pacific Ocean perch stock or associated with the Pacific Ocean perch fishery that are not accounted for in the Rebuilding Plan or the annual stock assessment reports.

Federal Register

• Final Rule (60 FR 63654, 12/12/1995)
• Proposed Rule (60 FR 48087, 09/18/1995)
• Notice of Availability (60 FR 46572 , 09/07/1995)

Amendment 39

This amendment created a forage fish species category and implemented associated management measures. The intended effect was to prevent the development of a commercial directed fishery for forage fish, which are a critical food source for many marine mammal, seabird, and fish species.

Federal Register

• Final Rule (63 FR 13009, 03/17/1998)
• Proposed Rule (62 FR 65402, 12/12/1997)
• Notice of Availability (62 FR 60682, 11/12/1997)

Supporting Materials

• Environmental Assessment

Amendment 40

The provisions of Amendment 23 became the basis of Amendment 40. Thus, the apportionment of pollock would be allocated entirely for processing by the inshore sector. The apportionment of Pacific cod would be allocated 90% for the inshore sector, 10% for the offshore sector.

Federal Register

• Final Rule (60 FR 63654, 12/12/1995)
• Proposed Rule (60 FR 48087, 09/18/1995)
• Notice of Availability (60 FR 46572, 09/07/1995)

Supporting Materials

• Environmental Assessment