


Fish species that are not targeted and are discarded are considered bycatch or incidental catch. Certain species taken incidentally in Alaska's groundfish fisheries are called Prohibited Species Catch (PSC).
Fishermen participating in fisheries off Alaska sometimes catch and discard fish they do not want, cannot sell, or are not allowed to keep. These unwanted fish are collectively known as bycatch. Fishery interactions that result in mortality or injury of marine mammals and seabirds are also a bycatch concern.
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) requires that bycatch be minimized to the extent practicable. In the Alaska Region, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council and NOAA Fisheries have adopted measures to limit the catch of species taken incidentally in groundfish fisheries. Certain species are designated as “prohibited species” in the fishery management plans because they are the target of other, fully utilized domestic fisheries. Prohibited species catch (PSC) include Pacific halibut, Pacific herring, Pacific salmon, steelhead trout, king crab, and Tanner crab.
Amendment 95 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish of the GOA to Reduce Halibut Prohibited Species Catch Limits