The Alaska Region has been actively addressing seabird incidental take in longline, or hook-and-line, fisheries off Alaska since 1989. AKR seabird-related responsibilities and activities include consultations under the Endangered Species Act, data collection by fishery observers, public and industry outreach and education, research, regulatory action, and participation in the development of actions to reduce the incidental take of seabirds in Alaska fisheries. The Alaska Region plays a proactive role in its coordination with local, regional, national, and international agencies, organizations, and experts in its efforts to reduce seabird incidental take in hook-and-line fisheries.
Additional Resources
- Seabird Avoidance Gear and Methods for Alaska Fishermen
- Alaska Groundfish and Halibut Seabird Working Group
- Regulations on Seabird Avoidance and Listed Seabirds
- Federal Register Rules and Notices
- Biological Assessments - NOAA Fisheries
- ESA Section 7 Biological Opinions - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (broken link). (Effects of the Proposed Modification of the EPA General Permit AKG524000 for Offshore Seafood Processors in Alaska and on the NMFS Groundfish Fishery for the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, and Aleutians Islands, 2021; Effects of the Halibut Fisheries in Waters off Alaska on the Endangered Short-tailed Albatross (Phoebastria albatrus), 2018; Effects of the Fishery Management Plans for the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Groundfish Fisheries and the State of Alaska Parallel Groundfish Fisheries, 2015; Effects of the Total Allowable Catch-Setting Process for the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Groundfish Fisheries to the Endangered Short-tailed Albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) and Threatened Steller's Eider (Polysticta stelleri), 2003; Pacific Halibut Fisheries in Waters Off Alaska, 1998)
- History of Seabird Bycatch Reduction in Alaska
- Additional Seabird Bycatch Reduction Organizations
Contacts
- Adam Zaleski, Alaska Regional Office
Jessica Beck, Alaska Fisheries Science Center
