AK Cook Inlet Salmon Drift Gillnet Fishery - MMPA List of Fisheries

Category

II

Estimated Number of Participants

355

Target Species

Salmon

Applicable Take Reduction Plans

N/A

Observer Coverage

Observer coverage is calculated by the percentage of fishing days observed.  Observer coverage was 1.8 % and 3.7% in 1999 and 2000, respectively. The fishery was not observed from 1990-1998, and 2001-2005.

Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured

Beluga whale, Cook Inlet;

Dall's porpoise, AK;

Harbor porpoise, Gulf of Alaska (GOA)¹;

Harbor seal, GOA;

Steller sea lion, Western U.S.

Original Category (Year added to the LOF)

II (1996)

Original Number of Participants

576

Basis for Original Classification

This fishery was categorized as a Category II based on logbook data.  Observer coverage levels were inadequate to determine mortality and serious injury levels across all fisheries, but available data suggested that, if observer data were available, the data would likely indicate that serious injury and mortality were more than 10% of PBR for each stock with which this fishery interacts.  Data suggests that levels of mortality and serious injury would be similar to those in other Category II drift gillnet fisheries which interact with similar marine mammal species.

Past Names

AK Cook Inlet drift gillnet (until 1999)

Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list)

N/A

• Estimated number of participants updated from 569 to 355.

2013

• Estimated number of participants updated from 571 to 569.

2009

• Estimated number of participants updated from 554 to 571.

2006

• Added a superscript “1” after harbor porpoise (GOA), indicating that takes of this stock are driving the classification of the fishery.

2003

• NOAA Fisheries proposed downgrade this fishery to a Category III, but retained the Category II classification based on analysis completed after the proposed rule. One mortality of a harbor porpoise in 2000 extrapolates to a mortality estimate of 27 animals in 2000, or an average of 13.5 animals/year for 1999 and 2000, which is adequate to retain the fishery as a category II.

2001

• Estimated number of participants updated from 560 to 576.

1999

• Beluga whales (Cook Inlet) added because the stock was designated as a strategic stock in 1998.  An observer program was instigated in 1999-2000 to observe interactions with Cook Inlet beluga whales.
• Renamed the fishery the "AK Cook Inlet salmon drift gillnet" to specify the target species.
• Estimated number of participants updated from 577 to 560.

1998

• The stock of harbor porpoise was changed from “AK” to “Gulf of Alaska.”
• Estimated number of participants updated from 554 to 577.