AK Gulf of Alaska Sablefish Longline Fishery - MMPA List of Fisheries

U.S. fisheries are classified under the Marine Mammal Protection Act according to the level of interactions that result in incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals.

Alaska

Current Classification on List of Fisheries

Category	II
Estimated Number of Participants	177
Target Species	sablefish
Applicable Take Reduction Plans	None
Observer Coverage	20% of observed biomass*
Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured	Northern elephant seal, California breeding; Sperm whale, North Pacific¹; Steller sea lion, Eastern U.S.; Steller sea lion, Western U.S.

^ Number of participants estimates are based on state and federal fisheries permit data. The estimated number of participants is expressed in terms of the number of active participants in the fishery, when possible. If this information is not available, the estimated number of vessels or persons licensed for a particular fishery is provided. If no recent information is available on the number of participants, then the number from the most recent LOF is used. NOAA Fisheries acknowledges that, in some cases, these estimations may be inflating actual effort.

*Observer coverage levels include the latest information reported in the most current final Stock Assessment Report (SAR).

¹ Indicates the stock or species is driving the classification of the fishery.

Basis for Current Classification

The AK Gulf of Alaska sablefish longline fishery is classified as Category II based on interactions with North Pacific sperm whales. Given the current mean estimated annual mortality and serious injury (M/SI) of sperm whales in this fishery, NOAA Fisheries cannot conclude the plain language definition for Category III, “a remote likelihood of or no known incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals” is appropriate at this time. Instead, the Category II definition, “occasional incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals” is more appropriate for this fishery.

Distribution

In offshore and coastal waters of the Gulf of Alaska, typically March –November.

Gear Description

Hook and line fisheries with various configurations of hook/bait/gear.

Management

NOAA Fisheries and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council manage the sablefish fishery in Alaska.

Historical Information

Original Category (Year added to the LOF)	III (2004)
Original Number of Participants	412
Basis for Original Classification	No documented marine mammal interactions in observer, logbook, or stranding data available.
Past Names	N/A
Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list)	N/A

Timeline of Changes

2024	Added superscript “1” to the North Pacific stock of sperm whale to indicate the stock is driving the Category II classification. Revised the stock name from Northern elephant seal, California to Northern elephant seal, California breeding. Estimated number of participants updated from 295 to 177.
2023	Added Steller sea lion, Western U.S.
2022	Added Northern elephant seal, California.
2021	Removed Steller sea lion, Western U.S.
2020	Added Steller sea lion, Eastern U.S.
2019	Added Steller sea lion, Western U.S.
2018	Reclassified as Category II due to M/SI of North Pacific sperm whales.
2015	Estimated No. of vessels/persons updated from 291 to 295.
2013	Removed Steller sea lion, Eastern U.S. from list of species/stocks killed or injured because there were none recorded since 2000.
2009	Estimated No. of vessels/persons updated from 412 to 291.
2006	Added sperm whale, North Pacific and Steller sea lion, Eastern U.S. to the list of species/stocks killed or injured.
2004	Created as a stand-alone fishery after being split out from the previous “AK Gulf of Alaska longline/set line (federally regulated waters, including miscellaneous finfish and sablefish)” fishery.

Last updated by Office of Protected Resources on 02/27/2024

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