AK Prince William Sound Salmon Drift Gillnet 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 the List of Fisheries

Category	II
Estimated Number of Participants	483
Target Species	Salmon
Applicable Take Reduction Plans	None
Observer Coverage	Observer coverage is calculated by the percentage of estimated sets observed. Observer coverage was 4% and 5% in 1990 and 1991, respectively. The fishery was not observed from 1992-2005.
Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured	Dall’s porpoise, AK; Gray whale, Eastern North Pacific; Harbor porpoise, GOA¹; Harbor seal, Prince William Sound; Humpback whale, Hawai’i; Humpback whale, Mexico-North Pacific; Northern fur seal, North Pacific; Pacific white-sided dolphin, Central North Pacific; Northern sea otter, South Central AK; Steller sea lion, Western U.S.¹

^ 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 total annual mortality and serious injury of harbor porpoise (Gulf of Alaska [GOA] stock) and Steller sea lion (Western U.S. stock) in this fishery is greater than 1% and less than 50% of the stocks’ Potential Biological Removal (PBR) level.

Distribution

This fishery operates from mid-May to the end of September in the Prince William Sound Fisheries Management Area, which consists of 10 districts with six hatcheries contributing to the salmon fisheries.

Gear Description

This fishery uses drift gillnet gear with soak times of 15 minutes to 3 hours. The gear is set both during the day and night, with 10-14 sets per day.

Management

This fishery is managed by the AK Department of Fish and Game as a limited entry fishery with gear restrictions on the mesh and net size, and area closures.

Historical Information

Original Category (Year added to the LOF)	II (1996)
Original Number of Participants	509
Basis for Original Classification	This fishery was categorized as Category II based on observer data that showed the level of harbor porpoise (GOA) mortality and serious injury was 20 animals/year, or 8.1% of PBR (PBR=247), and serious injury and mortality of Steller sea lions (Western U.S.) was 14.5 animals/year, or 6.2% of PBR (PBR=234).
Past Names	N/A
Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list)	N/A

Timeline of Changes

2024	Estimated number of participants updated from 537 to 483. Revised marine mammal stock names on the list of species/stocks incidentally killed or injured as follows: Humpback whale, Central North Pacific to humpback whale, Hawai’i and humpback whale, Mexico-North Pacific.
2023	Revised the stock name for sea otter, South Central AK to Northern sea otter, South Central AK.
2022	Added gray whale, Eastern North Pacific stock and humpback whale, Central North Pacific stock. Revised the stock name of harbor seal, GOA to harbor seal, Prince William Sound.
2009	Estimated number of participants updated from 541 to 537.
2007	Corrected a typographical error in the 2006 LOF where sea otters (AK) were incorrectly removed from the list of species/stocks killed/injured, by adding this stock back into the Table.
2006	Added a superscript “1” after harbor porpoise (GOA) and Steller sea lion (Western U.S.), indicating that takes of these stocks are driving the classification of the fishery.
2000	Sea otter (AK) added to list of species/stock incidentally killed/injured in this fishery because of reported entanglements. Estimated number of participants updated from 509 to 541.
1999	Estimated number of participants updated from 518 to 509.
1998	The stock of harbor porpoise on the list of species killed/injured in this fishery was changed from “AK” to “GOA.” Estimated number of participants updated from 509 to 518.

Last updated by Office of Protected Resources on 02/26/2024

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