2013 Alaska Marine Mammal Observer Program Observer Manual

While there are currently no Category I fisheries in Alaska, the final 2008 List of Fisheries contains 18 Category II fisheries in Alaska. Four of these Category II fisheries are Federally-managed groundfish fisheries, and 14 are state-managed salmon gillnet or purse seine fisheries. Of the Alaska state-managed Category II fisheries, those that have been observed are:

• the Prince William Sound drift and set net gillnet fisheries (1990-1991)
• Alaska Peninsula drift gillnet fishery (1990)
• Cook Inlet drift and set gill net fisheries (1999-2000)
• Kodiak set gillnet fishery (2002, 2005)

Several stocks of marine mammals in Alaska prompt the prioritization of observing the Category II state-managed fisheries. The Northern Gulf of Alaska has several marine mammal stocks with a population status in decline. These stocks include the Cook Inlet stock of beluga whale and the Gulf of Alaska harbor seal. The population of the endangered Western U.S. stock of Steller sea lion saw serious decline over a long period of time, but is recently thought to be showing some stabilization. Within this region, commercial salmon drift and set gillnet fisheries have been found to interact with these and other marine mammal stocks, including sea otter and harbor porpoise. While the central North Pacific humpback whale stock is increasing, documented takes are known occur in several fisheries.