Publications

On September 1, 2008, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) completed the thirtieth annual longline survey of Alaska sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) resources of the upper continental slope (Figure 1). This survey was designed to continue the time series (1979-94) of the Gulf of Alaska portion of the Japan-U.S. cooperative longline survey that was discontinued after 1994. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has surveyed the Gulf of Alaska annually since 1987, the eastern Aleutian Islands biennially since 1996, and the eastern Bering Sea biennially since 1997. The Gulf of Alaska and eastern Aleutian Islands were sampled in 2008.

Two proposed actions to amend halibut and sablefish Individual Fishing Quota regulations

This Regulatory Impact Review and Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis evaluates an action affecting the Pacific Halibut Individual Fishing Quota program on the use of quota share.

On September 1, 2007, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) completed the twenty-ninth annual longline survey of Alaska sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) resources of the upper continental slope (Figure 1). This survey was designed to continue the time series (1979-94) of the Gulf of Alaska portion of the Japan-U.S. cooperative longline survey that was discontinued after 1994. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has surveyed the Gulf of Alaska annually since 1987, the eastern Aleutian Islands biennially since 1996, and the eastern Bering Sea biennially since 1997. The Gulf of Alaska and eastern Bering Sea were sampled in 2007.

On September 1, 2006, the, Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC), completed the twenty-fourth annual longline survey of Alaska sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) resources of the upper continental slope (Figure 1). The present NMFS survey was designed to continue the time series (1979-94) of the discontinued Japan-U.S. cooperative longline survey of the Gulf of Alaska. NMFS has surveyed the Gulf of Alaska annually since 1987, the eastern Aleutian Islands biennially since 1996, and the eastern Bering Sea biennially since 1997. The Gulf of Alaska and eastern Aleutian Islands were sampled in 2006.

This Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (FRFA) evaluates the adverse economic impacts on directly regulated small entities of a regulatory amendment to exclude tagged halibut and tagged sablefish catches from deduction from fishermen’s Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) and from Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) accounts.

Environmental Assessment and Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis of the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands groundfish harvest specifications for 2006-2007.

On September 5, 2005, the, Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC), completed the twenty-sixth annual longline survey of Alaska sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) resources of the upper continental slope (Figure 1). This survey was designed to continue the time series (1979-94) of the Gulf of Alaska portion of the Japan-U.S. cooperative longline survey that was discontinued after 1994. NMFS has surveyed the Gulf of Alaska annually since 1987, the eastern Aleutian Islands biennially since 1996, and the eastern Bering Sea biennially since 1997. The Gulf of Alaska and eastern Bering sea were sampled in 2005.

Analysis of the implementation of a cost recovery fee program for the Amendment 80 Program, the groundfish and halibut/sablefish Community Development Quota Program, the American Fisheries Act Program, and Aleutian Islands Pollock Program.

Over 34,000 age 0–2 juvenile sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) were tagged and released in southeast Alaska waters during 1985–2005. The data set resulting from this tagging study was unusual because of its time span (20 years) and because age could be reliably inferred from release length (i.e., tagged and released fish were of known age); thus, age-specific movement patterns could be examined. The depth-and area-related recovery patterns supported the concepts that sablefish move to deeper water with age and migrate counterclockwise in the Gulf of Alaska. Availability to the fishery increased rapidly for fish of younger ages, peaked at age 5 to 6, and then gradually declined as sablefish moved deeper with age. Decreased availability with age may occur because of lower fishing effort in deep water and could have substantial implications for sablefish stock assessments because “dome-shaped” availability influences the reliability of abundance estimates. The area-related recovery pattern was not affected by year-class strength; i.e., there was no significant density-dependent relationship.