"Demersal Shelf Rockfish"

The National Standard Guidelines for Fishery Management Plans published by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) require that a stock assessment and fishery evaluation (SAFE) report be prepared and reviewed annually for each fishery management plan (FMP). The SAFE reports are intended to summarize the best available scientific information concerning the past, present, and possible future condition of the stocks and fisheries under federal management. The FMPs for the groundfish fisheries managed by the Council require that drafts of the SAFE reports be produced each year in time for the December North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) meetings.

The demersal shelf rockfish (DSR) complex (yelloweye, quillback, copper, rosethorn, canary, China, and tiger rockfish) is assessed on a biennial cycle, with a full stock assessment typically conducted in odd calendar years. Prior to 2010 yelloweye rockfish density was estimated using a manned submersible (Delta) and since 2012 density has been estimated using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). No surveys were completed in 2010 or 2011. Yelloweye rockfish biomass is estimated as the product of density, mean fish weight, and area of rocky habitat for each management district. The recommended DSR acceptable biological catch (ABC) and overfishing level (OFL) for this year’s SAFE are based on the most recent yelloweye rockfish biomass estimates plus the Tier 6 calculation of the non-yelloweye rockfish DSR component. In addition, the results of a preliminary statistical age-structured assessment model, which incorporates submersible and ROV yelloweye rockfish density estimates, commercial, recreational, and subsistence fishery data, and International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) survey data, are presented in Appendix A.

Rockfish of the genus Sebastes are found in temperate waters of the continental shelf off North America. At least thirty-two species of Sebastes occur in the Gulf of Alaska. The DSR assemblage is comprised of the seven species of nearshore, bottom-dwelling rockfish (Table 1). These fish are located on the continental shelf, reside on or near the bottom, and are generally associated with rugged, rocky habitat. For purposes of this report, emphasis is placed on yelloweye rockfish, as it is the dominant species in the DSR fishery (O’Connell and Brylinsky 2003).

This document analyzes the effects of a regulatory amendment to require full retention of Demersal Shelf Rockfish (DSR) in the longline fisheries of the Southeast Outside District of the Gulf of Alaska.