"Skate"

There are currently no target fisheries for skates in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), and directed fishing for skates is prohibited.

The Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) skate complex is managed in aggregate, with a single set of harvest specifications applied to the entire complex.

The new findings show that the range of these shark relatives extends farther north than previously known.

In accordance with the approved assessment schedule, no stock assessment was conducted for this stock this year, however, a full stock assessment will be conducted in 2019. Until then, the values generated from the previous stock assessment (below) will be rolled over for 2019 specifications.

Because two different assessment methodologies are used for skates, this report deviates somewhat from the format of other Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) documents.

Scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Center assess skate populations and research their biology, interactions with fisheries, response to environmental changes, and economics to provide the scientific advice needed to manage skate populations and potentially develop a profitable and sustainable fishery.

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 Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) report summarizes the best available scientific information concerning the past, present, and possible future condition of the stocks, marine ecosystems, and fisheries that are managed under Federal regulation. It provides information to the Councils for determining annual harvest levels from each stock, documenting significant trends or changes in the resource, marine ecosystems, and fishery over time, and assessing the relative success of existing state and Federal fishery management programs. For the FMP for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Area, the SAFE report is published in three sections: a “Stock Assessment” section, which comprises the bulk of this document, and “Economic Status of Groundfish Fisheries off Alaska” (i.e., the “Economic SAFE report”) and “Ecosystem Considerations” sections, which are bound separately.

Ensuring a healthy ecosystem for sustainable fisheries.

The Gulf of Alaska (GOA) skate complex is managed as three units. Big skates (Beringraja binoculata) and longnose skates (Raja rhina) each have separate harvest specifications, with acceptable biological catches (ABCs) specified for each GOA regulatory area (western, central, and eastern). A single gulfwide overfishing level (OFL) is specified for each stock. All remaining skate species are managed as an “Other Skates” complex with gulfwide harvest specifications. All GOA skates are managed under Tier 5, where OFL and ABC are based on survey biomass estimates and natural mortality rate.