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At its September 2007 meeting, the Council adopted a preferred alternative to limit participation in the Pacific whiting fishery under Amendment 15 to the Groundfish FMP. This recommended action is intended to address conservation and socioeconomic issues in the non-tribal Pacific whiting fishery by prohibiting sector-specific participation in the fishery by all vessels without historic participation records. The Council continues to be concerned about the conservation of overfished groundfish species and salmon stocks listed under the Endangered Species Act and believes increased effort in the Pacific whiting fishery could exacerbate a race for fish and increased bycatch of these species of concern.
The Council intends Amendment 15 to serve as an interim measure with the adopted provisions sunsetting at such time the Council adopts and NMFS implements a trawl rationalization program under Amendment 20. Vessels that qualify for whiting fishery participation under Amendment 15 are not guaranteed future participation or inclusion in the Pacific whiting fishery under the provisions of Amendment 20.
The Council's preferred action alternative would prohibit sector-specific participation in the shoreside, catcher/processor, and mothership sectors of the Pacific whiting fishery in each sector for which a vessel does not have a historic participation record during the qualifying period. The Council adopted the following qualifying periods:
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1994 through 2006 for catcher vessels participating in the shoreside sector
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1997 through 2006 for catcher vessels participating in the mothership sector, vessels in the catcher/processor sector, and motherships.
For the action alternative, “historic participation” is defined as vessels that participated in the directed Pacific whiting fishery (as defined annually in federal regulation) in any one qualifying year.
NMFS approved Amendment 15 on June 18, 2008.
NMFS published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on March 19, 2008.
Information Available for Download
PFMC
07/07/08
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