The Council received a report, cost analysis, and draft regulations for an electronic monitoring program for the whiting midwater trawl fishery in November. The Council confirmed its final preferred alternatives for the whiting fishery at the same meeting. The Council’s intent was to have regulations applicable fleet-wide in place by the 2017 season (May 15, 2017 or earlier).
Also in November, the Council received an update on potential implementation of an electronic monitoring program for the IFQ fixed gear fleet along with the whiting fishery electronic monitoring program. The Council asked the GEMPAC and GEMTAC to review regulations for the whiting and fixed gear fisheries over the winter.