The federal government today posted two huge documents on its plan to limit the "accidental" catch of Chinook salmon in the Bering Sea commercial pollock fishery.
To see the 718-page environmental impact statement and the 342-page regulatory impact review, click here.
What about Halibut??? Soon there will be NOTHING left!!
ReplyDeleteTrawlers using their smoke and mirror ploy to deflect attention to their dirty fishing methods. Halibut will not be dealt with favorably for fixed gear, in fact trawler lobbyists and their minions are now asking the council for additional halibut bycatch so they may fully utilize the TAC on flatfish in the GOA. Word is draggers have filed lawsuit as they believe they were screwed in recent GOA sector split on cod. Careful boys..you may open up more intense debate on the 3% adjustment of sector split for conservation and other reasons. How does a final split of 37% sound to ya..safe sailing
ReplyDeleteHow are bycaught Chinook salmon documented on trawlers in the Bering Sea? By third party observers of course. They report in to the DH NOAA office what the number of bycaught Chinook salmon is. When a particular vessel or fishery hits their bycatch cap, fishery managers close that fishery. The vessels stop fishing and go to port...at which point the observer stops getting sea pay, and goes to "stand-by" pay.
ReplyDeleteConflict of interest?
You betcha! Go check this out- I was an observer in the '90s this was the case then as it is now.
If you are curious, ask the managers who William Bokenyi is. He prolonged several of the '90s trawl fisheries by under reporting halibut bycatch on the vessel that he was assigned to.
Tholepin.blogspot would like to hear more about your thoughts. The video featured there is supposedly an observer's who was ordered to dismount it from YouTube. Luckily someone copied it before was disappeared.
ReplyDelete