Monday, December 6, 2010

Steller rules, Gulf bycatch, harvest limits and more

We've got the North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting all week here in Anchorage, and the agenda is packed.

Here's a rundown of the major items:

• The council likely will learn the federal government's final stance on fishery restrictions in the western Aleutians to conserve prey for endangered Steller sea lions.

• The council will hear a report on crab rationalization, five years after implementation.

• The council will discuss the recent high Chinook salmon bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska groundfish harvest. Halibut bycatch is on the agenda, too.

• Finally, the council will take care of one of its main yearly chores: setting catch limits for pollock, cod and other groundfish in the Bering Sea and the Gulf.

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