Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Revisions to the Pollock Trip Limit Regulations in the Gulf of Alaska

Résumé

NMFS proposes to revise pollock trip limit regulations to prohibit a catcher vessel from landing more than 300,000 lb (136 mt) of unprocessed pollock during a calendar day. NMFS also proposes to prohibit a catcher vessel from landing a cumulative amount of unprocessed pollock from any Gulf of Alaska (GOA) reporting area that exceeds 300,000 lb multiplied by the number of calendar days the pollock fishery is open to directed fishing in a season. The objective of this proposed rule is to prevent catcher vessels from circumventing the intent of current trip limit regulations when making deliveries of pollock. Amending the current trip limit regulation to limit legal opportunities for a vessel to exceed 300,000 lb of pollock caught in a day, would continue to disperse catches of pollock in a manner that is consistent with the intent of Steller sea lion protection measures in the GOA.