Regulatory Impact Review for Proposed Regulatory Amendment Halibut Deck Sorting Monitoring Requirements for Trawl Catcher/Processors Operating in Non-Pollock Groundfish Fisheries off Alaska

Halibut is a prohibited species in the groundfish fisheries of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) and Gulf of Alaska (GOA). Halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) limits are necessary to limit the amount of halibut taken as bycatch in the groundfish trawl fisheries off Alaska. These limits ensure halibut is available to support the subsistence, personal use, recreational (sport), and commercial halibut fisheries. Regulations for the directed commercial halibut fisheries are implemented by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) and allow Pacific halibut to be commercially harvested in the North Pacific Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) and Community Development Quota (CDQ) fisheries. Since 2009, halibut PSC limits have been reduced in the GOA and in the BSAI with the most recent reductions occurring in 2014 and 2016. These reductions increase the potential for the halibut PSC limit to constrain the harvest of allocated species in non-pollock groundfish trawl fisheries. A decrease in halibut biomass has been shown in the BSAI. 2019 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) AKR (Alaska Region) Submitted Public Domain 1862