An Ecosystem-based Fishery Management Approach Toward Sustainable Groundfish Resource Utilization in the Eastern Bering Sea

Improve data quality, monitoring, and enforcement NMFS Stock Assessment Surveys Source: National Marine Fisheries Service Fisheries Data ● Landings data for shoreside deliveries ● Daily electronic reporting requirements for catcher processor and mothership vessels ● Comprehensive onboard observer program measures catch, bycatch, discards ● Unified database system: eLandings, at-sea observer progra. [...] Example: ● Tier 6 – Catch history over 1978-1995 ● OFL = average catch ● ABC = 0.75 x OFL ● ABCs and OFLs set by Scientific and Statistical Committee Annual Stock Assessments SSC sets OFLs and ABCs Total Allowable Catch Council sets TACs ≤ ABCs ACLs = ABC based on control rule that accounts for level of risk of overfishing (P*) corresponding to scientific uncertainty in the true OFL, characterized. [...] Additional Precaution in TACs ● Ecosystem-level Optimum Yield: ● ∑TACs ≤ 2.0 million t Source: Dana Hanselman, NMFS Groundfish Fisheries in the Bering Sea Landings during 1954-2014 2.5 Pollock Pacific cod 2.0 Yellowfin sole Other species 1.5 1.0 Alaska Fishery Landings (2013) • 2.63 million tonnes 0.5 • 59% of US landings • US$1.9 billion • 35% of US landed value ($) 0.0 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1. [...] Species Categories: Ecosystem Species Prohibited Species – must be returned to the sea ● Pacific halibut ● Steelhead trout ● Pacific herring ● King crab ● Pacific salmon ● Tanner/snow crab ● Halibut, herring, salmon and crab managed with prohibited species catch (PSC) limits ● PSC limits may trigger area closures ● Other areas permanently closed to protect PSC species Habitat Protection Measures ●. [...] (2008) Demersal fish community size spectrum (20-90 cm) from 1979-2002 3.16 3.65 3.98 4.23 4.42 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 Summary and Conclusions ● Despite species- and size-selective harvests, the following features are consistent with sustainable harvest policy: ● Catches ≤ TAC ≤ ABC ≤ OFL ● No overfishing nor overfished stocks ● Protections to ecosystem components ● Declines in fishery.