Video: Council Grapples with Conflicting Demands in Adjusting Halibut Bycatch
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] Feb 11, 2015
Chris Oliver, Exec. Director of N. Pacific Fishery Management Council is interviewed about the recent Council meeting in our latest video.
The N. Pacific Council faced one of the most difficult issues in years as it began to take steps to reduce halibut bycatch levels in the Bering Sea. Chris Oliver, Exec. Director of the N. Pacific Council, said the council had to abide by national standard 9, to limit bycatch to the lowest extent possible, and also national standard 1, which is to manage fisheries to their maximum sustainable yield.
The problem is that as halibut have gotten smaller, the total allowed for the directed fishery has come down, and bycatch rates have not been adjusted. At the same time, smaller fish mean that a greater number of fish are harvested before hitting the tonnage limits on bycatch. The council will now consider options that may significantly reduce yields from some competing fisheries.
The question before the council will be how to minimize this. Oliver discusses some of these issues in our video, produced by Steve Minor.
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