1. -Bycatch Reduction Agreements- Integrating Electronic Data with Fishing Practices in the Bering Sea Pollock Fishery John Gruver United Catcher Boats West Coast eFIS Workshop May 3, 2011 1

2. Bering Sea Pollock Fishery The American Fisheries Act (AFA) passed by Congress in 1998, rationalized the Bering Sea pollock fishery 2

3. Bering Sea Pollock Fishery The American Fisheries Act (AFA) passed by Congress in 1998, rationalized the Bering Sea pollock fishery The AFA divided the fishery into 4 sectors, each with its own pollock allocation -Community Development Quota (CDQ) Groups – 10% off the top - Catcher Processor – 40% -Mothership – 10% -Inshore Catcher Vessel – 50% 3

4. Bering Sea Pollock Fishery Sectors 4 Sectors with multiple groups or coops – 6 CDQ Groups – 2 Catcher Processor Sector Coops – 1 Mothership Sector Catcher Vessel Coop; 3 Motherships – 6 Inshore Catcher Vessel Sector Coops 4

5. Bering Sea Pollock Fishery Sectors 4 Sectors with multiple groups or coops – 6 Community Development Quota Groups – 2 Catcher Processor Sector Coops – 1 Mothership Sector Catcher Vessel Coop; 3 Motherships – 6 Inshore Catcher Vessel Sector Coops Coop vessel pollock allocations determined by private contracts specific to each coop 5

6. Pollock Fishery Salmon Bycatch Regulations Salmon Prohibited Species Catch (PSC) Regulations – Chinook Salmon Until 2011 Chinook bycatch regulations used triggered closure areas to reduce Chinook bycatch Beginning in 2011 Chinook bycatch is limited by a hard cap allocated between the 4 sectors – Non-Chinook Salmon (a.k.a. Chum salmon regulations) Combination of time & area closures and triggered closures Currently being reviewed by the NPFMC for possible new regulations 6

7. Pollock Fishery Salmon Bycatch Reduction Industry initiated bycatch reduction programs via Intercooperative Agreements – ICAs 7

8. Pollock Fishery Salmon Bycatch Reduction Industry initiated bycatch reduction programs via Intercooperative Agreements – ICAs First ICA was in 2001 for Chum salmon 8

9. Pollock Fishery Salmon Bycatch Reduction Industry initiated bycatch reduction programs via Intercooperative Agreements – ICAs First ICA was in 2001 for Chum salmon Included Chinook and chum beginning in 2002 9

10. Pollock Fishery Salmon Bycatch Reduction Industry initiated bycatch reduction programs via Intercooperative Agreements – ICAs First ICA was in 2001 for Chum salmon Included Chinook and chum beginning in 2002 Designed to reduce bycatch, therefore reducing the likelihood of reaching regulatory triggers 10

11. Pollock Fishery Salmon Bycatch Reduction Industry initiated bycatch reduction programs via Intercooperative Agreements – ICAs First ICA was in 2001 for Chum salmon Included Chinook and chum beginning in 2002 Designed to reduce bycatch, therefore reducing the likelihood of reaching regulatory triggers Voluntary to join, but all sectors have always participated 11

12. Bering Sea Pollock Fishery Bycatch ICAs – Data Requirements The Agreements require vessels to release electronic data to the Agreement Monitor – NMFS catch data – observed data and fish tickets – Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) data Required participants to use only ICA Monitor accepted systems Required participants to maintain data link to Monitor 12

13. Bering Sea Pollock Fishery Bycatch ICAs Fixed Closure format – A predetermined area with predictably high bycatch from one year to the next – Simplest bycatch reduction ICA – Requires multiple years of bycatch data to initially determine the fixed closure area – Doesnt require in-season management, only in- season enforcement monitoring by VMS – Occasional test fishing of the area is a good idea if possible 13

14. Chinook Conservation Area - Fixed Closure ICA - An area known to have consistently high Chinook bycatch in the A Season, with little dependence on pollock production 14

15. Bering Sea Pollock Fishery Bycatch ICAs Rolling Hot Spot (RHS)format – A series of temporarily closed areas – Closure areas determined as the highest bycatch areas in excess of the average fleet bycatch rate – Closures applied to vessels with the highest bycatch rates – Closure areas enforced for compliance – violators fined for fishing in areas closed to them 15

16. 16 Rolling Hot Spot Closures

17. Utilizing Rolling Hot Spot Closures May be used to supplement a Fixed Closure 17

18. Utilizing Rolling Hot Spot Closures Or to reduce bycatch in areas away from Fixed Closures. 18

19. Bycatch data is supplied to the fleet twice weekly by Sea State 19

20. Pollock Fishery Salmon Bycatch Regulations – Amendment 84 Beginning in 2007 an exemption to current salmon regulations was provided to coops and CDQ groups that participate in a NMFS accepted bycatch reduction ICA – Originally the A-84 exemption applied to both the Chinook and chum salmon regulations – A-84 Regulations required specific elements that must be found in an ICA for it to be accepted by NMFS – Once the Chinook hard cap regulations came into place in 2011 the exemption applied only to chum salmon regulations 20

21. Pollock Fishery Salmon Bycatch Regulations – Amendment 84 Required a higher level of monitoring and compliance – Industry took over the role of NMFS Enforcement and the Coast Guard – Included an annual report by Industry that addressed specific regulatory requirements – A Compliance Audit conducted by a third party is required 21

22. Bycatch Intercooperative Agreements - Transitioning from an ICA to an IPA - New regulations for Chinook salmon came into place in 2011 – Amendment 91 A Hard Cap was initiated for Chinook salmon bycatch in the pollock fishery Introduced the concept of allowing vessels access to a higher hard cap provided they demonstrated Chinook avoidance at all levels of encounter 22

23. Amendment 91 2011 Chinook Salmon Bycatch Reduction Regulations Three Options 1. 60,000 Hard Cap with IPA - Incentive Plan Agreement 2. 47,591 Hard Cap with no IPA 3. 28,496 Opt Out Pool – For Vessels Choosing Not to Participate in an Existing IPA 23SSIP Review

24. 24 Sector Hard Cap Limits 1.HARD CAP AVAILABLE IN ONLY 2 OF 7 YEARS 2.EXCEEDING THE PERFORMANCE STANDARD – NOT REACHING THE HARD CAP - COUNTS AS ONE OF THE 2 YEARS Performance Standard - 47,591 IPA Hard Cap - 60,000 All Sectors 47,59160,000 Inshore 26,48433,390 Mothership 3,7074,674 C/P 13,51617,040 CDQ 3,8834,896

25. 25 Sector Performance Standard Allocations 1.THE BYCATCH LIMIT TYPICALLY IN PLAY 2.ALLOCATIONS MADE SEASONALLY 3.ALLOCATIONS MADE TO THE VESSEL LEVEL Performance Standard - 47,591 IPA Hard Cap - 60,000 All Sectors 47,59160,000 Inshore 26,48433,390 Mothership 3,7074,674 C/P 13,51617,040 CDQ 3,8834,896

26. IPA Requirements Provide incentives at the individual vessel level Incentivize vessels to avoid Chinook bycatch at all levels of abundance in all years Reward vessels that successfully avoid Chinook and/or penalize vessels that fail to avoid Chinook 26

27. IPA Requirements Incentives must influence fishing decisions at levels below the hard cap Hold Bycatch to a performance standard of 47,591 in most years 27

28. IPA Requirements The Incentive Plan Agreement must describe how each vessel will manage their bycatch to keep total bycatch below the sector level regulatory performance standard – The Agreement must contain rules to prevent the sum of vessel bycatch within a sector from exceeding that sectors portion of 47,591 in any 3 years within a consecutive 7 year period 28

29. IPA Requirements Incentives must influence fishing decisions at levels below the hard cap Hold Bycatch to a performance standard of 47,591 in most years 29

30. SSIP SALMON SAVINGS INCENTIVE PLAN Inshore and Mothership Sectors IPAs found at: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/bycatch/default.htm http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/bycatch/default.htm 30

31. SSIP Description Each vessel receives a Base Cap Allocation – its share of 47,591 – the Performance Standard 31

32. SSIP Description Each vessel receives a Base Cap Allocation – its share of 47,591 – the Performance Standard Base Cap Allocations are made pro rata to a vessels pollock allocation 32

33. SSIP Description Each vessel receives a Base Cap Allocation – its share of 47,591 – the Performance Standard Base Cap Allocations are made pro rata to a vessels pollock allocation By way of example, in the Mothership sector individual vessel Base Cap allocations range from 84 to 359 Chinook 33

34. SSIP Description Each vessel receives a Base Cap Allocation – its share of 47,591 – the Performance Standard Base Cap Allocations are made pro rata to a vessels pollock allocation By way of example, in the Mothership sector individual vessel Base Cap allocations range from 84 to 359 Chinook Vessels may not exceed their Base Cap unless they earn Salmon Savings Credits or receive a transfer of Base Cap from another vessel 34

35. SSIP Description – Inshore Sector Salmon Savings Credits – When a vessels annual bycatch falls below its Base Cap it earns Salmon Savings Credits. 35

36. SSIP Description – Inshore Sector Salmon Savings Credits – When a vessels annual bycatch falls below its Base Cap it earns Salmon Savings Credits. – One credit is earned for every 3 salmon avoided below their Base Cap. 36

37. SSIP Description – Inshore Sector Salmon Savings Credits – When a vessels annual bycatch falls below its Base Cap it earns Salmon Savings Credits. – One credit is earned for every 3 salmon avoided below their Base Cap. – Credits are saved in a Salmon Savings Credit Account. Unused credits expire after 5 years. 37

38. SSIP Description – Inshore Sector Salmon Savings Credits – When a vessels annual bycatch falls below its Base Cap it earns Salmon Savings Credits. – One credit is earned for every 3 salmon avoided below their Base Cap. – Credits are saved in a Salmon Savings Credit Account. Unused credits expire after 5 years. – Vessels may not exceed their share of the 60,000 Hard Cap in any given year even if the have Salmon Savings Credits to do so 38

39. SSIP Description – Inshore Sector Salmon Savings Credits – When a vessels annual bycatch falls below its Base Cap it earns Salmon Savings Credits. – One credit is earned for every 3 salmon avoided below their Base Cap. – Credits are saved in a Salmon Savings Credit Account. Unused credits expire after 5 years. – Vessels may not exceed their share of the 60,000 Hard Cap in any given year even if the have Salmon Savings Credits to do so. – Savings may not be transferred. They may only be used by the vessel that earned them. 39

40. SSIP Description – Inshore Sector More complex than an RHS ICA Requires a separate account for each vessel to monitor both pollock and Chinook Becomes difficult to manage because: – Some vessels are harvesting their allocation and part or all of another vessels allocation – Some vessels are only partially harvesting their allocation – Some vessels are not harvesting any pollock at all 40

41. SSIP Description – Inshore Sector In order to accommodate the varying fishing practices a series of transfer rules were required – Blended Paired Transfer – Trip Specific Paired Transfer – Pollock Only Transfer – Mop-up Transfer – Hardship Transfer 41

42. SSIP Description – Inshore Sector Insurance Pool was included to prevent overages – All vessels contributed Chinook pro rata to a 1000 Chinook Insurance Pool – All inshore sector vessels participate in a single pool – IPA includes sue provisions for accessing Insurance Pool – IPA Included penalties for using Insurance 42

43. SSIP Description – Inshore Sector Considering all the complexities for the Inshore Sector SSIP: – 98 vessels in 6 cooperatives; each coop with its own internal management system – Regulatory hard cap allocations at the coop level – SSIP allocations at the vessel level – A SSIP Insurance Pool at the sector level – A regulatory Performance Standard at the sector level 43

44. SSIP Description – Inshore Sector AND a rolling hot spot program How do the Inshore SSIP Agreement participants assure that they are in compliance to the SSIP rules? 44

45. SSIP Description – Inshore Sector Answer – A secure web-accessed data base that provides a consistent level of management by all inshore coops. – Allows each coops manager to easily operate within the SSIP rules – Assures each coop that all coops are operating within the SSIP rules – Provides up-to-date individual vessel, coop, and sector information 45