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National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Regional Office

Chinook Salmon Bycatch Management

Chinook salmon, female

Chinook salmon are accidentally caught in the federally managed pollock fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) and in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI).

In 2012, Amendment 93 was implemented in the GOA to limit the amount of Chinook salmon caught in the pollock fishery. Amendment 93 establishes separate prohibited species catch (PSC) limits in the Central and Western GOA for Chinook salmon, which would cause NMFS to close the directed pollock fishery in the Central or Western regulatory areas of the GOA, if the applicable limit is reached. This action also requires retention of salmon by all vessels in the Central and Western GOA pollock fisheries until the catch is delivered to a processing facility where an observer is provided the opportunity to count the number of salmon and to collect scientific data or biological samples from the salmon.

Amendment 91 is an innovative approach to managing Chinook salmon bycatch in the BSAI pollock fishery that combines a limit on the amount of Chinook salmon that may be caught incidentally with incentive plan agreements and performance standard. The program was designed to minimize bycatch to the extent practicable in all years, and prevent bycatch from reaching the limit in most years, while providing the pollock fleet with the flexibility to harvest the total allowable catch. NMFS implemented this program for the 2011 BSAI pollock fishery.


Gulf of Alaska (GOA)


GOA Salmon Catch Reports


Amendment 93

  • 77 FR 42629, July 20, 2012. Regulations to implement Amendment 93 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska. The regulations apply exclusively to the directed pollock trawl fisheries in the Central and Western Reporting Areas of the Gulf of Alaska. Effective August 25, 2012, except for: 50 CFR 679.21(h)(2) will be effective January 1, 2013, and 50 CFR 679.21(h)(3) will be effective August 25, 2012, until November 1, 2012.
  • 76 FR 77757, December 14, 2011. Proposed rule to implement Amendment 93 to the FMP for Groundfish of the GOA. Comment period through January 30, 2012.
  • 76 FR 72384, November 23, 2011. Notice of availability of Amendment 93 to the FMP for Groundfish of the GOA. Amendment 93, if approved, would establish separate prohibited species catch limits in the Central and Western Regulatory Areas of the GOA for Chinook salmon. Comment period through January 23, 2012.
  • EA/RIR/IRFA for Amendment 93 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska - Chinook Salmon Prohibited Species Catch in the Gulf of Alaska Pollock Fishery, February 2012

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI)


BSAI Salmon Catch Reports


Electronic Monitoring


Forms and Applications


Incentive Plan Agreements


Amendment 91

Related Information








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