Fishery summary as of November 6, 2009 NMFS Alaska Region Inseason Management Juneau: Patty Britza 907 586 7376 Obren Davis 907 586 7241 Mary Furuness 907 586 7447 Josh Keaton 907 586 7519 Steve Whitney 907 586 7269 (Rockfish Pilot Program, Amendment 80) Kodiak: Tom Pearson 907 481 1780 Dutch Harbor: Krista Milani 907 581 2062 2009 catch reports: http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/2009/2009.htm. Final 2009 and 2010 harvest specifications http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/2009_10hrvstspecs.htm Effort report (updated Tuesdays) http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/reports/aeffort.txt Status of Fisheries reports http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/2009/status.htm Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Trawl halibut mortality The halibut mortality through October 31, 2009, is: All trawl gear by target (Other includes Flathead sole, Atka mackerel, and Rockfish) 2009 Total – 2,740 mt Pacific cod 254 mt, Pollock 438 mt, Rock sole 590 mt, Yellowfin 958 mt, Other 501 mt Pacific cod NMFS reallocated 901 mt from trawl CVs, 5,000 mt from pot CVs >= 60 ft, 312 mt from hook-and-line CVs >= 60 ft, 303 mt from CVs < 60 feet hook-and-line or pot gear, and 32 mt from jig gear to pot C/Ps and hook-and-line C/Ps. See information bulletin #09-103. Hook-and-line catcher/processors Thirty-five CPs are fishing compared to 37 in 2008. The revised annual allocation is 83,575 mt. At the rate of 500 mt/day a closure is projected for around November 14. Week Pacific cod MT 15-Aug-09 124 22-Aug-09 4,116 29_Aug-09 3,633 05-Sep_09 3,342 12-Sep-09 3,088 19-Sep-09 3,467 26-Sep-09 3,284 03-Oct-09 2,920 10-Oct-09 3,034 17-Oct-09 3,581 24-Oct-09 3,252 31-Oct-09 3,106 Total 36,947 Hook-and-line and pot catcher vessels < 60 feet length overall Effort is low and no closure date is projected. About 140 mt remains of the 4,434 mt revised annual allocation. Jig In 2009 there was no effort in the A season and minimal effort for the B season. About 12 mt remains of the revised annual allocation of 25 mt. In 2008, four vessels started fishing Pacific cod in April and May catching 15 mt. Pot As of October 31, the CPs have 806 mt remaining of the 3,550 mt revised annual allocation and the CVs >= 60 ft have 542 mt remaining of the 6,873 mt revised annual allocation. Currently effort is low, but NMFS expects effort to increase from CVs and CPs after they finish fishing crab. In 2008 the vessels in both sectors stopped fishing Pacific cod and the fisheries remained open until December 31, 2008. Trawl Directed fishing for Pacific cod closed November 1 by regulation. Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod NMFS prohibited retention of Pacific cod by any vessel catching Pacific cod for processing by the inshore component in the Central Regulatory Area effective 12 noon, Alaska local time, November 5, 2009. This inseason action does not apply to vessels fishing under a cooperative quota permit in the cooperative fishery in the Rockfish Program. See information bulletin #09-105. As of October 31 the remaining amounts are: Central offshore sector 566 mt Western inshore sector 1,695 mt Western offshore sector 549 mt Effort in the offshore sectors is low, but may increase after the BSAI fisheries close. In the Western GOA, hook-and-line, jig, and pot CVs are targeting Pacific cod. As of October 31, about 1,695 mt of Pacific cod remains. The catch continues to increase each week. At the current rate of 606 mt/week NMFS projects the fishery to remain open until mid to late November. Deep and Shallow Water Complex Trawl Fisheries The deep and shallow water fisheries remain open. As of October 31, 100 mt of halibut mortality remains for trawl gear. The non-rockfish trawl fishery accrued 67 mt of halibut mortality for the week ending October 31. NMFS plans to reallocate the unused halibut PSC from the rockfish cooperatives to the trawl fishery effective November 15. Look for an information bulletin next week. Hook-and-line gear Halibut mortality for the hook-and-line fleet is at 264 mt of the 290 mt annual allocation. This leaves 26 mt remaining. The current rate is about 3-6 mt/week. In 2008, the hook-and-line fishery closed October 16 due to reaching the halibut mortality limit. Rockfish Information on the Rockfish Program can be found at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/goarat/default.htm. In 2009, as in 2008, two catcher/processor cooperatives with five vessels and five shoreside cooperatives with 44 catcher vessels were formed. Seven catcher/processors and two catcher vessels elected to participate in the limited access fisheries. Three (four in 2008) catcher/processors elected to participate in opt out fishery. Four (five in 2008) catcher vessels registered to participate in the entry level fishery. The catch from vessels not registered to participate in the Rockfish Program fishing in State waters will be deducted from the entry level fishery.