|
Snow Crab
F/V Pro Surveyor Bering Sea, Alaska © K. Anthony Lara Photography |
The research section provides background analyses and studies needed by the Commission. The research section, coupled with the Commission's data processing section, also produces basic economic data on Alaska's fisheries used to address policy questions. Standard or specialized reports serve the data needs of users outside the agency.
In 1996, the Commission's research staff was involved in many projects. These projects included efforts to monitor trends in Alaska's fisheries, to evaluate the need for access controls in particular fisheries, and to provide other agencies and users with needed data and analyses.
The staff produced analyses on issues for the Legislature, the Office of the Governor, the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), and the Alaska Board of Fisheries (ABOF). In addition,
the staff answered numerous information and data requests from the general public. The following
paragraphs provide brief highlights of major 1996 events for which the research section provided
analyses and data support.
During 1996, Alaska's legislature passed three new amendments to Alaska's limited entry law
(AS16.43). Each amendment was designed to address problems in particular fisheries. The
following paragraphs provide a brief summary of these 1996 statutory changes.
In 1995, the legislature amended the Limited Entry Act to allow the Commission to restrict
fishing capacity authorized under individual limited entry permits in newly limited fisheries. The
Commission may define fishing capacity in terms of quantity of fishing gear, a proportion of the
maximum amount of gear that can be utilized in the fishery under regulations of the Board of
Fisheries, fishing vessel size , or other vessel characteristics associated with fishing power. The
new provision allows the Commission to pass regulations restricting the fishing capacity
associated with a limited entry permit based upon an applicant's past performance in the fishery.
The legislation, CSHB 107 (FSH), amended portions of AS 16.43.270 and AS 16.43.150 and
became effective on September 14, 1995. This new amendment to the limited entry law provides
the Commission with the flexibility to design programs that contain post-limitation growth in
fishing capacity.
During 1996, the statute was further altered to allow the Commission to adopt regulations
allowing persons to hold up to two entry permits for purposes of fishing an entire unit of gear in
fisheries where the Commission restricts the fishing capacity of some entry permits to less than a
full unit of gear. The legislation, SB 42, became effective on June 12, 1996. It was incorporated
into statute as AS 16.43.140(c)(4).
SB 42 was supported by some fishers in the Southeast dungeness crab pot fishery that had been
limited under a "tiered-pot" system in 1995. If the Commission adopts a regulation allowing a
person to hold up to two permits for purposes of fishing up to a full unit of gear, then a
consolidation of the number of fishing operations in the fleet may occur as a result. However, at
this point, the Commission wants to wait and see how the new "tiered-pot" system works before
considering an additional regulatory proposal.
During 1996, the legislature passed a temporary (up to four year) moratorium in the Southeast
Alaska dive fisheries. The legislation, HB 547, was incorporated into statute as AS 16.43.228.
The moratorium restricts interim-use permits in the Southeast Alaska abalone, geoduck, sea
cucumber, and sea urchin fisheries.
The legislation temporarily halts growth in the number of participants in these fisheries and does
so in a fashion that could not be addressed readily under the pre-existing statutes. HB 547
provides the specific eligibility criteria to be used in each fishery. The new legislation and a
cooperative development effort between ADFG, dive fishers, and processors made possible a
commercial sea urchin dive fishery in Southeast Alaska.
The moratorium became effective on July 1, 1996 and will expire automatically on June 30, 2000
if the Commission or the legislature does not develop a permanent access restriction program.
During the moratorium, the legislation directs the Commission to consult with the Board of
Fisheries, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and the participants in these fisheries about a
permanent limited entry program. The legislation directs the Commission to investigate the need
for a permanent limited entry program and to determine the type of limited entry program that
would be most appropriate for these fisheries.
During 1996, the legislature amended the limited entry act to provide for a moratorium on
commercial fishing vessels used in the Bering Sea Korean hair crab fishery that occurs beyond five
miles from shore. The legislation, HB 538, was incorporated into law as AS 16.43.901 - AS
16.43.911. The law became effective on July 1, 1996.
Under this new amendment, the legislature chose to limit the eligible fishing vessels rather than
the skippers or permit holders. The act establishes a vessel permit for eligible vessels. The
moratorium is a temporary, four-year moratorium which will expire automatically on June 30,
2000 if the legislature does not adopt a permanent limited entry system for the fishery.
In 1996, the Commission implemented moratoria as directed by amendments to the limited entry
act noted above. A vessel moratorium was implemented in the Bering Sea Korean hair crab
fishery that occurs beyond five miles from shore. A moratorium on interim-use permits was
implemented in the Southeast Alaska dive fisheries (abalone, geoduck, sea cucumbers, and sea
urchins). These moratoria are four-year, temporary programs that will expire automatically on
June 30, 2000 if permanent restricted access programs are not developed.
The Commission received petitions to limit other fisheries in 1997. The research staff studied
several of the fisheries involved to determine if access restrictions were needed and to determine if
a license-type limited entry program could be designed that would produce significant
management, conservation, and economic benefits.
On December 31, 1996 the Commission proposed limited entry for the Southeast Alaska beam
trawl fishery and the Southeast Alaska otter trawl fishery. Both fisheries experienced an increase
in effort after the Commission's decision to limit the Southeast Alaska pot shrimp fishery. Public
comment on these proposals will extend into 1997.
Each year, as Alaska's unlimited fisheries grow in value and face increasing fishing pressure, the
Commission receives requests to limit entry into additional fisheries. Pressure on state-managed
fisheries may continue to increase as fisheries under federal management are restricted to control
effort.
In 1995, National Marine Fisheries Service implemented individual fishing quota (IFQ) access
restriction programs for sablefish and halibut. These new programs and the efforts of the North
Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) to rationalize other fisheries under their
jurisdiction may lead to "spillover effects" and increases in effort in some of Alaska's unlimited
fisheries in the near future.
Under AS 16.43, the Commission must develop a hardship ranking system or point system to
determine who will receive a limited entry permit in a newly limited fishery. During 1996, the
Commission's research staff worked on point system alternatives for several of the recently limited
fisheries. These fisheries include the Southeast Alaska dungeness crab pot, ring net, and dive
fisheries; the Southeast Alaska pot shrimp fishery; the Prince William sound sablefish fixed gear,
pot gear, and net gear fisheries; the Northern Southeast spawn-on-kelp pound fishery; and the
Southern Southeast spawn-on-kelp pound fishery.
The following paragraphs briefly summarize 1996 developments on hardship ranking systems and
the current status of the limitation process for some recently limited fisheries.
Point system regulations for these fisheries were adopted during 1995. An application period for
permanent permits was held from September 16, 1996 through December 30, 1996. Applications
will be evaluated and permits issued under the point system during 1997.
Point system alternatives for these fisheries were developed during 1995 and early 1996. On April
12, 1996 the Commission proposed point system regulations. Public hearings were held
throughout Southeast Alaska and the public comment period went through May 21, 1996. The
Commission adopted point system regulations for these fisheries on June 6, 1996.
An application period for permanent permits was held from September 3, 1996 through December
16, 1996. Applications will be evaluated and permits issued under the point systems during 1997.
In addition, the Commission's regulations limit the fishing capacity of the permits issued for the
Southeast Alaska dungeness crab pot fishery. In 1995, the Commission adopted a slightly
modified version of one of their original tiered-pot level proposals. Beginning with the 1997
season, Southeast Alaska dungeness pot permits will be issued in one of 4 tier classes, currently
the tier classes are 75 pots, 150 pots, 225 pots, and 300 pots. The holder of a pot permit will be
able to utilize up to the number of pots allowed under the tier class on the holder's permit.
Point system alternatives for this fishery were developed during 1996. On August 23, 1996 the
Commission proposed point system regulations. Public meetings were held throughout Southeast
Alaska and the public comment period on the proposal went through September 30, 1996. The
Commission adopted point system regulations for the fishery on October 2, 1996. An application
period is scheduled from mid-March through mid-June of 1997.
The Commission worked on point system alternatives for these fisheries during 1996. A
regulatory proposal is expected in early 1997.
The maximum number for the Northern Southeast spawn-on-kelp pound fishery is 109 and the
maximum number for the Southern Southeast spawn-on-kelp pound fishery is 229 permits.
Eligibility for interim entry permits in these fisheries is restricted to those who participated as
permit holders and commercially harvested the resource prior to January 1, 1995.
The Commission worked on point system alternatives for these fisheries during 1996. A
regulatory proposal is expected in early 1997.
The Prince William Sound fixed gear sablefish fishery was limited with a maximum number of 49.
The fixed gear definition includes longlines and any other legal gear that uses a fishing hook. The
Prince William Sound sablefish net gear fishery was limited with a maximum number of one. The
net gear definition includes trawls and any other legal net gear. The Commission also limited the
Prince William Sound sablefish pot gear fishery with a maximum number of one.
In addition, the Commission's regulations limit the fishing capacity of the permits issued for the
Prince William Sound sablefish fishery. These regulations (20 AAC 05.779-780) were passed
under the authority of the new amendment to the limited entry law cited above.
Beginning with the 1996 season, permits were restricted to one of four vessel length categories.
The vessel length categories are 35 feet, 50 feet, 60 feet, and 90 feet. An applicant will be
restricted to a vessel that is no longer than the maximum length allowed under the vessel class
shown on the applicant's permit.
Development of a viable fisherman-funded fleet reduction program will depend upon a
satisfactory resolution of some of the issues raised by the Alaska Supreme Court in Johns v. State,
CFEC, 758 P.2d 1256. During 1996, the Commission maintained its dialogue with individuals and
gear groups interested in gear reductions.
As noted above, a "market" method for voluntary consolidations into lower cost operations that is
distinct from an optimum number decision and government-run buyback program may eventually
develop in fisheries that are covered by a new 1996 amendment to the law (see AS 16.43.140 (c)
(4)). The amendment allows the Commission to adopt regulations allowing a person to hold up to
two entry permits in a fishery where the Commission has restricted fishing capacity by issuing
permits for less than a full unit of gear (see AS 16.43.270 (d)).
This "stacking provision" is favored by some Southeast Alaska dungeness crab pot fishers as an
addition to the new tiered-pot limited entry system. If the Commission adopts regulations for the
fishery under this statutory amendment, a person will be able to hold up to two permits and fish a
number of pots commensurate with the sum of the pots allowed under each permit as long as the
person does not exceed the maximum number of pots allowed under regulations of the Alaska
Board of Fisheries.
Under such a provision, the number of use-privileges in the fishery would remain the same but the
number of actual fishing operations could change frequently as permits are purchased and sold by
fishers. To date, the Commission has not adopted regulations under the statutory amendment.
Southeast dungeness fishers are divided as to the merits of a stacking provision at this time and
the Commission wants to observe how the new tiered-pot system is working before considering
such a regulatory proposal.
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) adopted new individual fishing quota
management programs (IFQ) for Alaska's halibut and sablefish fisheries. These programs were
implemented for the first time in 1995. The new IFQ programs are administered by the National
Marine Fisheries Service's Restricted Access Management Division (NMFS-RAM).
These programs represent a dramatic change from an open access fishery and a considerable
change from a license-type limited entry program. In Alaska, the IFQ programs have been
controversial since prior to their conception. While the NPFMC built many constraints into these
programs to retain the pre-IFQ character of the fleet, some Alaskans fear dramatic changes in
these fisheries under IFQs and some fishing communities may suffer losses in their economic base.
Governor Knowles is also concerned about the potential effects of the new individual fishing
quota programs and asked the state and NMFS to study and monitor changes occurring under
these new IFQ programs. In 1995 and 1996, NMFS-RAM and the state formed a study team and
developed several study projects to examine changes under the IFQ programs. The Commission
carried out three of the studies and reported the results at the September 1996 NPFMC meeting
in Sitka, Alaska.
Two of the the Commission's studies were partially funded by a NOAA award. The reports for
these two studies are available from the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in Anchorage
and are titled:
The third report focused on fishing operations in a management area during the 1991 to 1994 time
period but did not receive an initial quota share allocation for the area under the IFQ program.
This study is being reviewed and will be released during 1997.
The research staff also produced monthly permit value estimates for the Department of
Commerce and Economic Development and other users and produced basic information tables on
many Alaska commercial fisheries. The research and data processing sections also worked to
produce reports on Alaska's fisheries which were used in the National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) publication Fisheries of The United States, 1995.
During the year, other reports for the Commission and other analyses were requested by the
Office of the Governor, the Department of Fish and Game, the Board of Fisheries and the Alaska
Legislature. The following is a listing of non-confidential reports authored or co-authored during
1996 by Commission staff members.
New Amendments To The Limited Entry Act
Permits With Fishing Capacity Restrictions
Southeast Alaska Dive Fisheries Moratorium
The Bering Sea Korean Hair Crab Fishery Moratorium
New Limitations And Moratoria
Point System Proposals and Application Periods
Cook Inlet Dungeness Crab Pot and Ring Net Fisheries
Southeast Alaska Dungeness Crab Pot, Ring Net, and Dive Fisheries
Southeast Alaska Pot Shrimp Fishery
Northern Southeast and Southern Southeast Herring Spawn-On-Kelp Pound Fisheries
Prince William Sound Sablefish Fixed, Net, and Pot Fisheries
Optimum Numbers And Fleet Reductions
Research On Individual Fishing Quota Programs
Other Projects And Reports
[Go to...
Next Section
Previous Section
Table of Contents
CFEC Home Page]
