What is the Appropriate Pollock Incidental Catch Allowance in the Aleutian Islands? A Discussion Paper

At its June 2004 meeting the North Pacific Fishery Management Council requested a discussion paper on future Aleutian Islands subarea incidental catch allowance (ICA) needs. The pollock ICA in the Aleutian Islands (Statistical areas 541, 542, and 543) has been 1,000 metric tons (mt) in recent years. This ICA has been exceeded in three of the five years between 1999 and 2003. The ICA has already been exceeded for 2004. Under Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) Amendment 82, the ICA will count directly against the likely 19,000 mt pollock total allowable catch (TAC). An increase in the ICA to ensure that it exceeds likely ICA needs means that the share of the TAC available for the directed pollock fishery will be reduced.

Almost all of the pollock incidental catch in the Aleutian Islands is from the Pacific cod, Pacific ocean perch, and Atka mackerel fisheries, in that order. The average annual incidental catch of pollock in the Pacific cod fishery was 646 mt from 1999 to 2003. The annual incidental catch of pollock in the Pacific ocean perch fishery was 332 mt during that period. The annual incidental catch of pollock in the Atka mackerel fishery was 190 mt during that period. Average annual incidental catches overall were 1,169 mt during this period.