I appreciate Pete Thompson for his opinion piece in the Kodiak Daily Mirror, “Train wreck coming for trawl-caught bycatch.” I own a trawler that participates in the Pacific cod fishery and I also am an IFQ halibut fishermen. My vessel’s income depends on both species for an economic return.

The trawl fleet is concerned about the high halibut bycatch rates of the last two seasons and is working proactively to try to resolve our halibut bycatch problems. However, before I talk about what the fleet is doing, I think it is important for the public to understand why we have a problem in the first place.

Cod fishermen have not always fished in September. The September fishery is a Steller sea lion (SSL) measure that requires the quota to be split between two seasons where 60 percent of the quota is available in January and the remaining 40 percent available in September. This new fishery regime was implemented in 2002. The SSL measure that created the September fishery has forced fishermen of all gear types to fish when cod are not aggregated, resulting in poor catch rates and higher halibut bycatch.

Virtually every fisherman, no matter what gear type, would love to go back to the way things were and fish the entire quota starting in January. From a fishermen’s point of view it makes good sense to fish when catch rates are high and bycatch is low; however, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) trumps good sense.

There are good and bad fishermen for every gear type. The Canadian fishery management structure, which encourages good behavior, is a rationalized fishery where individuals are allocated quotas for both bycatch species and target species. This system holds individuals accountable for fishing behavior. One of the main reasons the Kodiak trawl fleet supports rationalization are the additional tools that a rationalized management structure offers. It allows the fleet the flexibility to deal with the ever-changing regulatory environment (e.g. ESA) and holds individuals accountable for fishing behavior.

So what is the trawl fleet doing to avoid another train wreck this fall?

First, the fleet chose to stand down and not fish on Sept. 1 for Pacific cod. Their experience is that halibut bycatch rates moderate as winter approaches, therefore the fleet postpones fishing. Since Pacific cod is not divided by gear type, this decision gives all other gear types an exclusive fishing period and a head start on the available quota.

Second, the fleet has been working with fishery managers, advocating for short trawl cod openings, with only daylight fishing periods when bycatch rates are lower, to be assured that the halibut mortality cap will not be exceeded.

Finally, for a long-term solution, the Alaska Draggers Association is partnering with federal biologist to develop a halibut excluder device that would allow halibut to escape the trawl nets while fishing for cod. The fleet is using their knowledge of how the fishing gear works along with the scientists’ knowledge of how different fish species behave in the net to see if they can develop a solution to reduce halibut bycatch.

The health of the economy of Kodiak depends on all the various gear types and diversified fisheries that bring fish across our docks. The trawl sector is an integral part of the Kodiak economy, accounting for approximately 50 percent of the port landings in terms of volume.

According to a McDowell study commissioned by the Kodiak Island Borough, if the trawl fleet were damaged, Kodiak would experience multiple processing plant closures and revert to a seasonal processing community. One of the recommendations of the study was for the borough to consider supporting rationalization, which would provide tools to the fleet to deal with the ever-constricting regulatory fishery environment.

While diversity is a good thing, diversity also means differences. For the trawlers rationalization is all about the tools to meet regulatory mandates, accountability for individual fishing practices, and the ability to meet conservation goals.

Jay Stinson is the owner/operator of a small combination boat and is president of Alaska Draggers Association. He has lived and fished out of Kodiak for 25 years.