The Kodiak Fisheries Advisory Committee met Friday to discuss fishery issues of importance to the city and borough.

Duncan Fields reported on actions taken at the recent meeting of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

The council adopted limited entry restrictions to the fixed-gear Pacific cod fishery in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). Vessels that qualify will receive a cod endorsement to their license limitation program (LLP) licenses.

The action was taken in response to perceived threats of over-competition in the fishery in the western and central Gulf. The regulations apply to federal waters but do not address continued growth in state waters.

Qualifying years for eligibility were 2002 to Dec. 8, 2008. Vessels with multiple LLPs that met endorsement qualifications are allowed to stack endorsements.

The council defined sectors for awarding cod endorsements, with different catch thresholds designated according to gear type, operation type and vessel length.

Communities in the western and central GOA that qualify as community quota entities (CQEs) are eligible to request non-transferable fixed gear licenses with cod endorsement for the management area in which the community is located and up to a number prescribed for each community.

The NPFMC also set a cap on king salmon bycatch by the Bering Sea pollock trawl fishery.

“There were more than 300 people who testified on this issue. That’s a record for testimony before the council,” Fields said.

The cap of 60,000 king salmon will be allocated by season and applies to boats that participate in a National Marine Fisheries Service approved incentive plan agreement (IPA) that details explicit incentives to promote Chinook salmon avoidance. When the cap is reached, all directed pollock fishing would cease for that season.

Vessels or community development quota (CDQ) groups that opt out of an IPA, would fish under a lower cap.

“I don’t see any winners in the outcome. The pain is spread equally,” committee member Matt Moir said.

Reactions to the bycatch issue were mixed.

“Bycatch is a huge problem for western Alaska. We need to consider villages that depend on salmon to buy heating oil. By looking at individual vessels, we lose sight of the big picture. I don’t think this problem is going away,” committee member Sean Dochtermann said.

Other committee members thought the cap was set too low.

“Industry is working seriously to limit bycatch. But science says Bering Sea and Canadian king salmon bycatch has minimal impact. Chum salmon bycatch will be coming up next,” Mike Martin said.

Julie Bonney agreed, “I don’t believe lowering bycatch will affect western Alaska escapements. I see lots of disappointment with no net results.”

Fields acknowledged that the issue is far from settled.

“There’s not complete closure on the issue. I’ll be surprised if there isn’t litigation. The Secretary of Commerce will consult with the Secretary of State before final approval. The plan must fulfill international treaty obligations. Also, the council could lower the cap if the bycatch remains high. The next two seasons will be very important,” Fields said.

Fields also stated it’s likely the council will be looking next at king salmon bycatch in the central Gulf of Alaska.

“We need to stay on point and not wait to be in a reactionary mode. We need information, and we don’t have sufficient observer coverage in the Gulf,” Linda Kozak said.

Alexis Kwatchka agreed, saying, “If Karluk kings are declared threatened, there will e huge impacts locally.”

The committee approved formation of a subcommittee to gather data and work on a community wide GOA bycatch plan.

City Council member Terry Haines reported on the work of the crew data project stakeholders committee. Presently, fishery participation by crewmembers is merely anecdotal. The committee is working to devise a system to more accurately document that information. One possible solution is implementation of a crewmember identification card that could be recorded with each delivery. In that way, crew would be tied to specific deliveries and locations.

Dochtermann, crewmember representative on the committee, said the rationalization process is adversely affecting crewmembers.

“Crew shares on crab boats have gone from 6 percent down to 1 or 2 percent since the fishery has gone to quota shares,” Dochterman said.

In other action, the committee voted to support the confirmation of Brent Johnson to the Alaska Board of Fisheries and to support the Pribilof king crab habitat restoration project.

At the conclusion of the meeting, facilitator Trevor Brown of the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce expressed the value of exchanging divergent views and thanked participants for their input.

“The first time this committee met here at Kodiak College, there were police officers stationed in the parking lot,” Brown said.