Responsible Official: For further information contact: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

• Main Authors: National Marine, Fisheries Service, James W. Balsiger, Ph. D, Diana Stram, Gretchen Harrington
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Bering Sea; Pacific; Aleutian Islands
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.220.7563; http://209.112.168.2/sustainablefisheries/amds/38-39/finaleaamds38-39.pdf

Abstract: This environmental assessment analyzes two actions to amend the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs (FMP). Action 1 would amend the FMP to specify the method by which the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will establish annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs). ACLs and AMs are required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). ACLs would be established based upon an acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rule set forth in the FMP to account for the uncertainty in the overfishing limit (OFL) and any other scientific uncertainty. Three alternative methods to establish the ABC control rule are considered: (1) a constant buffer approach where the ABC for each stock would be set by application of a constant pre-specified buffer value below the OFL; (2) a variable buffer approach where the ABC would be annually calculated from a prespecified percentile of the distribution for the OFL (noted as P*) and using a probability distribution for the OFL that accounts for scientific uncertainty in the estimate of OFL and any other specified scientific uncertainty; and (3) a blended approach that uses a variable buffer for stocks in Tiers 1 through 4 and a constant buffer for stocks in Tier 5. A range of constant buffers and probabilities are considered under each alternative approach. For Action 1, the Council recommended the blended approach with a P * of