Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area and Federal

• Main Author: Bering Sea Flatfish
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Bering Sea; Aleutian Islands
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.278.4757; http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/PDFdocuments/SPECS/BSFlatfishFlex213.pdf

This document analyzes a proposed action that would allocate the ABC surplus (i.e., the difference between acceptable biological catch and total allowable catch) for flathead sole, rock sole, and yellowfin sole, among the Amendment 80 cooperatives and CDQ groups, using the same formulas that are used in the annual harvest specifications process. These entities would be able to exchange their flathead sole, rock sole, and/or yellowfin sole quota share for an equivalent amount of their allocation of the ABC surplus for these species. The approach is intended to increase the opportunity for maximizing the harvest of these species, while ensuring that the overall 2 million mt optimum yield, and ABCs for each individual species, are not exceeded. The analysis also includes options to restrict flexibility in the exchange of yellowfin sole, if the analysis shows that there is a potential negative impact of the approach on users of yellowfin sole in the Bering Sea Aleutian Islands trawl limited access sector. The proposed action would amend the Fishery Management Plan for