Discussion Paper Inclusion of Grenadiers in the Fishery Management Plans For the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and/or the Gulf of Alaska Objectives

• Main Authors: Tom Pearson Sustainable Fisheries, Jane Dicosimo, North Pacific, Fishery Management Council
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Bering Sea; Gulf of Alaska; Alaska; Aleutian Islands
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.360.1860; http://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/npfmc/PDFdocuments/MISC/GrenadierDiscPaper521.pdf

This paper discusses the inclusion of grenadiers (family Macouridae) into the fishery management plans (FMPs) for groundfish of the BSAI (Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands) and GOA (Gulf of Alaska) either as individual species or as a species complex “in the fishery”, or as an “ecosystem component”. This paper also discusses the management measures which would be needed for the inclusion of grenadiers in the FMPs and other management options which could be considered for grenadiers. Problem Statement Grenadiers are not included in the groundfish FMPs for either the BSAI or GOA. There are no limits on their catch or retention, no reporting requirements, and no official record of their catch. Prior to the ACL (annual catch limits) amendments, grenadiers were considered non-specified species, which were defined as a “residual category of species and species groups of no current or foreseeable economic value or ecological importance, which are taken in the groundfish fishery as accidental bycatch and are in no apparent danger of depletion ” and for which “virtually no data exists (that) would allow population assessments (DiCosimo 2001, Witherell 1997)”. Based on this definition, Groundfish