Boosts Bering Sea pollock catch, crab bycatch; continues discussions on pelagic definitions, chum bycatch

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council met earlier this month to discuss several ongoing issues. The Alaska Marine Conservation Council (AMCC) provides an excellent wrap up HERE —

NPFMC increases Bering Sea pollock catch; gives more crab bycatch to trawlers than the crab fleet can take

In the Bering Sea, the NPFMC proposes to increase the pollock catch for 2025 and 2026 to 1,344,250 metric tons, or just under three Billion pounds. That is an increase of 25,000 metric tons (55 million pounds) over the 2024 catch.

For halibut bycatch, the NPFMC gave a green light to 2,535 metric tons, or nearly 6 million pounds.

For herring, the bycatch allowance is 2,535 metric tons, or nearly 8 million pounds.

For Bering Sea crab, the Council proposes to triple the increase of trawl bycatch of snow crab to nearly 13 Million animals.

Most of the bycatch in all cases is taken by the 19 boats that comprise the Seattle-based Amendment 80 fleet – the one that is suing NOAA Fisheries for reducing their take of halibut bycatch in a new law that was implemented this year.

The NPFMC will make its final decision on catches/bycatch for 2025/26 at its December meeting.

BERING SEA BYCATCH ALLOWANCES for 2025/2026

Gulf of AK gets a cod boost, pollock catch decreases, big chunk for halibut bycatch

The NPFMC adopted catches and bycatches for federal waters (out to three miles) for the Gulf of Alaska (GOA).

The allowed amount of halibut that GOA trawlers can take as bycatch is 1,705 metric tons, or nearly 4 million pounds.

The Bering Sea and GOA combined take of trawl bycatch for halibut is over 9.3 million pounds – more than HALF of the total 2024 catch allowed for AK halibut fishermen!

Here’s how that compares to the Alaska catches for halibut fishermen in all regions, with 2023 comparisons.