MRAG-MSC-F27-v2.01 March 2019
8950 Martin Luther King Jr. Street N. #202 St. Petersburg, Florida 33702-2211 Tel: (727) 563-9070 Fax: (727) 563-0207 Email: [email protected]
President: Andrew A. Rosenberg, Ph.D.
Gulf of Alaska Flatfish Fishery
4th Surveillance Report
Prepared for Alaska Seafood Co-op (AKSC) Certificate No: MRAG-F-0027 (MSC-F-31212)
MRAG Americas, Inc. August 15, 2019
Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) MRAG Americas, Inc.
Assessment team Erin Wilson (team leader), Giuseppe Scarcella, Jodi Bostrom, Paul Knapman
Fishery client Alaska Seafood Co-op (AKSC)
Assessment Type 4th Surveillance Audit
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Contents
Contents...... 2 1 Executive summary ...... 3 2 Report details ...... 3 2.1 Surveillance information ...... 3 2.2 Background ...... 6 2.3 Version details ...... 11 3 Results ...... 11 3.1 Surveillance results overview ...... 11 3.1.1 Summary of conditions ...... 11 3.1.2 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and catch data ...... 11 3.1.3 Recommendations ...... 13 3.2 Conditions ...... 13 3.3 Client Action Plan ...... 13 3.4 Re-scoring Performance Indicators ...... 13 4 Appendices ...... 14 4.1 Evaluation processes and techniques ...... 14 4.1.1 Site visits ...... 14 4.1.2 Stakeholder participation ...... 18 4.2 Stakeholder input ...... 18 4.3 Harmonised fishery assessments ...... 18
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1 Executive summary This report contains the findings of the fourth surveillance cycle in relation to the Gulf of Alaska flatfish fisheries. A surveillance audit site visit was carried out on June 17-19th, 2019, in conjunction with the surveillance and reassessment activities for Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) and Gulf of Alaska (GOA) pollock, cod and flatfish, and with the initial assessment of BSAI Atka mackerel, Pacific Ocean perch and northern rockfish and GOA Pacific Ocean perch, northern rockfish and dusky rockfish, and was attended by participants detailed below. The BSAI Alaska flatfish fishery are currently certified under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) Standards. This is their second reassessment against the MSC standard; they have been certified since May 20, 2010. There are 5 total Units of Assessment (UoA) in the GOA. No issues were identified, and no changes in the fishery occurred that would result in a change in certification from the last surveillance. The fisheries had no conditions or recommendations. No performance indicators were rescored. MRAG Americas confirms that this fishery continues to meet the MSC Fisheries Standard and shall remain certified.
2 Report details 2.1 Surveillance information
Table 1. Surveillance information
1 Fishery name
Gulf of Alaska Flatfish Fishery
2 Surveillance level and type
Level 1, onsite surveillance audit
3 Surveillance number
1st Surveillance
2nd Surveillance
3rd Surveillance
4th Surveillance X
Other (expedited etc.)
4 Team leader
Ms. Erin Wilson (team leader). Erin Wilson joined MRAG Americas Inc. in 2015, where she currently works as a Senior Fisheries Consultant. She has served as a team member for several MSC assessments and conducts routine audits for the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF). Prior to joining MRAG Americas, she spent 2 years working at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) as a Natural Resource Specialist and Biological Technician for the Oregon Marine Reserves. She has collaborated on a multitude of projects that focus on marine science and conservation in both a biological and social science aspect. She received a M.Sc. in Marine Resource Management from Oregon State University and a B.S. in Zoology (with a marine emphasis) and a Spanish minor from Colorado State University. In addition, Erin has passed MSC v1.3, v2.0, v2.1 and ISO 19011 training.
MRAG Americas confirms that Ms. Wilson meets the competency criteria in Annex PC for team leader as follows:
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She has passed the MSC team leader training;
She has the required competencies described in Table PC1, section 2;
She has passed the MSC Traceability training module;
She meets ISO 19011 training requirements;
She has undertaken two fishery assessments as a team member in the last five years, and
She has experience in applying different types of interviewing and facilitation techniques and is able to effectively communicate with clients and other stakeholders.
MRAG Americas confirms that Ms. Wilson has no conflicts of interest in relation to the fishery under assessment.
5 Team members
Dr. Giuseppe Scarcella. Giuseppe Scarcella is an experienced fishery scientist and population analyst and modeller, with wide knowledge and experience in the assessment of demersal stocks. He holds a first degree in Marine Biology and Oceanography (110/110) from the Unversità Politecnica delle Marche, and a Ph.D. in marine Ecology and Biology from the same university, based on a thesis "Age and growth of two rockfish in the Adriatic Sea". After his degree he was offered a job as project scientist in several research programs about the structure and composition of fish assemblage in artificial reefs, off-shore platform and other artificial habitats in the Italian Research Council – Institute of Marine Science of Ancona (CNR-ISMAR, now CNR-IRBIM). During the years of employment at CNR-ISMAR he has gained experience in benthic ecology, statistical analyses of fish assemblage evolution in artificial habitats, fisheries ecology and impacts of fishing activities, stock assessment, otolith analysis, population dynamic and fisheries management. During the same years he attended courses of uni- multivariate statistics and stock assessment. He is also actively participating in the scientific advice process of FAO GFCM in the Mediterranean Sea. At the moment he is member of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries for the European Commission (STECF). He is author and co-author of more than 50 scientific paper peer reviewed journals and more than 150 national and international technical reports, most of them focused on the evolution of fish assemblages in artificial habitats and stock assessment of demersal species. For some years now, Dr Scarcella has been working in fisheries certification applying the Marine Stewardship Council standard for sustainable fisheries, currently concentrating on Principle 1 of the Standard. Furthermore, Dr Scarcella holds the credential as Fishery team leader (MSC v2.0) and he completed the MSC procedure training 2.1. He also holds the credential as certifier of Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM).
MRAG Americas confirms that Dr. Scarcella meets the competency criteria in Annex PC for team members as follows: He has an appropriate university degree and more than five years’ experience in management and research in fisheries;
He has undertaken at least two MSC fishery assessments or surveillance site visits in the last five years;
He is able to score a fishery using the default assessment tree and describe how conditions are set and monitored.
In addition, he has the appropriate skills and experience required to serve as a Principle 1 assessor as described in FCP Annex PC table PC3, and MRAG Americas confirms he has no conflicts of interest in relation to the fishery under assessment.
Paul Knapman is an independent consultant based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Paul began his career in fisheries nearly 30 years ago as a fisheries officer in the UK, responsible for the enforcement of UK and EU fisheries regulations. He then worked with the UK government’s nature conservation advisors (1993- 2001), as their Fisheries Programme Manager, responsible for establishing and developing an extensive
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programme of work with fisheries managers, scientists, the fishing industry and ENGOs, researching the effects of fishing and integrating nature conservation requirements into national and European fisheries policy and legislation. Between 2001-2004 he was Head of the largest inshore fisheries management organisation in England, with responsibility for managing an extensive area of inshore fisheries on the North Sea coast. The organisations responsibilities and roles included: stock assessments; setting and ensuring compliance with allowable catches; developing and applying regional fisheries regulations; the development and implementation of fisheries management plans; acting as the lead authority for the largest marine protected area in England. In 2004, Paul moved to Canada and established his own consultancy providing analysis, advisory and developmental work on fisheries management policy in Canada and Europe. He helped draft the management plan for one of Canada’s first marine protected areas, undertook an extensive review on IUU fishing in the Baltic Sea and was appointed as rapporteur to the European Commission’s Baltic Sea Regional Advisory Council. In 2008, Paul joined Moody Marine as their Americas Regional Manager, with responsibility for managing and developing their regional MSC business. He became General Manager of the business in 2012. Paul has been involved as a lead assessor, team member and technical advisor/reviewer for more than 50 different fisheries in the MSC programme. He returned to fisheries consultancy in 2015.
MRAG Americas confirms that Mr. Knapman meets the competency criteria in Annex PC for team members as follows: He has an appropriate university degree and more than five years’ experience in management and research in fisheries;
He has undertaken at least two MSC fishery assessments or surveillance site visits in the last five years;
He is able to score a fishery using the default assessment tree and describe how conditions are set and monitored.
In addition, he has the appropriate skills and experience required to serve as a Principle 3 assessor as described in FCP Annex PC table PC3, and MRAG Americas confirms he has no conflicts of interest in relation to the fishery under assessment.
Ms. Jodi Bostrom. Ms. Jodi Bostrom joined MRAG Americas as a Senior Fisheries Consultant and MSC Fisheries Program Manager in mid-2015. Prior to joining MRAG Americas, she spent five years working at the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in London as a Senior Fisheries Assessment Manager. Among many other things, she developed the MSC’s benthic habitats policy and the Consequence Spatial Analysis (a risk- based framework for assessing habitat impacts in data-deficient situations) as part of the MSC Standard revision. Prior to the MSC, Jodi spent 11 years with the National Academy of Sciences’ Ocean Studies Board in Washington, DC. She received an M.Sc. in Environmental Science at American University in 2006 and a B.Sc. in Zoology at the University of Wisconsin in 1999. Jodi’s main areas of work at MRAG Americas are serving on MRAG Americas’ MSC fisheries assessment teams and reviewing MSC assessment reports for technical quality and compliance. She has particular experience in the Principle 2 components of the MSC Standard.
MRAG Americas confirms that Ms. Bostrom meets the competency criteria in Annex PC for team members as follows: She has an appropriate university degree and more than five years’ experience in management and research in fisheries;
She has undertaken at least two MSC fishery assessments or surveillance site visits in the last five years;
She is able to score a fishery using the default assessment tree and describe how conditions are set and monitored.
In addition, Jodi has the appropriate skills and experience required to serve as a Principle 2 assessor as described in FCP Annex PC table PC3, and MRAG Americas confirms he has no conflicts of interest in relation to the fishery under assessment.
The whole assessment team collectively meets the requirements as described in FCP Annex PC table PC3.
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6 Audit/review time and location
June 17-19, 2019 in Seattle, WA. This site visit was held in conjunction with the reassessment of the BSAI and GOA cod, pollock and flatfish fisheries and the initial assessment of the BSAI Atka mackerel, Pacific Ocean perch and northern rockfish and GOA Pacific Ocean perch, northern rockfish and dusky rockfish.
7 Assessment and review activities
The surveillance reviewed changes in science and management. There were no open conditions, no new
conditions assigned as a result of this audit.
2.2 Background Update on the fishery since the 3rd surveillance audit
Target stocks update Information for assessing the status of flat fish species comes from the SAFE reports, available at http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/REFM/Stocks/assessments.htm. Arrowtooth flounder - Arrowtooth flounder in GOA is managed as a Tier 3a stock. The harvest strategy and harvest control rule (HCR) have not changed from the program described in the Public Certification Report. Arrowtooth flounder biomass estimates in the current model have changed relative to the projection model estimates in 2016 in the GOA. The model projection of spawning biomass for 2018, assuming fishing mortality equal to the recent 5-year average, was 873,789 t, 24% lower than the projected 2018 biomass from the 2016 assessment of 1,154,310 t. The 2018 ABC (estimated in 2017) using F40% was 170,510 t. The 2018 and 2019 ABCs using F40% were lower, 150,945 t and 145,234 t. The projected estimate of total biomass for 2018 was down by 32% from the 2016 assessment of 2,079,029 t, to 1,421,306 t. The 2018 and 2019 OFLs estimated using the projection model were 180,697 t and 173,872 t. The arrowtooth flounder stock in the GOA is not being subjected to overfishing and is not approaching a condition of being overfished. Flathead sole - Flathead sole is assessed using an age-structured model and Tier 3 determination. The harvest strategy and HCR have not changed from the program described in the Public Certification Report. The single species projection model was run using parameter values from the accepted 2017 flathead sole assessment model, together with updated catch information for 2017-2018, to predict stock status for flathead sole in 2019 and 2020 and to make ABC recommendations for those years. Projections are conducted using numbers-at-age for flathead sole from age 3-21+ and historical recruitment of age 3 individuals is used to calculate OFL’s and ABC’s. The ABC for flathead sole is 36,782 t in 2019 and 38,273 t in 2020 and the OFL is 44,865 t in 2019 and 46,666 t in 2020. The new ABC recommendation and OFL for 2019 are similar to those developed in 2017 (36,746 t and 44,822 t). Northern and Southern rock sole - The GOA northern and southern rock sole assessment has been moved to a 4-year assessment cycle per the stock assessment prioritization schedule. The harvest strategy and HCR have not changed from the program described in the Public Certification Report. During years when a full assessment is not completed a partial assessment will be done. 2018 marks a partial assessment year. The last full assessment was completed in 2017 and marked the first year of the new assessment schedule (available online at https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/REFM/Docs/2017/GOAnsrocksole.pdf). New inputs for 2018 projection model were an updated 2017 catch estimate of 1,059 t. Northern and southern rock sole are not reported separately in the commercial catch data. The 2017 catch estimate for northern and southern rock sole separately represents 50% of the total rock sole catch, which was 2,118 t. The 2018 total rock sole catch estimate was found by summing catch extracted from the AKFIN database on October 31, 2018 (1,721 t) and the average of the catch caught between October 31st and the end of year (205 t). Therefore, the total catch estimate for 2018 was 1,923 t and the value used in the projection model was 963 t. The 2019 total rock sole catch estimate was 3,199 t and represented the average of the catch from 2013-2017. The catch value used in the projection model was 1,600 t. The recommended maximum allowable ABC for northern rock sole is 17,331 t and for southern rock sole is 21,794 t from the updated projection model. This represents a 3% increase for northern rock sole and a 1% increase for southern rock sole from the 2018 ABCs. The 2019 ABCs are less than 1% larger than the projected 2019 ABC from last year’s projection model. Overfishing is not occurring, the stocks are not overfished, and they are not approaching an overfished condition. The northern rock sole exploitation rate has ranged from less than 0.01 to 0.04 between 1993 and 2017 2008. The southern rock sole exploitation rate has ranged between 0.005 and 0.02. Both have a generally declining trend since 2008. Rex sole - GOA rex sole is assessed using an age-structured model and Tier 3 determination within the context of a two-area model. The harvest strategy and HCR have not changed from the program described in the Public Certification Report. The Western-Central GOA and Eastern GOA are modeled as separate areas with distinct
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growth patterns estimated by area. Thus, the single species projection model was run separately for the two areas using parameter values from the accepted 2017 rex sole assessment model (McGilliard and Palsson 2017), together with updated catch information for 2017-2018, to predict stock status for rex sole in 2019 and 2020 and to make ABC recommendations for those years. Projections are conducted using numbers-at-age for rex sole from age 3-20+ by area and historical recruitment of age 3 individuals by area to calculate OFL’s and ABC’s. Based on the updated projection model results, the recommended ABC’s for 2019 and 2020 in the Western-Central GOA are 11,308 t and 11,327 t, and the OFL’s are 13,755 t and 13,788 t. The new ABC recommendation and OFL for the Western-Central GOA in 2019 are similar to those developed in 2018 (11,145 t and 13,558 t). The recommended ABC’s for 2019 and 2020 in the Eastern GOA are 3,384 t and 3,398 t, and the OFL’s are 4,134 t and 4,154 t. The new ABC recommendation and OFL for the Eastern GOA in 2019 are exactly the same as those developed in 2018 because realized and projected catches as estimated last year and this year were less than 2 t. Ecosystem update
Retained and bycatch species The composition and amount of retained species and the bycatch in the GOA flatfish fishery is collected by the North Pacific Groundfish and Halibut Observer Program operated by the NMFS. The 2017 North Pacific Observer Annual Report declared that trawl gear type received 18% of allocation for observer effort to at-sea deployments (Alaska Fisheries Science Center and Alaska Regional Office 2018). Based on observer data, retained and bycatch species catches were at comparable levels to those in recent years. The five-year average for Pacific cod is at 6.82% of the total catch with no other species above the 5% cutoff. Therefore, there are no other main retained or main bycatch fish species.
While the catches of prohibited species generally decreased from 2015 to 2016, they have been on the rise again with the 2018 catch data showing an increase in catch of most prohibited species. The Pacific halibut bycatch is the only one to have fallen from 2017 to 2018 (from 1,355.95 t to 1,176.91 t).
Seabirds The most recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service surveys on seabird population trends in Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge monitored sites indicated that statewide, 27% of species showed increasing population trends, 60% were stable and 13% declined between 2006 and 2015 (Dragoo et al. 2016). Relatively few seabirds are taken in by the GOA flatfish fishery. While no birds were taken in 2017, 133 northern fulmars were taken in 2018. Overall, these bycatch numbers are minimal when compared to the overall populations of these species.
Additionally, various mitigation measures are regularly investigated. For example, the U.S. West Coast and Alaska Trawl Fisheries Seabird Cable Strike Mitigation Workshop was held on 7-8 November 2017 at the NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region in Seattle, Washington. The workshop was hosted by a Steering Committee consisting of members from NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, and the Alaska Regional Office. The goal of the workshop was to identify effective, practical mitigation measures to reduce seabird cable strike mortality in the catcher-processor west coast hake and Alaska trawl fisheries (Jannot et al. 2018).
Marine mammals Marine mammals are rarely taken incidentally in the GOA flatfish fishery. According to the List of Fisheries, the GOA flatfish fisheries continue to be classified as Category III (remote likelihood or no known interaction with marine mammals) (NOAA Fisheries 2019). On the List of Fisheries, the following species are listed with regard the GOA flatfish fishery: Harbor seal (Alaska) Northern elephant seal (North Pacific) Steller sea lion (western US)
According to Helker et al. (2017), of these species, only 1 Steller sea lion was seriously injured or killed by the GOA flatfish fishery in 2015 (the most recent year for data). This level of interaction is clearly minimal and is well below the species potential biological removal limit. Additionally, certain mitigation measures are in place to limit interactions (e.g., closed areas for Steller sea lion breeding).
Habitats The most recent 5-year review of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) took place in 2016 using a new fishing effects (FE) model to assess the impacts of fishing activities on EFH (Simpson et al. 2017). This model replaces the previously used long-term effects index model. Using this new model over the period 2003 to 2016, provided mean estimates of between 1.3% and 1.6% of flatfish EFH impacted by the GOA flatfish fishery (http://www.npfmc.org/wp- content/PDFdocuments/conservation_issues/EFH/EFH_FE_output_GOA_locked.xlsx).
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Ecosystem The Ecosystem Status Report for the Gulf of Alaska (Zador and Yasumiishi 2018) provides updated information on the state of the ecosystem. The GOA in 2018 was characterized by continuing warm conditions. In the eastern GOA, fish apex predator biomass is below its 30-year mean following a peak in 2015, mainly due to the high catch rate of arrowtooth flounder that year. Pacific halibut and sablefish appear to be stable, and Pacific cod, which were at their highest relative abundance in 2015, were at their lowest in 2017. The fish apex predator biomass in the western GOA in 2017 was at its lowest over a 30-year period. This is mainly due to Pacific cod and arrowtooth flounder, which were both at their lowest over that time period. The growth rates of rhinoceros auklet chicks in eastern GOA were low. In western Aleutian Islands (AI) in 2018, black-legged kittiwakes experienced above- average reproductive success. Steller sea lion non-pup counts were above the long-term mean and were approaching the long-term mean in eastern and western GOA, respectively.
Overall, none of these reported ecosystem changes affects the MSC certification of the GOA flatfish fishery.
Potential or actual changes to the management system
In February 2019, the Council conducted a comprehensive review of the Programmatic Groundfish Management Policy, highlighting activities relevant to priorities and objectives established by the Policy in 2018. It was determined by the Council that the policy continues to appropriately characterize management priorities and objectives and chose not to initiate any FMP amendments to modify the policy. For future reviews, the Council will continue to monitor actions relative to policy objectives through the programmatic workplan that is provided at every meeting. Comprehensive reviews of the policy will be done on a three-year cycle that aligns with the multi-year lifespan of major Council actions.
Changes or additions/deletions to regulations. In April 2019, the GOA Groundfish FMP Amendment Summaries became available. These summaries have been compiled int a comprehensive reference document that illustrates the evolution of the GOA Groundfish FMP. This is a companion volume to the amendment of summaries prepared for the BSAI Groundfish FMP in May 2016.
Annually, the Council develops harvest specifications based on information from the Groundfish Plan Teams, Scientific and Statistical Committee, Advisory Panel, the public, and any other relevant information (NPFMC 2018a). Final harvest specifications are implemented by mid-February each year and based on new information contained in the latest groundfish Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) reports. The most recent Council approved harvest specifications for the 2018-2019 can be found at GOA Groundfish Harvest Specifications.
There have been no changes in the regulations affecting the fishery since the last surveillance audit.
Personnel changes in science, management or industry to evaluate impact on the management of the fishery. In 2018, the Council appointed Dr. Peter Hulson to serve on the NPFMC Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Plan Team Also in 2018, the Council appointed Ms. Lisa Hillier (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife - WDFW) to serve on both the BSAI and GOA Groundfish Plan Teams. New appointees to the BSAI Plan Team include Dr. Steven Barbeaux, Ms. Jane Sullivan and Dr. Kalei Shotwell. (NPFMC 2018c).
Potential changes to the scientific base of information, including stock assessments. The science, information, and management of the fishery took place following the normal procedures of the past several years. Fishery dependent and independent data collection, stock assessment, monitoring and evaluation of ecosystem impacts continued at a high level. The Council approved the Gulf of Alaska Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) report and recommended final catch specifications for the 2017 and 2018 groundfish fisheries. The Plan Team presentations included stock status updates and a report on the ecosystem SAFE report section. (https://www.npfmc.org/goa-specifications). The assessment team received no information that identified an issue requiring further investigation that could lead to rescoring of any performance indicators.
Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Update Observer program: The North Pacific Observer Program is a comprehensive, industry-funded monitoring and data collection program that uses onboard observers and electronic monitoring (EM). On August 8, 2017 NMFS published a final rule to integrate EM into the North Pacific Observer Program (Ganz et al. 2018).
All vessels that participate in federally managed groundfish fisheries off Alaska are assigned to one of two categories: 1) full observer coverage, or, 2) partial observer coverage. Vessels and processors in the full coverage category have at least one observer present during all fishing or processing activity. Vessels and processors in the
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partial coverage category are assigned observer or EM based on the sampling plan described in the Annual Deployment Plan (ADP) (NPFMC 2019b). The selection rates as described in the 2018 ADP and programmed into the Observer Declare and Deploy System (ODDS) were as follows: No selection (zero coverage) – 0%; Electronic Monitoring (EM) – 30%; Trawl (TRW – No Tender) – 20%; Hook-and-line (HAL) – 17%; Pot (POT – No Tender) – 16%; Tender trawl (TRW - Tender) – 17%; and Tender pot (POT - Tender) – 17%. Notable changes since the 2018 ADP include observer deployment on vessels in the partial coverage category for 2019 and the expansion of the EM selection pool. NMFS adopted the following stratification scheme with sample sizes allocated according to the 15 % plus optimization based on discarded groundfish, Pacific halibut and Chinook salmon for the 2019 ADP: No selection – 0%; EM – 30%; Trawl – 24%; Hook-and-line – 18%, Pot – 15%; Tender trawl – 27%; and Tender pot – 16% (AFSC 2019). EM deployment in 2019 continues to be funded through a combination of federal funding and other sources such as from the National Fish and wildlife Foundation. NMFS placed 168 vessels in the EM selection pool (AFSC 2019).
No other substantial changes in the North Pacific Groundfish Observer Program occurred during 2018 and 2019 that would affect the MSC certification.
Halibut PSC Reduction Since the implementation of Amendment 80 in 2008, the Alaska groundfish sector and the NPFMC have, been working toward reducing the catch of halibut by the sector. The sector entered into a “Halibut Agreement” in 2016 to ensure a sector-wide accountability for halibut avoidance. The agreement consists of three components: Best Practices – The plan defines best operational practices for halibut avoidance for the Amendment 80 sector, including: monitoring halibut bycatch; communication protocols; excluder use and development; and halibut avoidance through changing a variety of fishing parameters, including location, target, depth, tow speed, and other factors. Halibut Avoidance Plan – The plan defines performance standards to incentivise all vessels in the fleet (through financial penalty) to achieve acceptable levels of halibut use in the fisheries. The program is intended to ensure that all vessels maintain minimum halibut rates annually using both annual and quarterly performance standards with a specific component to assess performance in the fourth quarter, when halibut rates have historically increased to the highest levels for the year. Deck sorting – The sector has spent several years developing a deck sorting program, which allows vessels to deck sort halibut to return halibut to the water quickly, thereby reducing halibut mortality. The sector is currently engaged in its fifth exempted fishing permit (EFP), allowing for continued development of deck sorting protocols that can be incorporated into a regulatory package in the future. Under these EFPs, the codend is pulled forward of the aft live tank hatches to allow space for sorting and is gradually emptied onto the deck. Crewmembers carefully remove halibut while moving the other fish into the tanks. The halibut are slid or carried to a station/table where the observer on duty is positioned. The observer’s table typically leads to a chute used to channel halibut off the vessel after counting and sampling. All observer tables must be pre-approved by NMFS prior to deck sorting and video monitoring is used in all locations where crew activities involving sorting and handling of halibut occur. The 2018 EFP had the highest level of participation to date. A total of 21 vessels (including 2 vessels outside the Amendment 80 sector) participated this year, compared to nine in 2015, 12 in 2016, and 17 in 2017. The 2018 EFP also expanded to allow deck sorting of catch in the GOA. A large majority of flatfish catch was taken in the EFP. Vessels also increasingly used deck sorting in the Atka mackerel and Pacific Ocean perch fisheries. In sum, over 260,000 MT of groundfish were harvested in the 2018 EFP. The average halibut DMR in the 2018 EFP was approximately 49%, compared to the default DMR of 84% assigned to trawl CP vessels this year.
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NMFS is developing a proposed regulatory amendment to implement voluntary halibut deck sorting on trawl catcher processors when operating in non-pollock groundfish fisheries off Alaska. The deck sorting analysis is being completed by NMFS and is in a draft Regulatory Impact Review stage, which is currently awaiting on responses to public comment (NPFMC Meeting, Kodiak, June 2018).
Compliance report The 2018 Office of Law Enforcement (OLE), Alaska Enforcement Division report to the NPFMC. At the December 2018 meeting they reported on the 2017 fishery and noted that in the Amendment 80 fishery, there were 10 more complaints in 2017 than in 2016. The majority of complaints involved flowscale inaccuracies due to overloading or dirty sensors. Failures to conduct flowscale tests in a timely manner and multiple complaints of crew using the observer sampling station were also reported.
Harassment or abuse of observers are considered OLEs highest priority cases. In 2018, OLE received fewer statements of interference with sample collections/bias (16 for all fleets) but trends were flat or increasing overall with respect to “intimidation, coercion, hostile work environment, disruptive/bothersome behaviour”. The OLE and the NFPMC are working on better understanding work conditions to find possible solutions to these issues.
Traceability Update No changes to traceability were reported that would affect the MSC certification.
REFERENCES P1
https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/REFM/Docs/2017/GOAatf.pdf
https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/REFM/Docs/2018/GOA/GOAflathead.pdf
https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/REFM/Docs/2017/GOAnsrocksole.pdf
https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/REFM/Docs/2018/GOA/GOArex.pdf
https://www.npfmc.org/wp-content/PDFdocuments/fmp/GOA/GOAfmp.pdf
McGilliard, C.R. and Palsson, W. 2017. 6. Assessment of the rex sole stock in the Gulf of Alaska. In Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation Report for the Groundfish Resources of the Gulf of Alaska. pp. 657-742. North Pacific Fishery Management Council, P.O. Box 103136, Anchorage AK 99510.
REFERENCES P2
Alaska Fisheries Science Center and Alaska Regional Office. 2018. North Pacific Observer Program 2017 Annual Report. AFSC Processed Rep. 2018-02, 136 p. Alaska Fish. Sci. Cent., NOAA, Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle WA 98115. Dragoo, D.E., H.M. Renner, and R.S.A. Kaler. 2016. Breeding Status and Population Trends of Seabirds in Alaska, 2015. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Report AMNWR 2016/03. Homer, Alaska. Helker, V. T., M. M. Muto, K. Savage, S. Teerlink, L. A. Jemison, K.Wilkinson, and J. Jannot. 2017. Human-caused mortality and injury of NMFS-managed Alaska marine mammal stocks, 2011-2015. U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-AFSC-354,112 p. Jannot, J.E., T. Good, V. Tuttle, A.M. Eich, and S. Fitzgerald. 2018. U.S. West Coast and Alaska Trawl Fisheries Seabird Cable Strike Mitigation Workshop, November 2017: Summary Report. https://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/assets/25/9298_05312018_084659_TechMemo142.pdf. NOAA Fisheries 2019: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/list-fisheries-summary- tables Simpson, S. C., Eagleton, M. P., Olson, J. V., Harrington, G. A., and Kelly, S.R. 2017. Final Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) 5-year Review, Summary Report: 2010 through 2015. U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-F/AKR-15, 115p. Zador, S. and E. Yasumiishi 2018. Ecosystem Status Report 2018: Gulf of Alaska. https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/REFM/Docs/2018/GOA/ecosysGOA.pdf.
REFERENCES P3 Alaska Fisheries Science Center and Alaska Regional Office. 2019. North Pacific Observer Program 2018 Annual Report. AFSC Processed Rep. 2019-04, 148 p. Alaska Fish. Sci. Cent., NOAA, Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle WA 98115.
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Ganz, P., S. Barbeaux, J. Cahalan, J. Gasper, S. Lowe, R. Webster, and C. Faunce. 2018. Deployment Performance Review of the 2017 North Pacific Observer Program. U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-AFSC-379, 68 p. MRAG (2019). GOA Alaska Flatfish Fishery. 3rd Surveillance Review of Information Report. MRAG America, Inc. January 2019. MRAG (2016). GOA Alaska Flatfish Fishery Public Certification Report. MRAG Americas, Inc. October 2015. NPFMC (2019) Newsletters: Groundfish Management Objectives. North Pacific Fishery Management Council, Anchorage AK. February 2019. https://www.npfmc.org/groundfish-management/ NPFMC. 2018. Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska Management Area. North Pacific Fishery Management Council, Anchorage AK. October 2018. NPFMC. 2018b. Observer Program. North Pacific Fishery Management Council, Anchorage AK. https://www.npfmc.org/observer-program/. NPFMC. 2018c. Appointments. North Pacific Fishery Management Council, Anchorage AK. https://www.npfmc.org/appointments-3/ NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska Enforcement Division April to September 2018 and October 2018 to March 2019 Reports to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council NPFMC Meeting Kodiak, June 2018, http://meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/313 NPFMC 2019, Observer Annual Deployment Plan. https://www.npfmc.org/observeradp/
2.3 Version details
Table 2. – Fisheries program documents versions
Document Version number
MSC Fisheries Certification Process Version 2.1
MSC Fisheries Standard Version 2.0/2.01
MSC General Certification Requirements Version 2.3
MSC Surveillance Reporting Template Version 2.01
3 Results 3.1 Surveillance results overview 3.1.1 Summary of conditions Not applicable. There are no conditions for this fishery.
3.1.2 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and catch data
Table 3. Catch data source: https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/refm/stocks/plan_team/2018/GOAintro.pdf
GOA flathead sole
TAC Year 2018 Amount 26,388 MT
UoA share of TAC Year 2018 Amount 26,388 MT
UoA share of total TAC Year 2018 Amount 26,388 MT
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Year (most Total green weight catch by UoC 2018 Amount 2,045 MT recent) Year (second Total green weight catch by UoC 2017 Amount 1,875 MT most recent)
GOA arrowtooth flounder
TAC Year 2018 Amount 76,300 MT
UoA share of TAC Year 2018 Amount 76,300 MT
UoA share of total TAC Year 2018 Amount 76,300 MT
Year (most Total green weight catch by UoC 2018 Amount 17,498 MT recent) Year (second Total green weight catch by UoC 2017 Amount 26,007 MT most recent)
GOA rex sole
TAC Year 2018 Amount 15,373 MT
UoA share of TAC Year 2018 Amount 15,373 MT
UoA share of total TAC Year 2018 Amount 15,373 MT
Year (most Total green weight catch by UoC 2018 Amount 1,638 MT recent) Year (second Total green weight catch by UoC 2017 Amount 1,410 MT most recent)
GOA northern rock sole*
TAC Year 2018 Amount 42,732 MT
UoA share of TAC Year 2018 Amount 42,732 MT
UoA share of total TAC Year 2018 Amount 42,732 MT
Year (most Total green weight catch by UoC 2018 Amount 2,722 MT recent) Year (second Total green weight catch by UoC 2017 Amount 2,575 MT most recent)
*combined with Southern Rock Sole catch
GOA Southern rock sole*
TAC Year 2018 Amount 42,732 MT
UoA share of TAC Year 2018 Amount 42,732 MT
UoA share of total TAC Year 2018 Amount 42,732 MT
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Year (most Total green weight catch by UoC 2018 Amount 2,722 MT recent) Year (second Total green weight catch by UoC 2017 Amount 2,575 MT most recent)
*combined with Northern Rock Sole catch
3.1.3 Recommendations Not applicable.
3.2 Conditions Not applicable. There were no previous conditions from the last surveillance audit.
3.3 Client Action Plan Not applicable. There are no conditions for this fishery.
3.4 Re-scoring Performance Indicators Not Applicable. The Performance Indicators were not re-scored.
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4 Appendices 4.1 Evaluation processes and techniques 4.1.1 Site visits The surveillance audit process as defined in the MSC Fishery Certification Process version 2.1 was followed in this audit. Information supplied by the clients and management agencies was reviewed by the assessment team ahead of the onsite meeting, and discussions with the clients and management agencies centred on the content within the provided documentation. In cases where relevant documentation was not provided in advance of the meeting, it was requested by the assessment team and subsequently supplied during, or shortly after the meeting. Thirty days prior to the audit site visit, all stakeholders from the full assessment were informed of the visit and the opportunity to provide information to the auditors in advance of, or during, the site visit. The site visit was held partly at the offices of At-Sea Processors and at Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) in Seattle, WA, June 17th – June 19th. Stakeholders attended either in person or via teleconference.
The following participants were in attendance:
Table 4 AK Groundfish site visit participants Name Affiliation Erin Wilson MRAG Americas Paul Knapman MRAG Americas and DNV assessment team member Don Bowen MRAG Americas assessment team member Jake Rice DFO Emeritus, MRAG Americas assessment team member Jodi Bostrom MRAG Americas and DNV assessment team member Amanda Stern-Pirlot MRAG Americas Michealene Corlett MRAG Americas Giuseppe Scarcella MRAG Americas and DNV assessment team member Anna Kiselva DNV GL Miki Takada Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Gonzalo Banda MSC Eileen Ekstrom ANSI Technical Assessors Austin Estabrooks At-Sea Processors Association Mark Fina Alaska Seafood Cooperative Christopher Oliver Alaska Seafood Cooperative Dave Gaudet Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) Riley Smith AFDF Matt Tinning At Sea Processors Association Julie Decker AFDF (teleconference) Susan Robinson Ocean Peace Inc. Nicole Kimball Pacific Seafood Processors Association (teleconference) Groundfish/Shellfish Fisheries Management Coordinator, Alaska Department of Mark Stichert Fish and Game (ADFG), (teleconference) Forrest Bowers ADFG (teleconference) Miranda Westphal ADFG (teleconference) Asia Beder ADFG (teleconference) Jim Ianelli Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) Steve Barbeaux AFSC Martin Dorn AFSC Meaghan Bryan AFSC Thomas Wilderbuer AFSC Sandra Lowe AFSC Chris Wilson AFSC Martin Dorn AFSC Grant Thompson AFSC (teleconference) Pete Hulson AFSC (teleconference) Jeremy Sterling AFSC Brian Fadely AFSC Shannon Fitzgerald NMFS/AFSC Kerim Aydin AFSC Ed Melvin AFSC Kirsten Holsman AFSC MRAG Americas Surveillance Report – US1913_S01 GOA Flatfish 4th Surveillance 14
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Name Affiliation Elizabeth Siddon AFSC Jennifer Ferdinand AFSC Lieutenant Jonathan Alaska Wildlife Troopers (AWT; teleconference Streifel Julie Bonney Alaska Fisheries Databank (teleconference)
The following is a summary of the agenda for the site visit:
Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management & Marine Stewardship Council Site Visit Agenda/Audit plan June 17 – 19th Monday, June 17th, 2019 Location: At-Sea Processors Association 4039 21st Ave West Suite 400 Seattle, WA 98199
Time Topic MSC RFM Interviewees Team Team members members
8:30- General opening meeting with all clients and both EW, GS, AK, GS, Chris Oliver, 9:00 programs to go over the agenda and logistics for the visit. JB, PK JB, PK Austin MSC Agenda Items: (JR, Estabrooks, Objectives/Introductions WDB, Mark Fina, Dave Overview of the assessment process, changes ASP, MC) Gaudet, Julie with the FCP Decker, Riley RFM assessment team and their opening meeting Smith 9:00- Flatfish, rockfish, Atka mackerel client meeting: EW, GS, AK, GS, Chris Oliver, 10:30 JB, PK JB, PK Mark Fina Review of general info about the client group (JR, Review of fishing operations: WDB, Review of impacts on the ecosystem ASP, MC) 10:30– Break 10:45 10:45- Flatfish/Mackerel, POP and Rockfish Continued 12pm Review of management practices
12-1pm Lunch All All Austin, Chris, Mark, Dave 1-2pm Pollock opening meeting EW, JR, N/A Austin Review agenda and ensure content for P1, P2 WDB, PK Estabrooks, Ruth and P3 has been gathered, meetings arranged, (ASP, GS, Christiansen, etc. JB, MC) Nicole Kimball Confirm traceability for fisheries Review current certificates Review any changes, new developments 2:00 Meeting with cod complainant EW, JR, N/A Complainant and WDB, PK only the MSC (ASP, GS, assessment JB, MC) team 3:00 - Cod opening meeting EW, JR, N/A Dave Gaudet, 4:00 Review agenda and ensure content for P1, P2 WDB, PK Julie Decker, and P3 has been gathered, meetings arranged, (ASP, GS, Chad See, etc. JB, MC) Nicole Kimball Confirm traceability for fisheries Review current certificates Review any changes, new developments
4:00- Management Review, changes in regulations, EW, PK ADF&G: Forrest 5:00 management plan, enforcement, monitoring, etc. Bowers
End Day 1
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Tuesday, June 18th, 2019 Location: Alaska Fishery Science Center 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Building 4 Seattle, WA 98115 Traynor Room 2079
Time Topic MSC Team RFM Interviewees members Team members 9:00 am Introductions, review agenda 9:10- 2018 Stock assessments overview of BSAI and GOA JR, WDB, N/A Pollock 10:15 pollock PK, EW assessments (GS) EBS pollock – Jim Ianelli AI Pollock - Steve Barbeaux GOA Pollock – Martin Dorn 10:15- EBS, AI, and GOA Pacific cod JR, WDB, N/A Pacific cod 11:15 (same as above) PK, EW assessments (GS) EBS and AI Pacific cod - Grant Thompson teleconference GOA Pacific cod- Steve Barbeaux 11:15- BSAI Atka mackerel JR, WDB, AK, GS, BSAI Atka 12 (same as above) PK, EW JB, PK mackerel – (GS) Sandra Lowe 1:30- 2018 Stock assessments overview of BSAI and GOA GS, JB, PK, GS, JB, BSAI Kamchatka 2:30 flatfish stocks EW PK, AK flounder, (same as above) Greenland turbot –Meaghan Bryan GOA N & S rock sole – Meaghan Bryan BSAI northern rock sole – Tom Wilderbuer Yellowfin sole – Tom Wilderbuer BSAI Alaska plaice – Tom Wilderbuer 3:00 BREAK 3:15 2018 Stock assessments overview of BSAI and GOA BSAI and GOA flatfish stocks continued... arrowtooth flounder assessments – Tom Wilderbuer
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Time Topic MSC Team RFM Interviewees members Team members 4:00 2018 Stock assessments overview of BSAI and GOA JR, WDB, AK, GS, BSAI northern rockfish stocks PK, EW JB, PK rockfish – Paul (same as above) (GS) Spencer GOA northern rockfish – Pete Hulson teleconference
BSAI POP – Paul Spencer GOA POP – Pete Hulson GOA Dusky rockfish – Pete Hulson for Kari Fenske
End Day 2
Wednesday, June 19th, 2019 Morning sessions held at: Alaska Fishery Science Center 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Building 4 Seattle, WA 98115 Traynor Room 2079
Afternoon sessions held at: At-Sea Processors Association 4039 21st Ave West Suite 400 Seattle, WA 98199
Time Topic MSC Team RFM Interviewees members Team members
9-10 Marine Mammal Lab/Seabirds All All Marine Mammals – Brian Fadely and Jeremy Sterling
Seabirds – Shannon Fitzgerald and Ed Melvin teleconference 10- Ecosystems All All Ecosystem status 11am and trend updates – Ebett Siddon
Ecosystem and multispecies modeling – Kirstin Holsman, Kerim Aydin 11- BREAK 11:15
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Time Topic MSC Team RFM Interviewees members Team members 11:15- Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis- Observer program All All Jennifer 12 Ferdinand
12-1:45 Lunch and travel to APA office 1:45- Bycatch engineering/reduction including Salmon All All Austin Estabrooks 2:00 avoidance presenting Noelle Yochum’s slides (NMFS Conservation Engineering) 2pm Habitats/EFH All All John Olson-NMFS habitat division teleconference TBD Enforcement AWT/TBD 3.00- Pollock closing meeting EW, JR, N/A Austin 3:30 WDB, PK Estabrooks, Ruth (ASP, GS, Christiansen, Julie JB, MC) Bonney, (Nicole Kimball) 3:30- Cod closing meeting EW, JR, N/A Dave Gaudet, 4:00 WDB, PK Julie Decker, (ASP, GS, Chad See JB, MC) 4.00- Team debrief and planning meeting All 4:30 End Day 3
4.1.2 Stakeholder participation Thirty days prior to the audit site visit, all stakeholders from the full assessment were informed of the visit and the opportunity to provide information to the auditors in advance of, or during, the site visit. We received no requests from outside stakeholders to take part in meetings, nor did we receive any written submissions regarding the GOA flatfish fishery.
4.2 Stakeholder input No stakeholders’ comments were received during the course of the audit.
4.3 Harmonised fishery assessments
Table 5 Overlapping fisheries
Fishery name Certification status and date Performance Indicators to harmonise
Most recently certified, January 12, PI 2.1x, 2.2x, 2.3x, 2.4x, 2.5x, 3.1x, GOA Alaska Pollock 2016 3.2.x, (for GoA flatfish UoAs) Most recently certified, June 18, PI 2.1x, 2.2x, 2.3x, 2.4x, 2.5x, 3.1x, GOA Pacific Cod (trawl UoA) 2015 3.2.x, BSAI and GOA Atka Mackerel, PI 2.1x, 2.2x, 2.3x, 2.4x, 2.5x, 3.1x, Pacific Ocean perch, Northern and In assessment 3.2.x, (for GoA flatfish UoAs) Dusky rockfish
Table 6 Overlapping fisheries
Supporting information
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- Describe any background or supporting information relevant to the harmonisation activities, processes and outcomes. There is a Memorandum of Agreement between the clients for all of the Alaska groundfish fisheries, allowing certified species under each certificate to be landed and sold as certified by the other clients. Principle 3 management is very similar for all NPFMC-managed groundfish fisheries in the GOA and scores are consequently aligned. All clients participate in joint assessment and audit visits and have more or less the same assessment teams. There is no need for any more formal harmonization process as a result.
Was either FCP v2.1 Annex PB1.3.3.4 or PB1.3.4.5 applied when harmonising? No
Date of harmonisation meeting Not required; see above
If applicable, describe the meeting outcome
- e.g. Agreement found among teams or lowest score adopted.
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