MSC Final Report and Determination for Alaska Pollock – Bering Sea-Aleutian Islands
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MSC Final Report and Determination for Alaska Pollock – Bering Sea-Aleutian Islands MRAG Americas, Inc. Don Bowen, Jake Rice, and Robert J. Trumble December 2015 CLIENT DETAILS: At-Sea Processors Association 4039 21st West, Suite 400 Seattle, WA 98199 USA Document template tracking no.: MRAG-MSC-7a-v3 MSC reference standards: MSC Standards Version 1.1 MSC Certification Requirements Version 1.3 MSC Guidance for Certification Requirements Version 1.3 Contents Glossary ..................................................................................................................................... 1 1. Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 2 2. Authorship and Peer Reviewers ......................................................................................... 3 2.1 Assessment Team ...................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Peer Reviewers ........................................................................................................... 4 3. Description of the Fishery ................................................................................................... 4 3. 1 Unit(s) of Certification and scope of certification sought ............................................ 4 3.2 Overview of the fishery ................................................................................................ 5 3.3 Principle One: Target Species Background................................................................ 6 3. 3.1 General Considerations ....................................................................................... 6 3.3.2 Assessment Information ...................................................................................... 8 3.3.3 Assessment Methods ........................................................................................ 13 3.3.4 Assessment Results .......................................................................................... 17 3.4 Principle Two: Ecosystem Background .................................................................... 26 3.4.1 BSAI Ecosystems .............................................................................................. 26 3.4.2 Oceanography and bottom sediments .............................................................. 26 3.4.3 Climate ............................................................................................................... 27 3.4.4 Non-target Interactions ...................................................................................... 28 3.4.5 Marine mammals ............................................................................................... 29 3.4.6 Seabirds ............................................................................................................. 30 3.4.7 Retained ............................................................................................................. 32 3.4.8 Bycatch .............................................................................................................. 33 3.4.9 ETP species ....................................................................................................... 37 3.4.10 Habitat ................................................................................................................ 41 3.4.11 Food web ........................................................................................................... 43 3.4.12 Ecosystem Management ................................................................................... 45 3.5 Principle Three: Management System Background ................................................. 47 3.5.1 Area of operation of the fishery and under which jurisdiction it falls ................. 47 3.5.2 Recognized groups with interests in the fishery ................................................ 52 3.5.3 Consultations leading to the formulation of the management plan................... 53 3.5.4 Arrangements for on-going consultations with interest groups ......................... 56 3.5.5 Non-fishery users or activities, which could affect the fishery, and arrangements for liaison and co-ordination...................................................................... 56 3.5.6 Details of the decision-making process or processes, including the recognized participants ....................................................................................................................... 57 3.5.7 Objectives for the fishery ................................................................................... 61 3.5.8 Outline the fleet types or fishing categories participating in the fishery ............ 64 3.5.9 Individuals or groups granted rights of access to the fishery, and the nature of those rights ....................................................................................................................... 64 BSAI Alaska Pollock – Final Report and Determination page i 3.5.10 Description of the measures agreed upon for the regulation of fishing in order to meet the objectives within a specified period .............................................................. 64 3.5.11 Arrangements and responsibilities for monitoring, control and surveillance and enforcement ...................................................................................................................... 65 3.5.12 Details of any planned education and training for interest groups .................... 67 3.5.13 Date of next review and audit of the management plan ................................... 67 3.5.14 Description of fishery’s research plan ............................................................... 67 4. Evaluation Procedure ....................................................................................................... 69 4.1 Harmonised Fishery Assessment ............................................................................. 69 4.2 Previous assessments .............................................................................................. 69 4.3 Assessment Methodologies ...................................................................................... 69 4.4 Evaluation Processes and Techniques .................................................................... 69 4.4.1 Site Visits and Consultations ............................................................................. 69 4.4.2 Evaluation Techniques ...................................................................................... 71 5 Traceability ....................................................................................................................... 73 5.1 Eligibility Date ............................................................................................................ 73 5.2 Traceability within the Fishery ................................................................................... 73 5.3 Eligibility to Enter Further Chains of Custody ........................................................... 74 5.4 Eligibility of Inseparable or Practically Inseparable (IPI) stock(s) to Enter Further Chains of Custody ................................................................................................................ 74 6 Evaluation Results ............................................................................................................ 75 6.1 Principle Level Scores ............................................................................................... 75 6.2 Summary of Scores ................................................................................................... 75 6.3 Summary of Conditions ............................................................................................. 76 6.4 Determination, Formal Conclusion and Agreement ................................................. 76 References ............................................................................................................................... 77 Appendices .............................................................................................................................. 89 Appendix 1 Scoring and Rationales ........................................................................................ 89 Principle 1 ......................................................................................................................... 89 Principle 2 ....................................................................................................................... 118 Principle 3 ....................................................................................................................... 164 Appendix 1.1 Conditions .................................................................................................... 185 Appendix 2. Peer Review Reports ........................................................................................ 186 Peer Review No. 1 ............................................................................................................. 187 Peer Review No. 2 ............................................................................................................. 201 Appendix 3. Stakeholder submissions .................................................................................. 207 Appendix 3.1 Site Visit Comments .................................................................................... 207 WWF Comments ...........................................................................................................