ALASKA RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION Final Assessment Report For The Alaska Pacific Sablefish (Black cod) Commercial Fishery (200nm EEZ) Client ‘Eat on the Wild Side’ (FVOA) Facilitated By Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) Assessors: Ivan Mateo, Lead Assessor William (Bill) Brodie, Assessor Sam Dignan, Assessor Report Code: AK/SAB/002/2016 Date: 11th July 2018 Global Trust Certification Ltd. 3rd Floor, Block 3, Quayside Business Park, Mill Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland. T: +353 42 932 0912 F: +353 42 938 6864 www.GTCert.com Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management AK Sablefish Assessment Report, November 2016 Foreword The Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) Standard Version 1.3 is composed of Conformance Criteria and is based on the 1995 FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the FAO Guidelines for the Eco- labelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries adopted in 2005 and amended/extended in 2009. The Standard also includes full reference to the 2011 FAO Guidelines for the Eco-labelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Inland Fisheries which in turn are now supported by a suite of guidelines and support documents published by the UN FAO. Further information on the Alaska RFM program may be found on its website: http://www.alaskaseafood.org/rfm-certification/ Notice of Correction This Report represents a correction to the original Report published on 9th January 2017 in which Clauses 6.2 and 6.4 contained incorrect interpretations of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Harvest Control Rule for sablefish and the Minimum Stock Size Threshold (MSST) reference point. Form 11 Issue 2, April 2016 Page 1 Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management AK Sablefish Assessment Report, November 2016 Table of Contents Foreword .................................................................................................................................................... 1 Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................................ 2 Acronyms ................................................................................................................................................... 6 i. Summary and Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 8 ii. Schedule of Key Assessment Activities ............................................................................................... 9 iii. Assessment Team Details ................................................................................................................. 10 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 11 1.1. Recommendations of the Assessment Team ..................................................................................... 12 1.2. Certification Decision ....................................................................................................................... 12 2. Fishery Applicant Details ....................................................................................................................... 13 3. Background to the Fishery ..................................................................................................................... 14 3.1. Species Biology ................................................................................................................................ 14 3.2. Fishery Location ............................................................................................................................... 16 3.3. Fishing Method ................................................................................................................................ 18 3.4. Fishery Management History and Organization ................................................................................. 20 3.5. Stock Assessment Activities .............................................................................................................. 23 3.6. Historic Biomass and Removals in the Fishery ................................................................................... 24 3.7. Economic Value of the Fishery .......................................................................................................... 25 4. Proposed Units of Assessment ............................................................................................................... 27 5. Consultation Meetings........................................................................................................................... 28 5.1. On-Site Assessment and Consultation Meetings ................................................................................ 28 6. Assessment Outcome Summary ............................................................................................................. 31 6.1. Conformity Statement ...................................................................................................................... 32 7. Fishery Assessment Evidence ................................................................................................................. 33 Section A: The Fisheries Management System............................................................................................ 33 7.1. Fundamental Clause 1 ...................................................................................................................... 33 Supporting Clause 1.1 ................................................................................................................................. 33 Supporting Clause 1.2 ................................................................................................................................. 36 Supporting Clause 1.2.1 .............................................................................................................................. 39 Supporting Clause 1.3 ................................................................................................................................. 40 Supporting Clause 1.3.1 .............................................................................................................................. 41 Supporting Clause 1.4 ................................................................................................................................. 42 Supporting Clause 1.4.1 .............................................................................................................................. 43 Supporting Clause 1.5 ................................................................................................................................. 44 Supporting Clause 1.6 ................................................................................................................................. 46 Supporting Clause 1.6.1 .............................................................................................................................. 47 Supporting Clause 1.7 ................................................................................................................................. 48 Supporting Clause 1.8 ................................................................................................................................. 50 Supporting Clause 1.9 ................................................................................................................................. 51 7.2. Fundamental Clause 2 ...................................................................................................................... 52 Supporting Clause 2.1 ................................................................................................................................. 52 Form 11 Issue 2, April 2016 Page 2 Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management AK Sablefish Assessment Report, November 2016 Supporting Clause 2.1.1 .............................................................................................................................. 55 Supporting Clause 2.1.2 .............................................................................................................................. 57 Supporting Clause 2.2 ................................................................................................................................. 58 Supporting Clause 2.3 ................................................................................................................................. 59 Supporting Clause 2.4 ................................................................................................................................. 61 Supporting Clause 2.5 ................................................................................................................................. 63 Supporting Clause 2.6 ................................................................................................................................. 65 Supporting Clause 2.7 ................................................................................................................................. 66 Supporting Clause 2.8 ................................................................................................................................. 68 7.3. Fundamental Clause 3 .....................................................................................................................