Alaska Responsible Fishery Management Certification 4th Surveillance Report For The US Alaska Salmon Commercial Fisheries Facilitated by Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) Client Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) Assessors: Dr. Ivan Mateo, Lead Assessor Dr. Brian Allee, Assessor Mr. Scott L. Marshall, Assessor Dr. Marc A. Johnson, Assessor Report Code: AK/SAL/0.002.4/2020 Published Date: 20th April 2020 SAI Global 3rd Floor, Block 3, Quayside Business Park, Mill Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland. T: + 353 42 932 0912 www.saiglobal.com 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 here: http://www.alaskaseafood.org/rfm-certification/certified-fisheries Form 9g Issue 1 August 2018 © SAI Global Limited Copyright 2009 - ABN 67 050 611 642 Page 2 of 97 Table of contents Foreword ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Table of contents ......................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Glossary ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Summary and Recommendations ................................................................................................................................................ 6 Assessment Team Details ............................................................................................................................................................ 7 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................ 8 1.1. Recommendation of the Assessment Team ............................................................................................................... 9 2. Fishery Applicant Details ................................................................................................................................................... 10 3. Proposed Unit(s) of Assessment and Certification............................................................................................................ 11 4. Fishery Observations ......................................................................................................................................................... 12 4.1. Stock status, landings and TAC update .................................................................................................................... 12 4.2. Enforcement update ................................................................................................................................................ 21 4.3. Ecosystem Update .................................................................................................................................................... 21 4.4. Relevant changes to Legislation and Regulations .................................................................................................... 21 4.5. Relevant changes to the Management Regime ....................................................................................................... 21 5. Surveillance Meetings ....................................................................................................................................................... 22 6. Assessment Outcome Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 26 6.1. Fundamental Clauses Summaries ............................................................................................................................ 26 7. Conformity Statement ...................................................................................................................................................... 33 8. Evaluation of Fundamental Clauses .................................................................................................................................. 34 8.1. Section A. The Fisheries Management System ........................................................................................................ 34 8.1.1. Fundamental Clause 1 ..................................................................................................................................... 34 8.1.2. Fundamental Clause 2 ..................................................................................................................................... 37 8.1.3. Fundamental Clause 3 ..................................................................................................................................... 40 8.2. Section B. Science and Stock Assessment Activities................................................................................................. 41 8.2.1. Fundamental Clause 4 ..................................................................................................................................... 41 8.2.2. Fundamental Clause 5 ..................................................................................................................................... 45 8.3. Section C. The Precautionary Approach .................................................................................................................... 50 8.3.1. Fundamental Clause 6 ...................................................................................................................................... 50 8.3.2. Fundamental Clause 7 ..................................................................................................................................... 58 8.4. Section D. Management Measures ......................................................................................................................... 64 8.4.1. Fundamental Clause 8 ..................................................................................................................................... 64 8.4.2. Fundamental Clause 9 ..................................................................................................................................... 69 8.5. Section E. Implementation, Monitoring and Control ............................................................................................... 70 8.5.1. Fundamental Clause 10 ................................................................................................................................... 70 8.5.2. Fundamental Clause 11 ................................................................................................................................... 72 8.6. Section F. Serious Impacts of the Fishery on the Ecosystem ................................................................................... 73 8.6.1. Fundamental Clause 12 ................................................................................................................................... 73 8.6.2. Fundamental Clause 13 ................................................................................................................................... 79 9. Performance specific to agreed corrective action plans ................................................................................................... 86 10. Unclosed, new non-conformances and new corrective action plans ........................................................................... 86 11. Future Surveillance Actions .......................................................................................................................................... 86 12. Client signed acceptance of the action plan ................................................................................................................. 87 13. Recommendation and Determination .......................................................................................................................... 87 14. References .................................................................................................................................................................... 88 15. Appendices ................................................................................................................................................................... 96 15.1. Appendix 1 – Assessment Team Details............................................................................................................... 96 Form 9g Issue 1 August 2018 © SAI Global Limited Copyright 2009 - ABN 67 050 611 642 Page 3 of 97 Glossary ABC Allowable Biological Catch AC Advisory Committee ACC Alaska Administrative Code ADFG Alaska Department of Fish and Game AFA American Fisheries Act AFDF Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation AFSC