Bycatch Management in Alaska: Diverse Tools for Diverse Fisheries & Bycatch Problems

Suggested Bibliographic Reference: Challenging New Frontiers in the Global Seafood Sector: Proceedings of the Eighteenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade, July 11-15, 2016. Compiled by Stefani J. Evers and Ann L. Shriver. International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade (IIFET), Corvallis, 2016.Proceedings of the Eighteenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade, held July 11-15, 2016 at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Center (AECC), Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.With the creation of multi-species catch share programs, halibut bycatch reduction efforts, and through actions to reduce Chinook and chum salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska pollock fisheries, we have seen a variety of new bycatch management programs implemented over the last decade in Alaska. The nature of the bycatch problem is by no means uniform across these fisheries. In some cases, such as with endangered marine mammals or seabirds, the goal is complete avoidance. With salmon and halibut bycatch, the goal is avoidance, but there is a trade-off inherent to catching the quota of the target species that permits some salmon and halibut to be taken because of the frequent co-mingling of the target and bycatch species. In the multi- BSAI Amendment 80 groundfish fishery, a variety of scarce species are caught and marketed but are also avoided as vessels attempt to maximize multi-species revenue while not exceeding limits for species with more restrictive quotas. Because of these different management objectives and legal requirements, there is no universal mechanism for improving management. Biological, economic, and other institutional factors such as industry organization and observer coverage impact how programs function. We discuss which mechanisms appear to be most effective at addressing different problems. As well as presenting a framework for how incentives impact fisher behavior and bycatch outcomes, empirical examples from a variety of Alaskan fisheries are provided