A federal agency says it's considering a rewrite to guidelines that shape management plans for Bering Sea and other fisheries. But it has not yet committed to taking action.
First, all 10 of the the regional fishery management councils need to be moved from Department of Commerce oversight to Fish and Wildlife, so there are some conservation concerns in place. Right now the bycatch limits are higher than the limits in many of the directed fisheries. This should never happen. Also, the bycatch limits seem to be highly fungible, and will change midseason. We need hard caps that will close down a fishery if the bycatch limit is exceeded. If the trawlers can lose their entire fishery, they will doe to redce bycatch.m
First, all 10 of the the regional fishery management councils need to be moved from Department of Commerce oversight to Fish and Wildlife, so there are some conservation concerns in place. Right now the bycatch limits are higher than the limits in many of the directed fisheries. This should never happen. Also, the bycatch limits seem to be highly fungible, and will change midseason. We need hard caps that will close down a fishery if the bycatch limit is exceeded. If the trawlers can lose their entire fishery, they will doe to redce bycatch.m