Logbook Evaluation by AKF&G.
This is from the Logbook Evaluation by AKF&G. Seems we were not the Liars we were accused of being after all.
Adoption of logbooks as the preferred charter harvest monitoring tool by the North Pacific FisheryManagement Council will present a problem with respect to management of annual harvest. Specifically,the Council will have to address the mismatch between the reported harvest and the allocation options that were all calculated using past SHWS estimates of charter harvest. Logbook harvests were consistently higher than SHWS estimates for all years in which halibut were reported in the logbook. Options to address this mismatch include revision of allocation options, either through recalculation using recent logbook harvest, or through negotiation. Applying average weights by SWHS area to logbook numbers results in 2006 charter harvest estimates of 2.094 M lb in Area 2C and 4.691 M lb in Area 3A. These harvest estimates are 16% and 28% higher than the respective harvest estimates based on the SWHS. The discrepancy in weight between the Area 2C logbook and SWHS estimates (16%) was smaller than the discrepancy in numbers of fish (23%), due to differences in the distribution of harvest among ports. The largest difference in numbers was in the Princeof Wales area (13,298 more fish in the logbook), which had an average weight of only 9.7 lb, well belowthe 18.9 lb average for Area 2C.
3 comments:
There is the proof of the 1997 GHL is flawed to the toon of at least 20%. The NPFMC says best available info is all they are required to consider. What about when it is proven that the info was not even close to accurate?
We must demand the additional allocation that the logbooks have shown to be correct and honest PLUS the latency allowed by the council. Another tid bit will be an additional amount to cover the catch and release mortality which has been occurring all these years but just not figured, estimated, or recorded because very soon the IPHC will be tacking that amount on to our allocation too. We should demand it up front, not try to stay within it after they decide we should pay for it.
SO our great Commissioner has advocated we will keep the statewide harvest survey as the amount we get until three years of logbooks have been evaluated (4 years) and if then it shows a consistent higher number of fish harvested he will recommend to the council we "Adjust" the numbers for our allocation. Think 2011 or 2012, until then we have to live with the low harvest survey numbers. We cannot even lease commercial IFQ's until the decision in October 2008 makes it's way through NMFS writing, regional legal review, then submission to the Secretary of Commerce and he signs it. We may not be allowed to lease until 2011 or 2012. The moratorium will not be implemented until 2009 or 2010, so anyone who wants to start chartering now until 2010 can do so and it will come off the GHL, which will cause harvest restrictions that we cannot work around. Also of concern is the new EO from the Commissioner that allows Captain and Crew fish early and late in the season. Do Not exercise this privilege because it will cause us to go over the GHL even more. Later the State will tell us we did this to ourselves, causing us harvest restrictions on our customers with no way out for several years. BEWARE!!!! BE SMART!!!
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