Salty
2009-02-03 02:18:30
I support the Industry Consensus and JRPT recommendation to go to a 1-1 rotation in Deep Inlet. This should help bring the seiners within their allocated range of SE enhanced salmon. While the seiners and gillnetters have competing proposals to deal with the seiners falling out of their allocated share of hatchery fish in SE, it is the trollers who have been consistently below their allocated share and it will take movement of over $2 million worth of enhanced salmon in SE Alaska from net to troll harvest for trollers to move within their allocation.
I have discussed the Industry Consensus with NSRAA staff, SSRAA Board members, NSRAA Board members, JRPT members, and others involved. Industry members are aware that trollers plan to work with NSRAA to improve troll opportunity both for June Chinook and for Chum in the Deep Inlet terminal harvest area in July and August. When I made a power point presentation to the NSRAA Board at their fall meeting Board members repeatedly asked that Chum trollers bring specific proposals back to them at their spring meeting. I believe NSRAA and other SE hatchery operators have sufficient direction from the SE enhancement allocation plan, December 9, 2008 Industry Consensus, and action such as adoption of this proposal by the Board of Fisheries to improve troll opportunity on hatchery Chinook, Coho, and Chum.
The 1-1 time ratio in Deep Inlet for the net fisheries will give more opportunity for NSRAA to cycle trollers into the inlet for improved Chinook and Chum harvest opportunity. Gillnet, seine, cost recovery, and troll days could be worked out over the seasons and during preseason in response to predictions, allocation percentages, etc. Trollers lost a significant opportunity in 2008 when after cost recovery was completed on a Thursday, Deep Inlet was not opened to them on their scheduled day, Saturday. Chum trollers, the NSRAA Board and staff, and net fishermen have had numerous discussions about the possibility of giving trollers an opportunity in the Inlet after cost recovery is completed in the future. I am confident the NSRAA Board will improve troll harvest opportunity beginning in 2009.
While the gear groups have worked well together within NSRAA to try and elevate troll catch to their allocated share it is clear from all the data presented to you that trollers remain well below their minimum allocation. More needs to be done immediately. Adopting a 1-1 gillnet-seine rotation in Deep Inlet will help.