The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced the receipt of an application from the Alaska Seafood Cooperative for an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP), aiming to reduce bycatch of halibut in the North Pacific flatfish fishery by testing new excluder devices. This permit would allow the Cooperative to conduct field testing between August 2021 and December 2022 to develop a design that minimizes target species loss while reducing halibut bycatch. Public comments on this application can be submitted through February 12, 2021, and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council will consider the application during its meeting from February 1 to February 12, 2021. This experiment aligns with the goals of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
Simple Explanation
The people who take care of fish rules in Alaska got a request from fishermen to try out a new tool that could help stop catching too many halibut fish by mistake while they catch other kinds of fish. They want to test this tool to see if it can let more fish they want go into their nets while keeping the halibut safe.