Pacific Halibut Bycatch in IPHC Area 2A in 2002

Abstract

This report updates the estimate of Pacific halibut bycatch and mortality in the bottom trawl fishery through the calendar year 2002. The estimate of halibut bycatch and mortality in the bottom trawl fishery is based upon the method developed in the report for 1999 (Wallace, 2000) This report uses halibut bycatch rates observed from 31 August 2001 thru 28 August 2002 in the West Coast Groundfish Observer Program. These rates are stratified by season, depth, latitude, and level of arrowtooth flounder catch, then multiplied by the amount of trawl effort in each stratum determined from Oregon and Washington trawl logbooks in 2002. Estimated halibut bycatch and mortality in other gear types has not been updated for 2002. The estimate for the 2002 bottom trawl fishery is 512,000 lbs net weight of total halibut bycatch mortality of which 286,000 lbs is legal-sized. The net weight is 64 % lower than in 2001. As in past reports, forecast of bycatch for the current year (2003) or future years is not attempted. 1 GROUNDFISH FISHERY BACKGROUND Changes in the groundfish fishery and its management affect the amount of groundfish fishing effort and the geographic and temporal distribution of this effort. These changes will affect th