Incidental Take and Interactions of Marine Mammals and Birds in the Kodiak Island Salmon Set Gillnet Fishery, 2002 and 2005

NOAA Fisheries publishes the List of Fisheries (LOF), an annually updated list of all commercial fisheries that legally operate in U.S. waters. The LOF contains information on each fishery, including number of participants, marine mammal stocks affected by the fishery, and the category of the fishery relative to its impact on those marine mammal stocks. Fishery categories range from I to III and are determined by the level of incidental SI/M of marine mammals by a given fishery relative to that marine mammal stock's PBR. NOAA Fisheries relies on observer data in the analyses, but also evaluates other factors such as fishing techniques, gear, methods used to deter marine mammals, seasons and areas fished. Each fishery is categorized through an analysis with a two-tiered approach as follows:

• Tier 1: Impact on a stock by all fisheries. For each marine mammal stock, SI/M from all commercial U.S. fisheries are totaled. If the total SI/M for that stock is less than or equal to 10% of the PBR of that stock, then all fisheries interacting with this stock are placed in Category III, and are considered to have met the ZMRG for that marine mammal stock. A marine mammal stock for which total serious injury and mortality from all fisheries exceeds 10% of PBR is subject to a Tier 2 analysis. Fisheries with no serious injuries or mortalities to any marine mammal remain in Category III.
• Tier 2: Impact on a stock by individual fisheries. For the marine mammal stock being evaluated at the Tier II level, the annual SI/M for each fishery is evaluated relative to the PBR of that stock. Individual fisheries that meet Category III criteria as a result of the Tier II analysis are considered to have met ZMRG for that marine mammal stock. Each fishery is categorized for the LOF accordingly:
  • Category I: Mortality and Serious Injury > 50% PBR
  • Category II: 50% PBR > Mortality and Serious Injury > 1% PBR
  • Category III: Mortality and Serious Injury <= 1% PBR

Each commercial fishery is ultimately placed in the LOF in the highest category achieved during the Tier analysis. NOAA Fisheries may require monitoring for marine mammal interactions with any Category I or II fishery. Depending on the results of the observations, the fishery may remain in the same category or may be re-categorized. Category III fisheries are not required to be observed since the level of marine mammal serious injury or mortality is considered to be rare or zero.