The Federal Fisheries Permit (FFP) is required for vessels of the United States which are used to fish for groundfish in the Gulf of Alaska or Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. This permit is also required for vessels used to fish for any non-groundfish species and that are required to retain any bycatch of groundfish under 50 CFR Part 679. Non-groundfish species includes but is not limited to halibut, crab, salmon, scallops, and herring. "Fishing" is a broad term and includes, for example: harvesting, processing, tendering, support, etc. These are non-transferable, three year permits, issued on request and without charge to vessel owners. The Federal Processor Permit (FPP) is required for stationary floating processors (processing vessels that operate solely within Alaska State waters). The permit also is required for shoreside processors that receive and/or process groundfish harvested from Federal waters (or from any Federally-permitted vessels). FPPs are non-transferable, three year permits, issued to owners on request and without charge.

NOAA Fisheries implemented a license limitation program for the trawl and fixed gear sectors of Pacific Coast commercial groundfish fishery on January 1, 1993. The agency issued federal fishing permits based on vessel catch histories. This limited entry program was designed to control the capacity of the groundfish fishing fleet by limiting the number of fishing vessels, limiting the number of vessels using each of the three specified gear types (trawl, trap/pot, longline), and limiting increases in harvest capacity by limiting vessel length. The Pacific Coast Groundfish Limited Entry Permit (LEP) authorizes the holder (owner of a vessel) to participate in the federal limited entry groundfish fishery in waters off of Washington, Oregon, and California. NOAA Fisheries no longer issues new LEPs. Any new entrant to the groundfish LEP fishery, must either purchase or lease an existing LEP. In addition, as part of the shorebased IFQ Fishery, NOAA Fisheries issues First Receiver Site Licenses (FRSL).

This feature class depicts the boundaries of Non-Trawl Rockfish Conservation Areas as defined in the Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; 2023-2024 Biennial Specifications and Management Measures; Inseason Adjustments (89 FR 22342, April 1, 2024)https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/01/2024-06775/magnuson-stevens-act-provisions-fisheries-off-west-coast-states-pacific-coast-groundfish-fishery?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdeliveryThe following descriptions highlight the cumulative adjustments incorporated in this feature class:November 2023 Inseason ActionBetween 42 N. lat. and 36 N. lat., the Non-Trawl RCA shoreward boundary has been extended to the State/Federal boundary.The 100-150 fm lines around Santa Barbara Island, San Nicolas Island, and Cortes and Tanner Banks will be part of the Non-Trawl RCA.March 2024 Inseason Action Between 37° 07' N. lat. and 36° N. lat., the Non-Trawl RCA shoreward boundary has been changed from the State/Federal boundary to the 50 fm depth contour. The feature class naming convention reflects the date (YYYYMMDD) that the RCAs were published in the Federal Register (FR).

This feature class depicts the boundaries of Non-Trawl Rockfish Conservation Areas as defined in the Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; 2023-2024 Biennial Specifications and Management Measures; Inseason Adjustments (89 FR 22342, April 1, 2024)https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/01/2024-06775/magnuson-stevens-act-provisions-fisheries-off-west-coast-states-pacific-coast-groundfish-fishery?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdeliveryThe following descriptions highlight the cumulative adjustments incorporated in this feature class:November 2023 Inseason ActionBetween 42 N. lat. and 36 N. lat., the Non-Trawl RCA shoreward boundary has been extended to the State/Federal boundary.The 100-150 fm lines around Santa Barbara Island, San Nicolas Island, and Cortes and Tanner Banks will be part of the Non-Trawl RCA.March 2024 Inseason Action Between 37° 07' N. lat. and 36° N. lat., the Non-Trawl RCA shoreward boundary has been changed from the State/Federal boundary to the 50 fm depth contour. The feature class naming convention reflects the date (YYYYMMDD) that the RCAs were published in the Federal Register (FR).

This database was established to oversee documents issued in support of fishery research activities including experimental fishing permits (EFP), letters of acknowledgement (LOA), temporary possession permits (TPP), exempted educational activity authorizations (EEAA), and scientific research permits (SRP) . Specifically, the primary objectives are: 1. Oversee research document applications; 2. Track vessels authorized to operate under these documents; and 3. Monitor the activity and catch from vessels operating under these documents.

Juvenile rockfish were observed amongst coral, sponge, cobble, and gravel habitats. Rockfish utilized coral habitats more than any other, while gravel was the least utilized. Sponge and cobble habitat utilization was intermediate to coral and gravel. Predation of young-of-the-year rockfish by sculpin predators was greatest in gravel habitats and lowest in coral habitats.

Many species of commercially valuable rockfish (Sebastes spp.) inhabit waters on the outer continental shelf in the Gulf of Alaska typically between depths of 100-300m. The benthic habitat requirements and spatial distribution of these rockfish species is relatively unknown. Information regarding benthic habitat use would improve current stock assessments and provide baseline information for an ecosystem approach to management. Several study areas in the Gulf of Alaska have recently been mapped with high resolution multibeam bathymetry and backscatter to generate detailed benthic habitat maps. Large populations of rockfish have been surveyed and harvested within these mapped areas. The NMFS MESA group conducted two submersible observation surveys in summer 2005 on three of these mapped areas, Albatross Bank, Hazy Islands, and Cape Ommaney. The objectives of these surveys were to collect information on rockfish habitat interactions and generate density estimates by habitat. Forty dive transects were completed on the mapped sites using the Delta two-person occupied submersible. We identified numerous gravid females and observed schooling behavior of several species over particular benthic habitats. Density estimates of rockfish using strip and line of sight methodologies are being determined by substrate and invertebrate habitat classification. We identify habitat types with high densities of rockfish species and describe differences between estimation methods.

The core function of the Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering (RACE) Division is to conduct quantitative fishery surveys and related ecological and oceanographic research to measure and describe the distribution and abundance of commercially important fish and crab stocks in the eastern Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, Gulf of Alaska, and, historically, the U.S. West Coast. As part of these efforts, oceanographic data is collected using an instrument attached to the bottom trawl headrope. The data includes: pH, turbidity, depth, temperature, salinity and O2. These data are stored on an AFSC server as .txt files.

This layer is intended to represent the geographic extent of NOAA Fisheries’ Rockfish Recruitment and Ecosystem Assessment Survey stations. The Rockfish Recruitment and Ecosystem Assessment Survey started in 1983 and is led by NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center. This survey is a long-term survey that estimates year-to-year variability in young-of-the-year (YOY) rockfish and other groundfish, as well as enumerates krill and many other forage fishes and invertebrates in the California Current. Key objectives include the development of recruitment indices of rockfish (and other groundfish) for use in stock assessments, informing oceanographic studies of groundfish recruitment processes, and supported a number of ecosystem studies, such as helping researchers understand how ecosystem shifts impact ocean biodiversity, seabird reproduction, unusual mortality events, and the rise of whale entanglements. The survey is conducted annually on a NOAA research vessel, in late Spring when most YOY groundfish are pelagic and vulnerable to the gear. Mid-water trawl sampling occurs at night, and samples not only rockfishes, but many additional species including gelatinous zooplankton, mesopelagic fishes, and forage species such as krill, market squid, anchovies, and sardines. The survey also includes conductivity, temperature, depth (CTD) casts to collect environmental data, quantitative marine mammal and seabird observations, fisheries acoustics data collection, and sample collection for collaborative research activities, including eDNA, stable isotopes, and age and growth studies.

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