NMFS Renews Prohibited Species Donation Permits for SeaShare for Pacific Salmon, Halibut
A major contributor of seafood to food banks nationwide located on Washington’s Bainbridge Island will benefit from a National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) decision to renew its prohibited species donation (PSD) permits to benefit their work to provide food for the hungry.
NMFS announced in the Federal Register on May 18 that the agency had renewed the donation permits for Pacific salmon and Pacific halibut caught with trawl gear off Alaska. This action is necessary to comply with provisions of the PSD program and is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.
SeaShare has received permits for distribution of these donations since 1994.
Participating donors to SeaShare of this prohibited species catch include 12 shoreside processors, 31 catcher processors, four mother ships and 140 catcher vessels, said Jim Harmon, executive director of the nonprofit entity.
“The NMFS staff we work with are proud of the program, and work to keep it, and us up to date,” said Jim Harmon, executive director of SeaShare. “We appreciate the relationship that we have with the staff at NMFS who maintain these permits.”
Groundfish fisheries by American vessels in the exclusive economic zone of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) management area are managed by NMFS in accordance with the fishery management plan for Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area and the fishery management plan for groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska. These fishery management plans were prepared by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
Fishing for halibut in waters off of Alaska is governed by the Convention between the U.S. and Canada for the Preservation of the Halibut Fishery of the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea.
The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) promulgates regulations pursuant to the Convention. The IPHC’s regulations are subject to approval by the Secretary of State with concurrence from the Secretary of Commerce. After approval by the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce, the IPHC regulations are published in the Federal Register as annual management measures
