Unalaska, AK – Starting in April, the National Marine Fisheries Service will no longer require groundfish cooperatives to submit draft reports to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Previously, cooperatives that harvest pollock in the Bering Sea were required to submit two reports - one draft, and one final - to the Council, which contained both catch and bycatch data. Now, an amendment to the American Fisheries Act has cut down this reporting requirement. The change was made because the drafts were not contributing to the Council's quota recommendations and because the groundfish plan team's Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation Reports contained more comprehensive catch data.

The main effect of the amendment should be to lower the reporting burden on the cooperatives, potentially saving them some time and money. The rule will go into effect starting April 8, shortly after next week's council meeting.