Fraser River Sockeye Fisheries and Fisheries Management - Cohen ...

management structure complements the escapement-goal system in that AMBs are wellinformed and have clear authority for meeting these goals.Enforcement of regulations is the responsibility of the Department of Public Safety. Aseasonally inflated team of Alaska State Troopers conduct the on-the-ground enforcementwith a fleet of small and large vessels and several aircraft. Although ADF&Gmanagement biologists are deputized, management and enforcement activities arecompletely separate functions in Alaska; AMBs set time and area openings; Troopersensure the fishery is prosecuted under the laws of Alaska.Prioritizing escapement objectives over social (e.g., allocation among gear types) andeconomic objectives has contributed to managers’ success in meeting river-specificescapement goals in most years (Figure 28, Figure 29, Figure 30). The downside of thissuccess has been that it has provided little contrast in escapement levels for some stocksmaking it difficult for researchers to identify MSY-based “biological escapement goals”(BEGs). Today, all Bristol Bay sockeye escapement goals are characterized assustainable escapement goals (SEGs) as opposed to the MSY-based BEGs (Baker et al.2009). This SEG designation acknowledges that there are too few escapements at highlevels for researchers to identify the escapement that will maximize yield.The five Bristol Bay salmon fishing districts are regulated by four AMBs correspondingto (1) the Ugashik and Egegik districts, (2) the Naknek-Kvichak district (Kvichak,Naknek, and Alagnak rivers), (3) the Nushagak district (Nushagak, Wood and Igushikrivers), and (4) the Togiak district. Given the status of the fishery, the AMBs are usuallymid- or late-career biologists who come to the positions with fishery managementexperience elsewhere in the state. Two senior regional management biologists oftencome to the Bay for periods during its short season to assist the AMBs with interpretationof information and to act as liaison with the harvesters and processors. The ADF&Gcommissioner and the Governor occasionally visit during the fishery. The four AMBsare supported by an administrative staff and three research biologists who prepare riverspecificpreseason forecasts and gather and interpret in-season information on thedeveloping runs. A seasonal crew of about 50 people staff enumeration projects, testfisheries, and catch sampling programs. In total, a relatively small group of professionalsfrom state government manages and provides research support to this fishery.ADF&G’s research biologists develop biological escapement goals for individual riversystems based on sustained yield and/or maximum sustained yield (MSY) principlesusing relationships between escapement levels and subsequent returns (termed stockrecruitanalyses). In 2000, the BOF and ADF&G adopted a “Policy for the Management139