Are migratory birds managed under ANILCA?
No. Migratory birds are managed under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which implements treaties between the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Russia.
Who do the members of the AMBCC represent?
The AMBCC has 13 members: one Federal representative designated by the Alaska Regional Director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, one State representative designated by the Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, and 11 representatives from the Alaska Native non-profit partners. The federal, state and the 11-member Native caucus is each entitled to one vote.
What does the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council do?
The AMBCC follows the procedures for establishing spring/summer subsistence harvest regulations for migratory birds in Alaska that were published in 2002. It develops recommendations for, among other things: seasons and bag limits, methods and means of take, law enforcement policies, population and harvest monitoring, education programs, research into and use of traditional knowledge, and habitat protection. The AMBCC is part of a larger system of both national and international migratory bird management.
The AMBCC provides advice, recommendations and information regarding subsistence use and the conservation of migratory birds in Alaska. It submits recommendations to change the regulations to the Pacific Flyway Council and Service Regulation Committee. Restrictions in harvest levels for the purpose of conservation are to be shared equitably by users in Alaska and in other states, taking into account nutritional and other essential needs of subsistence users in Alaska.
What are the AMBCC’s responsibilities?
1. To ensure the conservation of migratory birds; and to perpetuate the continuation of the customary and traditional harvest of migratory birds by indigenous inhabitants; 2. To promote the co-management of migratory birds; 3. To develop recommendations for spring and summer subsistence seasons, methods, means and bag limits which are consistent with the customary and traditional uses of migratory birds and their eggs by Alaska’s indigenous inhabitants; 4. To recommend law enforcement policies and to assist in their implementation; 5. To develop cooperative programs to monitor migratory bird populations and harvests; 6. To promote, recommend and assist in migratory bird research and incorporate traditional ecological knowledge in migratory bird research projects; 7. To promote and recommend habitat protection policies; 8. To provide education and information to the public, appropriate management agencies, and other interested parties; 9. To provide guidelines within which the regional bodies can recommend harvest regulations and conservation measures, and; 10. To coordinate with other migratory bird groups, joint ventures, and teams regarding issues of common concern.
When does the AMBCC meet and what do they do at meetings?
The AMBCC meets in the fall for the primary purpose of providing background information and guidelines to the regions for development of regulatory and other recommendations regarding migratory birds. It meets in the spring, prior to the Flyway Council meetings, to review and vote on regulatory recommendations submitted to the AMBCC by each of the regions or the public. The AMBCC accepts public comment on all regulatory and non-regulatory matters prior to any vote. The AMBCC’s package of regulatory recommendations are routed through the Pacific Flyway Council to maintain communication. The package is ultimately sent to the Service Regulations Committee for their review and approval at their annual fall regulatory meeting
