Skates and sharks are the major components of the "other species" quotas under the Fisheries Management Plans for Groundfish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) and the Gulf of Alaska. In 1998, the BSAI quota of other species was exceeded by 15%. In 1999, the bycatch of skates by some vessels participating in Community Development Quota fisheries was higher than expected, threatening boat quotas. In 1998, the Alaska Board of Fisheries took action to close the state commercial fishery for sharks and establish permit requirements for fishing for skates and rays in state waters. This project intended to expand information about the distribution of sharks and skates in a way useful to fisheries planners and to hook-and-line fishermen–the group of Alaskan fishermen who most frequently encounter these species. This project also provided recent information about utilization. Given that some level of bycatch is inevitable in hook-and-line fisheries, there may be potential to develop markets for fish that currently are being discarded.