In April 2009, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council recommended a program to manage Chinook salmon bycatch in the pollock fishery. It is titled ‘Amendment 91 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area.’
The EIS will inform a decision by the Secretary of Commerce to approve, disapprove, or partially approve Amendment 91. If approved, NOAA Fisheries will implement Amendment 91 through federal regulations.
The EIS analyzes five alternatives, including the Council’s recommended alternative, that generally involve limits or “caps” on the number of Chinook salmon that may be caught in the Bering Sea pollock fishery. Managers would close all or part of the pollock fishery when a Chinook salmon bycatch cap is reached, even if the entire pollock total allowable catch has not yet been harvested.
A public comment period on a draft environmental impact statement ended February 23, 2009. The final EIS includes responses to the 61 comments the agency received, and describes the changes made to the EIS as a result of those comments.
Comments on the final EIS will be received until February 16, 2010. After studying public comments on the final document, NOAA will publish a record of decision.
