Doug Mecum, acting administrator for the Alaska region of NOAA’s Fisheries Service, informed that the prohibition of trawl gear in Bering Sea will allow bottom fishing to continue where it has occurred historically, while protecting undisturbed habitats and nearshore bottom habitat that support subsistence marine resources and blue king crab. He also add that the rule, recommended by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, protects large areas of sea bottom for the future, with minimal effect on today’s fisheries.
According to the agency 6,000 public comments have been received on the proposed rule which was released for review in March. The majority of them supported the action. No changes were made in the final rule from the proposed rule. The agency told that the new closure is in addition to about 290,000 square nautical miles of habitat in the North Pacific that came under new protections in 2006.
It is said that the newly closed are Bering Sea Habitat Conservation Area, the largest area covered by the new rule; the St. Lawrence Island Habitat Conservation Area; the St. Matthew Island Habitat Conservation Area; and the Nunivak Island, Etolin Strait, and Kuskokwim Bay Habitat Conservation Area. The agency said that closing waters around St. Matthew Island will protect habitat for blue king crab, a species which is still depleted in spite of fishing closures in place since 1999.
According to the new rule it implements Amendment 89 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area. The closures apply to federally permitted fishing vessels.
