Initial Review Draft ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT for proposed amendments 38 and 39 TO THE FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE BERING SEA AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS

• Main Authors: King, Tanner Crabs, Diana Stram
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Bering Sea; Snow crab; Aleutian Islands
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.167.7413; http://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/npfmc/current_issues/ACL/CrabACL510.pdf

to comply with Annual Catch Limit requirements (amendment 38) and to revise the rebuilding plan for EBS snow crab (amendment 39) Abstract: This environmental assessment analyses two actions to amend the BSAI Crab FMP. Action 1: to amend the FMP to specify the method by which the Council will establish annual catch limits (ACLs) to meet the requirements of the revised Magnuson-Stevens Act. These ACLs are to be established based upon an acceptable biological catch (ABC) control rule which will be set forth in the FMP and will account for the uncertainty in the overfishing limit (OFL) point estimate. Two alternative means of establishing the ABC control rule are considered: 1) a constant buffer approach where the ABC for each stock would be set by application of a constant pre-specified buffer value below the OFL; and 2) a variable buffer approach where the ABC would be established based upon a pre-specified percentile of the distribution for the OFL which accounts for scientific uncertainty regarding the OFL. A range of constant buffers and probabilities are considered under each alternative approach. Action 2: to prepare and implement an amended plan to rebuild the snow crab stock in compliance with section 304(e)(3) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. A range of alternative time frames are considered for rebuilding the stock. The impacts of the alternatives considered under both actions upon crab resources, fishery participants, habitat, marine mammals, and other groundfish resources are discussed in the analysis. For further information contact: