Essential Fish Habitat 5-Year Review

NOAA Fisheries announces the availability of the Final Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Essential Fish Habitat 5-Year Review and the decision to initiate Amendment 17 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan.

The purpose of the 5-year review process is to gather relevant new information and determine whether modifications to existing essential fish habitat descriptions and designations are warranted, in compliance with the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and implementing regulations.

NOAA Fisheries has determined that modifications to essential fish habitat descriptions and designations are warranted.

Essential Fish Habitat Process

Under the current Atlantic highly migratory species fishery management plan, NOAA Fisheries uses a two-phase process to update Atlantic highly migratory species essential fish habitat.

Phase 1

Phase 1 includes the development of a draft 5-year review, the public comment process, and the publication of a final 5-year review. If there is no new information that warrants updating essential fish habitat, NOAA Fisheries may choose to retain the previously designated Atlantic highly migratory species essential fish habitat.

Results of Phase 1 include:

• New scientific information may warrant updates to essential fish habitat for 40 of 53 Atlantic highly migratory species.
• No substantive changes to the existing analysis on the adverse effects of fishing are warranted; however, updates are recommended to the spatial analysis that evaluates bottom longline and coral interactions.
• Identified new actions that promote conservation and enhancement of essential fish habitat adversely affected by marine sand/minerals mining, aquaculture, and renewable energy production.

• Further consideration of a white shark habitat area of particular concern off Long Island is recommended

Phase 2

Based on the results of Phase 1, NOAA Fisheries has determined that new scientific information and data warrant the initiation of Phase 2 (i.e., a follow up action that implements the recommended updates to Atlantic highly migratory species essential fish habitat). Therefore, NOAA Fisheries announces the intent to initiate Amendment 17 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan to update highly migratory species essential fish habitat. Amendment 17 will consider all 10 essential fish habitat components, including individual species essential fish habitat descriptions, conservation and enhancement recommendations for fishing and non-fishing effects on essential fish habitat, and identification of habitat areas of particular concern, as well as scientific feedback and public comment.

Information & Data

If you have information or data that you would like NOAA Fisheries to consider in development of Amendment 17, please submit it to NMFS.SF.HMSEFH@noaa.gov. Please include “Atlantic HMS Amendment 17 Data” in the subject line. Information and data submitted by email may be posted for public viewing.

Data due by July 17, 2024.

For more information, please contact Jennifer Cudney, (301) 427-8503.