Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC) Provisions in Alaska Fisheries - Federal Register Rules and Notices

NOAA Fisheries issues a final rule to correct regulations implementing essential fish habitat provisions for Alaska fisheries. This final rule clarifies that portions of EFH management areas in the vicinity of the Aleutian Islands are located in State of Alaska waters. This rule also applies EFH vessel monitoring system and closure requirements to federally permitted vessels operating in State waters adjacent to the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands subarea. This action is necessary to ensure that federally permitted vessels operating in State waters comply with EFH protection measures.

The final rule for the EFH protection measures (71 FR 36694, June 28, 2006) excluded State of Alaska waters under the EFH protection measures by not fully describing the areas where the EFH protection measures apply. This final rule corrects this error by fully describing waters where EFH protection measures apply.