Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Trawl Fishery Rationalization - Federal Register Rules and Notices

NOAA Fisheries, in consultation with the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, announces its intent to expand the scope of an Environmental Impact Statement for a new bycatch management program for trawl groundfish fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska. The bycatch management program for the GOA trawl groundfish fisheries would provide participants with incentives to effectively manage and reduce Chinook salmon and Pacific halibut bycatch and promote increased utilization of groundfish harvested in the GOA. NOAA Fisheries previously published a notice of intent to prepare an EIS for the new bycatch management program on July 14, 2015. In June 2016, NOAA Fisheries and the Council decided to reopen the comment period on the notice of intent to prepare an EIS because the Council and NOAA Fisheries expanded scope of the EIS. NOAA Fisheries will accept written comments from the public to identify issues of concern and assist the Council in determining the appropriate range of management alternatives for the EIS.