Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment to Access the Impacts of Issuing Subsistence Quota for Bowhead Whales

NOAA Fisheries announces the availability of an Environmental Assessment (EA), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, to assess the impacts of issuing the International Whaling Commission (IWC) subsistence quota for bowhead whales to the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC) for the years 2003 through 2007. NOAA Fisheries has identified a preferred alternative in the EA that will grant the AEWC the IWC quota of 255 landed bowhead whales. The annual strike quota will be 67 bowhead whales per year for the years 2003 through 2007, where no more than 15 unused strikes are added to the strike quota for any one year.