Fishermen are reminded that all groundfish trawl fishing within Steller sea lion critical habitat west of 144W longitude is prohibited pursuant to an order issued by the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. This prohibition will remain in effect until the order is rescinded by the Court, according to James W. Balsiger, Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS.
Fishermen are encouraged to refer to the interim rule published in the Federal Register (65 FR 49766, August 15, 2000) for specific information on the areas closed to groundfish trawl fishing. Please contact NMFS at (907) 586-7228 if questions exist regarding which areas are closed to groundfish trawl fishing.
IB 00-86: Trawling for Groundfish Is Prohibited in Designated Critical Habitat for Steller Sea Lions
September 19, 2000 - 9:00 a.m.
Notice of a fishery management action.
