Amendment 18 and DSEIS - Biological Assessment

This document analyzes management alternatives that would modify the existing regulatory regime for the Hawaii-based, shallow-set longline fishery that primarily targets swordfish on the high seas of the North Pacific. Categories of alternatives include: shallow-set effort, administration of fishery participation, and time/area closures. Based on the alternatives considered, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council recommended that NOAA Fisheries implement a proposed action. The proposed action is to remove the effort set limit and implement new loggerhead and leatherback sea turtle interaction hard caps at 46 and 19, respectively. The action should also eliminate the set certificate program and not implement any time/area closures. The purpose and need for this action is to provide increased opportunities for sustainable harvest of swordfish and other fish species, while continuing to avoid jeopardizing the existence of threatened and endangered sea turtles or their habitat.