Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Groundfish Harvest Specifications for 2016–2017: Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

This document contains an Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for the groundfish harvest specifications in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) for the years 2016 and 2017. This IRFA identifies the small entities that may be directly regulated by this action, and describes the significant alternatives to the action that meet the objectives of the action and their relative economic impacts on directly regulated small entities. This IRFA addresses the statutory requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980, as amended by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (5 U.S.C. 601-612).

The harvest strategy is one in which total allowable catches fall within the range of acceptable biological catches recommended by the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council’s (Council) BSAI Groundfish Plan Team, and its Scientific and Statistical Committee, and TACs recommended by the Council. This action is taken in accordance with the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the BSAI Management Area, recommended by the Council pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) (NMFS 2007c)