Categorical Exclusion for Amendment 72 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska
May 19, 2008
This memorandum summarizes the determination that Amendment 72 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska qualifies to be categorically excluded from further National Environmental Policy Act review.
Amendment 72 would add language to the FMP to state that the North Pacific Fishery Management Council would annually review the discards of shallow-water flatfish in the Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries and, based on this information, may recommend future revisions to Improved Retention/Improved Utilization regulations governing shallow-water flatfish.