Environmental Assessment for the Issuance of an Exempted Fishing Permit to Test a Trawl Gear Modification to Reduce Bycatch Rates for Pacific Halibut in the Central Gulf of Alaska Pacific Cod Trawl Fishery

This Environmental Assessment analyzes the potential impacts of issuing an exempted fishing permit (EFP) to allow for the testing of a halibut excluder device on trawl vessels in the Central Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Pacific cod fishery. The purpose of the EFP is to exempt the applicant from observer coverage and certain fishery closures to allow the project to be conducted without disruption and without impacting other GOA trawl fisheries. The project is intended to collect information on a new trawl gear modification that may lower halibut bycatch in the Central GOA trawl fishery. The analysis found no significant impacts on the human environment for this action.