Environmental Assessment for Proposed Amendment 50 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands King And Tanner Crabs Rebuilding Plan for Saint Matthew Island Blue King Crab

This environmental assessment analyses an action to prepare and implement an amendment to the BSAI Crab fishery management plan to rebuild the Saint Matthew Island blue king crab stock in compliance with section 304(e)(3) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. A range of alternative rebuilding time frames is considered based on whether or not directed fishing is permitted during stock recovery. The impacts of the alternatives considered under the action upon crab resources, fishery participants, habitat, and other components of the human environment are discussed in the analysis.