Finding of No Significant Impact for a Regulatory Amendment to Revise The Maximum Retainable Amounts of Groundfish Using Arrowtooth Flounder and Kamchatka Flounder as Basis Species and Separate Management of Kamchatka Flounder in the BSAI

The intended effect of this action is to reduce regulatory discards of otherwise marketable groundfish in the arrowtooth flounder fishery. NOAA Fisheries also proposes additional amendments to support this action. These amendments increase opportunities for the BSAI non-pelagic trawl fishery to increase directed fishing for arrowtooth flounder, while constraining catch of Kamchatka flounder within its total allowable catch. It also limits targeting on other high valued species such as sablefish, Greenland turbot, and rockfish and limits retention of the other species (sharks, sculpins, skates, and octopus) in the aggregate. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area, and other applicable law.