Regulatory Amendment to Exempt Gulf of Alaska Dinglebar Fishermen from a Vessel Monitoring System Requirement

This document contains an Environmental Assessment, a Regulatory Impact Review, and a Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis analyzing an action to repeal requirements that vessels with Federal fishing permits and dinglebar gear on board in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) carry transmitting Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) units. The analyses in this document address the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, Executive Order 12866, and the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

VMS requirements were imposed on vessels in the GOA with Federal fishing permits and with dinglebar gear on board, effective July 28, 2006. The intent of this action was to help enforce the GOA Coral Habitat Protection Areas, closure areas meant to protect certain types of bottom habitat from gear damage. Dinglebar gear is a variant of troll gear, and has a long, heavy, iron bar attached to the line to keep the hooks close to the bottom. In the fishery for lingcod, off of the coast of Southeast Alaska, dinglebar gear was believed to be capable of damaging bottom habitat because the heavy iron bar makes the gear contact the bottom.