Scoping Report for Northern Fur Seal Harvest Regulations Environmental Assessment
April 10, 2012
This report reviews the comments received during the scoping period regarding St. George Traditional Council's proposed changes to the northern fur seal harvest regulations.
This report reviews the comments received during the scoping period regarding proposed changes to the northern fur seal Harvest Regulations for St. George Island by the St. George Traditional Council (Traditional Council). NOAA Fisheries received a petition from the Traditional Council in September 2006, proposing changes in harvest regulations to better provide for cultural and traditional practices. NOAA Fisheries invited public comments on the petition through a Federal Register Notice on April 23, 2010 (75 FR 21233).
The subsistence harvest of northern fur seals in the Pribilof Islands is governed by regulations established under the Fur Seal Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. These regulations, which were promulgated by an emergency final rule in 1986 (51 FR 24828, July 9, 1986), require NOAA Fisheries to:
- publish estimated harvest ranges for subsistence needs every three years
- limit the harvest to sub-adult male fur seals
- identify specific hauling grounds from which fur seals may be taken
- establish the period between June 23 and August 8 of each year, during which fur seals may be taken for subsistence purposes