National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration January 8, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS, in consultation with the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, announces its intent to prepare either an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on measures to minimize non-Chinook salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The proposed action would replace the current Chum Salmon Savings Area in the Bering Sea, and the specific exemption to the area closure, with new regulatory closures, salmon bycatch limits, or a combination of both. The scope of the EA or EIS will be to determine the impacts to the human environment resulting from the measures to minimize non- Chinook salmon bycatch. NMFS will accept written comments from the public to determine the issues of concern and the appropriate range of alternatives for analysis.