National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration July 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS proposes to implement Steller sea lion protection measures to insure that groundfish fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) off Alaska are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the western distinct population segment (WDPS) of Steller sea lions or destroy or adversely modify its designated critical habitat. These management measures would disperse fishing effort temporally and spatially to provide protection from potential competition for important Steller sea lion prey species in the BSAI. The intent of this proposed action is to protect the endangered WDPS of Steller sea lions, as required by the Endangered Species Act, and to minimize, to the extent practicable, the economic impact of fishery management measures, as required by the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.