Environmental Assessment/Regulatory Impact Review/Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for a Proposed Amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Management Area

Amendment 111. This document analyzes proposed management measures to reduce Pacific halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) mortality limits in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI) groundfish fisheries. PSC limit reductions are considered for various sectors, including the BSAI trawl limited access sector, the Amendment 80 sector, longline catcher vessels, longline catcher processors, and the Community Development Quota sector (i.e., a reduction to the CDQ’s allocated prohibited species quota reserve). The objective of reducing PSC limits would be to minimize bycatch to the extent practicable and provide additional harvest opportunities in the directed halibut fishery. This action is not anticipated to have significant impacts to protected species.