Initial Review Draft RIR/EA BSAI PACIFIC COD TRAWL CATCHER VESSEL COOPERATIVE PROGRAM

Overview

ID #

44083.749

Document Type

Environmental Assessment

NOAA Office

National Marine Fisheries Service - Alaska Region

Document Status

Complete

Last Updated

09/09/2020

Summary

Abstract: This Regulatory Impact Review/ Environmental Assessment analyzes a proposed Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) trawl Pacific cod catch share program that would assign BSAI trawl catcher vessel (CV) Pacific cod harvest shares based on legal landings of targeted BSAI Pacific cod authorized by a valid License Limitation Program (LLP) license. The proposed program considers allocations of quota shares (QS) to groundfish LLP licenses based on the harvest of targeted BSAI Pacific cod during the qualifying years. The action also considers allocating harvest shares to a processor permit based on processing history of BSAI Pacific during the qualifying years. This would yield an exclusive harvest privilege allocation for use in a BSAI trawl CV Pacific cod catch share program cooperatives. The purpose of this action is to improve the prosecution of the fishery with the intent of promoting safety and stability in the harvesting and processing sectors, increasing the value of the fishery, providing for the sustained participation of fishery dependent communities, and insuring the sustainability and viability of the resource.