Environmental Assessment for Proposed Amendment 13 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Scallop Fishery off Alaska September 2011
August 01, 2011
This environmental assessment analyses a range of alternatives to implement Annual Catch Limits in the Alaska Scallop Fishery to meet regulatory requirements.
This environmental assessment analyses a range of alternatives to implement Annual Catch Limits (ACLs) in the Alaskan Scallop Fishery to meet regulatory requirements. Four alternatives are examined:
- Alternative 1: Status Quo
- Alternative 2: Set ACL equal to the overfishing level (OFL)
- Alternative 3: Set ACL equal to 90% of the OFL
- Alternative 4: Set ACL equal to 75% of the OFL
For alternatives 2-4, two options are considered, establishing a statewide ACL and establishing ACLs by region. The Council’s preferred alternative selected Alternative 3. The impacts of the alternatives upon scallop resources, fishery participants, habitat, marine mammals, and other groundfish resources are discussed in the analysis.