Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Halibut Abundance-Based Management of Amendment 80 Prohibited Species Catch Limit

الملخص

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 123 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). If approved, the proposed rule would amend regulations governing limits on Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) (halibut) prohibited species catch (PSC), or bycatch, in the BSAI. Namely, the proposed amendment would link the halibut PSC limit to halibut abundance for the Amendment 80 commercial groundfish trawl fleet in the BSAI groundfish fisheries. This action responds to the obligation in section 303(a)(11) of the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) to minimize bycatch to the extent practicable, and is consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Act national standards. This action: minimizes halibut PSC to the extent practicable under National Standard 9; ensures that the FMP will continue to achieve optimum yield in the BSAI groundfish fisheries on a continuing basis under National Standard 1; is based upon the best scientific information available under National Standard 2; to the extent it involves an allocation of fishing privileges, is fair and equitable, reasonably