NMFS Proposes Rule to Establish Transit Areas for Vessels in Walrus Protection Areas off Alaska

Summary

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has proposed a rule to implement Amendment 107 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI FMP). The proposed rule would establish seasonal transit areas for vessels designated on Federal Fisheries Permits (FFPs) through Walrus Protection Areas in northern Bristol Bay, Alaska, from April 1 through August 15 annually, allowing them to transit through these areas in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) near Round Island and Cape Peirce.