Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Western Pacific Pelagic Fisheries; Public Hearing on Draft Environmental Impact Statement

Riepilogo

The Pacific Islands Regional Office of NMFS, in coordination with the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, will hold a public hearing in Honolulu, HI, to receive comments on a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for management measures being considered for the domestic pelagic fisheries in the Pacific Ocean. The DEIS describes and assesses the likely environmental impacts of a range of alternatives for two fishery management actions. The first action is aimed at cost-effectively reducing the potentially harmful effects of fishing by Hawaii-based longline vessels on seabirds. The second is aimed at establishing an effective management framework for pelagic squid fisheries in the Pacific, including fishing activities within the exclusive economic zone of the U.S. and on the high seas. The first action would be taken through the Fishery Management Plan for the Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region (FMP), under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The second action would be taken both through the FMP and under the authority of the High Seas Fishing Compliance Act.