Supplemental Environmental Assessment for the Implementation of the Decisions of the Fifth Regular Annual Session of the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean PDF Download

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Category : Bigeye tuna
Languages : en
Pages : 77

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Book Description
"The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) to analyze the effects on the human environment that could result from implementation of two rules to implement certain decisions made by the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPFC) at its Fifth Regular Session, in Busan, Republic of Korea, in December 2008. One rule implements specific management measures for the U.S. purse seine fleet operating in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) (hereafter 'U.S. Purse Seine Rule'). The other rule implements a specific catch limit established by the WCPFC for bigeye tuna (Thunnus obsesus) for the U.S. longline fleets in the WCPO (hereafter 'U.S. Longline Rule'). NMFS issued the EA ('Environmental Assessment for the Implementation of the Decisions of the Fifth Regular Annual Session of the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean: Fishing Restrictions and Observer Requirements in Purse Seine Fisheries for 2009-2011 and Turtle Mitigation Requirements in Purse Seine Fisheries and Bigeye Tuna Catch Limits in Longline Fisheries in 2009, 2010, and 2011') in draft form in conjunction with the issuance of the proposed U.S. Purse Seine Rule on June 1, 2009, for public review and comment. Two comment letters were received, one of which included comments on the EA, including several comments pertaining to the U.S. Longline Rule. NMFS issued the proposed U.S. Longline Rule on July 8, 2009, for public review and comment, reissuing the EA in draft form. NMFS received six comment letters, two of which raised issues pertaining to the EA. On August 4, 2009, NMFS issued the final U.S. Purse Seine Rule as well as the EA (July 2009 version), finding of no significant impact for the U.S. Purse Seine Rule, and an Errata sheet, indicating several corrections to the draft EA. In the final rule, NMFS indicated that the specific comments pertaining to the U.S. Longline Rule would be addressed, as appropriate, in the context of the U.S. Longline Rule. This Supplemental EA has been prepared to address those comments received on the U.S. Longline Rule that can be answered by additional environmental analysis or information. The Supplemental EA has been prepared pursuant to the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.) and related authorities, such as the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Environmental Review Procedures for Implementing NEPA (NAO 216-6). This document supplements the EA and refers to specific sections of the EA, where appropriate; as a supplement it is meant to be read in conjunction with the original EA."--Page 9-10.