New England
| Caribbean | Gulf
of Mexico
North Pacific | Pacific
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and five regional
Fishery Management Councils are preparing new environmental impact
statements (EISs) for the EFH components of many fishery management
plans. In response to a court order, NMFS will prepare EISs to
evaluate the designation of EFH, the identification of Habitat
Areas of Particular Concern (HAPCs), and the minimization of the
adverse effects of fishing on EFH.
The court order stemmed from a lawsuit filed by seven environmental
groups and two fishing associations. The suit covered fishery
management plan amendments developed by the New England, Gulf
of Mexico, Caribbean, Pacific, and North Pacific Councils. NMFS
and the Mid-Atlantic Council will also be preparing EISs for the
EFH provisions of four Mid-Atlantic Council fishery management
plans, as the Council develops new amendments to bring those plans
into compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
Each new EIS will evaluate a range of alternatives to designate
EFH and HAPCs and to minimize adverse effects on EFH from fishing,
using the best available scientific information. Some of these
analyses will be combined with evaluations of other issues associated
with the particular fisheries. For each EIS, NMFS will publish
in the Federal Register a notice of intent to prepare
the EIS, and will announce opportunities for public comment.
New England
Caribbean
