NOAA Fisheries News Releases
NEWS RELEASE
June 8, 2004
Steve Davis
(907) 271-3523
NOAA FISHERIES RELEASES ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT FOR ALASKA GROUNDFISH FISHERIES
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) has announced the release of a major environmental document that will serve as the primary guide for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, NOAA Fisheries and the public in determining future management measures for the Alaska groundfish fisheries. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The six-volume Alaska Groundfish Fisheries Programmatic Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (PSEIS) represents a comprehensive assessment of the overarching conservation and management objectives and policies of the Alaska groundfish fishery management plans. This assessment was done through the environmental review process established by the National Environmental Policy Act.
At its April 2004 meeting, the North Pacific Council adopted recommended amendments to the fishery management plans for the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries that would implement its preferred alternative in the PSEIS.
“If approved by the Secretary of Commerce after his review, these amendments would establish a management framework for each fishery management plan that is more precautionary when faced with scientific uncertainty,” said Dr. James Balsiger, Administrator of NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region. “They would also incorporate ecosystem-based management goals and objectives more formally into our conservation and management decision-making.”
The PSEIS also will provide critical information on the status of these fisheries and their environmental impacts necessary for evaluating management alternatives.
For more information, or to receive a copy of the Alaska Groundfish Fisheries PSEIS, contact Steven K. Davis, NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Region; (907) 271-3523. The PSEIS is available at: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/seis/default.htm
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) is dedicated to protecting and preserving our nation's living marine resources and their habitat through scientific research, management and enforcement. NOAA Fisheries provides effective stewardship of these resources for the benefit of the nation, supporting coastal communities that depend upon them, and helping to provide safe and healthy seafood to consumers and recreational opportunities for the American public. To learn more about NOAA Fisheries, please visit: www.nmfs.noaa.gov.
The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. To learn more about NOAA please visit: www.noaa.gov.