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Title and Description:
Draft Section 7 Consultation, Biological Opinion and Incidental Take Statement for the following activities:  State of Alaska parallel groundfish fisheries for pollock, Pacific cod, and Atka mackerel; Authorization of groundfish fisheries under the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area; Authorization of groundfish fisheries under the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska.

The planned dissemination of influential scientific information (ISI) is a biological analysis of the potential effects of a federally authorized activity (subject fisheries) on species (listed as endangered or threatened) and their Critical Habitat pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA; a draft "Section 7 Consultation"). The scientific information and analysis used in this consultation may lead to proposed mitigation measures, reasonable and prudent alternatives, and other guidance which may result ultimately in "a clear and substantial impact on important public policies or private sector decisions" (the standard for determining ISI).  The Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) was listed as a threatened species under the ESA on April 5, 1990 due to substantial declines in the western portion of the range. In 1997, the Steller sea lion population was split into a western distinct population segment (DPS) and an eastern DPS based on demographic and genetic dissimilarities. Due to the persistent decline, the western DPS was reclassified as endangered, while the increasing eastern DPS remained classified as threatened. 

Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act directs all Federal agencies to use their existing authorities to conserve threatened and endangered species and, in consultation, to ensure their actions do not jeopardize listed species or destroy or adversely modify critical habitat. Section 7 applies to federal actions to regulate the various fisheries within Steller sea lion (and other listed species) habitat in the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska, and surrounding the Aleutian Islands (BS/GOA/AI region). A number of Section 7 consultations, both formal and informal, have been conducted on these species and fisheries, most recently an Opinion issued in 2001 and subsequently updated and supplemented in 2003. Recently (October 18, 2005) the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council (Council) requested that NMFS reinitiate consultation on the 2000 Biological Opinion; the request was based on acknowledgement that a substantial amount of research has been published since 2000 on Steller sea lions and that that a new evaluation of that information would be prudent. The purpose of this proposed dissemination of ISI is to solicit a peer review on a new draft biological opinion addressing listed species which may be affected by federally authorized fisheries in the BS/GOA/AI region. 

ID:  60 Info. Type:  ISI
Estimated Dissemination Date:  1/20/2010
Contact Person:  Rebecca Rootes  NOAA Locator

Date First Posted in Peer Review Agenda:  6/16/2006

Estimated Peer Review Start Date:  8/1/2009
Review type:  individual letters
Expected number of peer reviewers:  3 or fewer
Peer reviewers will be selected by:  the agency

Will the public, including scientific or professional societies, be asked to nominate potential peer reviewers?  no

Will there be opportunities for the public to comment on the work product to be peer reviewed?  yes
How?  The Draft BiOp will be submitted to the NMFS, Sustainable Fisheries Division F/AKR2 and to the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council; the NMFS, Protected Resources Division F/AKR3 will accept comments from interested parties.

When? 

Will the agency provide significant and relevant public comments to the peer reviewers before they conduct their review?  no

Primary disciplines or expertise needed in the review:  Marine mammal foraging ecology, Fisheries methodology and management, Biological oceanography

Comments on Peer Review:
1.  The charge statement to the peer reviewers will be posted on the AKR Protected Species web site at: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/stellers/section7.htm

2.  The final peer review report will be posted within ten (10) working days of  the close of the peer review period on the AKR Protected Species web site at: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/stellers/section7.htm

3.  Any agency response to the peer review report (recommended for all ISIs) will be posted on the AKR Protected Species web site at: http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/stellers/section7.htm

4.  A link to the ISI work product (the Draft BiOp) will be posted if and when agency makes the work product available for public comment in peer review context. 

Further description of primary disciplines/expertise required in the review: 
a.  Marine mammal foraging ecology:  expertise in the biology of cetaceans and pinnipeds, in particular Steller sea lions and large whale species inhabiting the eastern Bering Sea,  the Gulf of Alaska, and surrounding the Aleutian Islands (BS/GOA/AI area); dietary preferences, feeding behavior, differences in nutritional needs of varying age and sex classes, seasonal and annual variation in prey and pinniped distribution and abundance. 
b.  Fisheries methodology and management: an understanding of how the various fisheries addressed in this consultation are prosecuted, seasonal and annual variation in fishery effort, possible economic ramifications of proposed management strategies, and the management mechanism in place for the region under consideration including - the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, the Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) process and the recent history of prior consultations on BS/GOA/AI area FMPs and any subsequent implementing NMFS regulations designed to manage such fisheries consistent with the management needs pertaining to the subject listed species. 
c.  Biological oceanography:   an understanding of the physical, metrological, and biological responses to seasonal, annual, and longer term variations in oceanographic conditions and the marine waters of the BS/GOA/AI area; specifically as they relate to biological responses of the subject species considered in this consultation.