Bering Sea Habitat Conservation
The
Council took action in February 2005 to conserve essential fish
habitat (EFH) from potential adverse effects of fishing. EFH is
defined as those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning,
breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity. The EIS prepared for the
action concluded that while fisheries do have long term effects on
benthic habitat, these impacts were minimal and had no detrimental
effects on fish populations. The Council adopted several new measures
to minimize the effects of fishing on EFH in the Aleutian Islands and
Gulf of Alaska.
The
EFH EIS also evaluated a suite of alternatives for the eastern Bering
Sea (EBS). Based on that analysis, the Council determined that
additional habitat protection measures in the EBS were not needed
right away, and that an expanded analysis of potential mitigations
measures for the EBS should be conducted prior to taking action.
Problem statement: The Council intends to evaluate potential new
fishery management measures to protect Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) in
the Bering Sea. The analysis will tier off of the 2005 EFH
Environmental Impact Statement and will consider as alternatives open
and closed areas and gear modifications. The purpose of the analysis
is to consider practicable and precautionary management measures to
reduce the potential adverse effects of fishing on EFH and to support
the continued productivity of managed fish species.
