Current
Issues
The Council takes up many issues involving
Alaska's fisheries. Some issues occur annually, like setting
the total allowable catch for each species and area; some are a
result of an individual or group's request or proposal.
After a proposal is presented and the Council reviews it, it may
go to a committee where alternatives and options are drafted.
The Council may then initiate an analysis of the proposal.
This analysis examines the impacts to the fisheries, to the
economics of communities, the effects on the ecosystem, and how
the proposed changes would effect the current way the fisheries
operate.
Analysis goes through several reviews and
modifications. Decisions to change, select, or otherwise
modify the proposal are made my recorded vote in the council in a
public forum after public comment. Final decisions then go
to the Secretary of Commerce for a second review, public comment,
and final approval. Decisions must conform with the
Magnuson-Stevens Act, the National Environmental Policy Act,
Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Regulatory
Flexibility Act, and other applicable law including several
executive orders. Regulatory changes may take up to a year
or longer to implement, particularly if complex or contentious.