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Pelagic Longline Gear and Operational Requirements in Pacific Island Fisheries to Improve Survivorship of Oceanic Whitetip Sharks: Final Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Impact Review (RIN 0648-BK74)
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Description:In an effort to reduce impacts to oceanic whitetip sharks and other protected species, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposes rules for longline fisheries operating under the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region (FEP) to: 1. Prohibit wire leaders in the Hawaii deep-set longline fishery; and 2. Require fishermen, with limited exceptions, to remove fishing gear (trailing gear) from any oceanic whitetip shark caught in the Hawaii deep-set and shallow-set longline fisheries and the American Samoa longline fishery.
The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) recommended this rule change to improve survivorship of oceanic whitetip sharks and other species unintentionally caught in the longline fisheries that are managed under the FEP, which currently includes the Hawaii deep-set and shallow-set fisheries and the American Samoa fishery. This final environmental assessment (EA) evaluates the potential environmental effects of the following alternatives: Alternative 1, the no action or status quo alternative, would not make any changes to existing fishing gear or handling requirements for longline fisheries operating under the FEP. Alternative 2 would prohibit wire leaders in the Hawaii deep-set longline fishery only, and require removal of trailing gear from oceanic whitetip sharks under two sub-alternatives: A) removal of trailing gear only in the Hawaii deep-set fishery, or B) removal of trailing gear in all the FEP fisheries, including Hawaii deep-set, shallow-set, and American Samoa fisheries. Alterative 2B is the Council’s preferred alternative. Alternative 3 would apply the wire leader prohibition and trailing gear removal from oceanic whitetip sharks to all longline fisheries operating under the FEP.
All other existing gear and release requirements and fisheries observer coverage would remain in place under all three alternatives.
This EA is being prepared using the 2020 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Regulations that became effective on September 14, 2020.
On January 19, 2022, NMFS published the proposed rule, draft EA, and request for public comments in the Federal Register (87 FR 2742). The comment period ended on February 18, 2022, and NMFS received comments from 46 individuals and 2 organizations all generally supporting the action. Comments included recommendations to expand the proposed rule to other fisheries, other species of sharks, and all bycatch species, as well as recommending additional gear and handing requirements to further reduce oceanic whitetip and other shark mortality. NMFS considered all comments in finalizing the EA. None of the comments resulted in a change to the alternatives or a substantive change to the environmental effects analysis.
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Rights Information:Public Domain
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