Framework Adjustment 15 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan and Framework Adjustment 6 to the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan

The New England Fishery Management Council and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, in consultation with NOAA Fisheries, have prepared Framework Adjustment 15 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan and Framework Adjustment 6 to the Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan. This Environmental Assessment presents the range of alternatives to achieve the purpose and need of the action. The proposed action includes measures to reduce sturgeon bycatch in the commercial monkfish and spiny dogfish gillnet fisheries. This document describes the affected environment and valued ecosystem components and analyzes the impacts of the alternatives. This document also addresses other requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and other applicable laws.