Environmental Assessment/Regulatory Impact Review/Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for Amendment 73 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area and Amendment 77 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska - Revised Management Authority for Dark Rockfish (Sebastes ciliatus)

This Environmental Assessment, Regulatory Impact Review and Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (EA/RIR/FRFA) describes the proposed amendment to remove dark rockfish (Sebastes ciliatus) from the Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), and from the Bering Sea Aleutian Islands Groundfish FMP. Dark rockfish make up a small proportion of the total biomass in the pelagic shelf rockfish complex in the Gulf of Alaska, and in the “other rockfish” complex in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands area. This species is more often found in nearshore waters, and is caught in fisheries managed by the State of Alaska. Removing this species from these FMPs would allow the State of Alaska to manage this species in both State and Federal waters off Alaska. This EA/RIR/FRFA addresses the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, Presidential Executive Order 12866, and the Regulatory Flexibility Act. 2008 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) AKR (Alaska Region) Submitted Public Domain 1861