107 Walrus Islands Protected Transit Areas
Purpose and Need
Prior to GOA FMP Amendment 83, vessels with FFPs tendering herring or salmon in the Togiak Bay fishery were able to surrender their FFP during the tendering season and transit the walrus protection area around Round Island. However, the unrelated GOA Amendment 83 stated that once an FFP was surrendered it could not be reacquired for three (3) years. As a result, federally-permitted tender vessels were unable to give up their FFPs and transit the walrus protection area without forfeiting their FFP for three years, forcing them to transit State waters to avoid Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) closures. Amendment 107 allowed vessels with a FFP to transit the walrus protection area closures at Round Island and Cape Peirce without surrendering their FFP
Analysis
A 24-page EA and 16-page RIR analysis was prepared for this amendment. Three alternatives were considered: 1) No action – vessels with FFPs remain excluded from the walrus protection area; 2) Open portion of the Round Island walrus protection area to transit with three options for corridors of increasing distance (3, 4.5, and 6nm from Round Island); and 3) Open portion of the Cape Peirce walrus protection area to transit. One transit option was analyzed under alternative 3 that would allow more liberal access to the herring fishing grounds at Cape Pierce through the EEZ. Alternatives 2 and 3 were not exclusive. The EA stated that while vessels had been recorded to disturb walrus on haulouts, no disturbance events had been observed for vessels passing more than 3nm from the island. The RIR determined that there would be little difference in transit time and fuel costs on the alternatives analyzed associated with alternative 2, and that distances traveled and transit times are not likely to be significantly different when comparing travel through Federal and State waters. None of the proposed alternatives would directly impact the distribution of effort, the timing, or duration of the herring, salmon, or yellowfin sole fisheries.
Regulation Summary
BSAI Amendment 107 establishes designated transit areas near Round Island and Cape Pierce for vessels with FFPs. Vessels with FFPs are permitted to transit through an open area in the Round Island walrus protection area and Cape Peirce walrus protection area from April 1 to August 15 of each year. Vessels are prohibited from deploying fishing gear in the designated transit areas.
The Round Island walrus protection area transit is defined as:
- northeast of a line from 58° 47.90' N, 160° 21.91' W to 58° 32.94' N, 159° 35.45' W, while remaining a minimum of 3 nm from Round Island.
The Cape Peirce walrus protection area transit is defined as:
- east of a line from 58° 30.00’ N, 161° 46.20’ W to 58° 21.00’ N, 161° 46.20’ W
Results
The effectiveness of Amendment 107 is unknown as of yet. The two factors that will help determine the success of the amendment are the results 2015 herring harvest and the 2015 walrus harvest. The final numbers for both are forthcoming.