88 Aleutian Islands Habitat Conservation Area Boundary Adjustment
Purpose and Need
The Council established the Aleutian Islands Habitat Conservation Area (AIHCA) to protect the Aleutian Islands subarea from the potential adverse effects of bottom contact fishing. As part of an Aleutian Islands EFH package, certain areas were restricted to bottom contact fishing to protect corals, sponges, and hard-bottom habitat. After AIHCA was established as part of the AI EFH suite, fishery participants identified two changes necessary to fulfill the intent of the AIHCA while allowing fishing in areas that had historically been fished. The Council responded by producing an EA and RIR to determine the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of opening an area that had been closed north of Agattu Island that had historically been fished and had an unknown occurrence of corals and sponges, and closing an area that had been open north of Buldir Island that had documented presence of sponges. Revisions to the AIHCA required amendments to the BSAI groundfish FMP, along with the crab, scallop, and salmon FMPs. However, only Amendment 88 to the BSAI groundfish FMP required regulatory changes.
Analysis
A 31-page EA and 20-page RIR analysis were prepared for the amendment. The two alternatives analyzed were no action, and to modify the boundaries for the AIHCA in two areas, one north of Agattu Island and one north of Buldir Island. The environmental effects of the action alternative would be limited to the area where the action would occur. Alternative 2 was determined to have no significant impacts but would provide socioeconomic benefit by opening a portion of the AIHCA north of Agattu Island to fishing.
Regulation Summary
Revised the Aleutian Islands Habitat Conservation Area to close additional waters near Buldir Island and to open waters near Agattu Island to nonpelagic trawl gear.
Results
The amount of fishing activity in these two areas since implementation has not been analyzed.