Bering Sea Salmon Bycatch Management Environmental Impact Statement - Scoping Report

An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to assist planning and decision-making. The EIS will serve as the central decision-making document for management measures being developed by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) to reduce salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock fishery, in compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The EIS will provide decision-makers and the public with an evaluation of the environmental, social, and economic effects of alternatives for managing salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock fisheries.

This report summarizes the issues associated with the proposed action and describes alternative management measures raised in public comments during the scoping process. The purpose of this report is to inform the Council and the public of the results of scoping and to assist in the development of the range alternatives and analysis for the draft EIS.