Dan Hull, Chairman
Chris Oliver, Executive Director
SUBJECT: title
EFH Non-Fishing Effects Report
end
STAFF CONTACT: Steve MacLean
ACTION REQUIRED: recommended action
Review EFH Non-fishing Effects report.
body
BACKGROUND:
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires regional Fishery Management Councils to describe and identify Essential Fish Habitat for all fisheries. The MSA also requires federal agencies to consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service on all actions or proposed actions that are permitted, funded, or undertaken by the agency that may adversely affect EFH. As part of the update to EFH currently underway, NMFS has identified non-fishing activities that may affect EFH, and suggested conservation measures for a wide variety of non-fishing activities. The report presented here updates previous reports by grouping non-fishing activities that may affect EFH into four broad environmental categories to which impacts normally occur: (1) wetlands and woodlands, (2) headwaters, streams, rivers, and lakes, (3) marine estuaries and nearshore zones, and (4) open water marine and offshore zones.
NMFS staff will present the Impacts to Essential Fish Habitat from Non-fishing Activities in Alaska for Council review.