Halibut abundance-based prohibited species catch (PSC) management in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI)

The EIS will analyze the proposed action to establish halibut PSC limits for the BSAI groundfish fisheries that can vary with changes in halibut abundance. Abundance-based halibut PSC limits would replace current PSC limits that establish a fixed amount of halibut PSC as the limit for each groundfish sector in the BSAI. The proposed action would apply to participants in Federal groundfish fisheries prosecuted in the BSAI using trawl and non-trawl (fixed) gear. Pacific halibut are fully utilized as a resource. It becomes increasingly expensive for the fisheries that have PSC to further limit their PSC. However, directed fisheries remain subjected to abundance-based harvest limits; therefore they are very interested in have PSC tied to halibut abundance.