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Coral Amendment 9 Final Environmental Impact Statement (Feis)

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Coral Amendment 9 Final Environmental Impact Statement (Feis) Revised 11/16/2018 Coral Habitat Areas Considered for Habitat Area of Particular Concern Designation in the Gulf of Mexico Final Amendment 9 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Coral and Coral Reefs of the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. Waters Including Final Environmental Impact Statement November 2018 This is a publication of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA15NMF4410011. This page intentionally left blank GULF OF MEXICO CORAL AMENDMENT 9 FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (FEIS) Abstract: This FEIS is prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act to assess the environmental impacts associated with a regulatory action. The FEIS analyzes the impacts of a reasonable range of alternatives intended to protect significant coral communities in the Gulf of Mexico, their habitat, and the species that rely on that habitat. Responsible Agencies: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management National Marine Fisheries Service Council (Lead Agency) 2203 North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100 Southeast Regional Office Tampa, Florida 33607 263 13th Avenue South 813-348-1630 St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 813-348-1711 (fax) 727-824-5305 http://www.gulfcouncil.org 727-824-5308 (fax) Contact: Morgan Kilgour http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov [email protected] Contact: Lauren Waters [email protected] Type of Action ( ) Administrative ( ) Legislative ( ) Draft (X) Final Filing Dates with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Notice of intent (NOI) to prepare EIS published: December 18, 2017 DEIS filed with EPA: May 11, 2018 DEIS comment period ends: July 20, 2018 EPA comments on DEIS: June 14, 2018 Coral Amendment 9 i Coral Protection Areas FEIS TABLE OF CONTENTS Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)......................................................................i Executive Summary ...............................................................................................................xiii Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................v Chapter 1. Introduction .........................................................................................................1 1.2 Purpose and Need ...............................................................................................11 Chapter 2. Management Alternatives ...................................................................................15 Chapter 3. Affected Environment .........................................................................................57 Chapter 4. Environmental Consequences .............................................................................117 4.8 Cumulative Effects..............................................................................................151 Chapter 7. List of Agencies and Persons Consulted .............................................................204 Chapter 9. Index ....................................................................................................................221 Appendix A. Coral Working Group Summary .....................................................................225 Appendix E. Summaries of Comments Received ..................................................................260 Coral Amendment 9 ii Coral Protection Areas ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS DOCUMENT ABC acceptable biological catch ACL annual catch limit ACT annual catch target ALS Accumulated Landings System AM accountability measure AP advisory panel ATCA Atlantic Tunas Convention Act BOEM Bureau of Ocean Engineering BRD bycatch reduction device CEA cumulative effects analysis CEQ Council on Environmental Quality CIOERT NOAA Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research and Technology Coral FMP Fishery Management Plan for Coral and Coral Reefs of the Gulf of Mexico Council Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council CS consumer surplus CZMA Coastal Zone Management Act DEIS Draft Environmental Impact Statement DPS distinct population segment DSCRTP NOAA Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program DWH Deep-water Horizon MC252 EA Environmental Assessment EEZ exclusive economic zone EFH Essential Fish Habitat EIS Environmental Impact Statement EJ Environmental Justice ELB electronic logbook E.O. Executive Order ESA Endangered Species Act FAC Florida Administrative Code Federal shrimp permit federal commercial Gulf shrimp moratorium permit FEIS final environmental impact statement FGBNMS Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary FGBNMS Expansion DEIS FGBNMS Expansion Draft Environmental Impact Statement FIS Fishery Impact Statement FKNMS Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary FMP Fishery Management Plan FMU fishery management unit FWC Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission GRRS royal red shrimp endorsement GSAD Gulf and South Atlantic Dealer GSS General Social Survey Coral Amendment 9 iii Coral Protection Areas Gulf Council Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Gulf Gulf of Mexico HAPC habitat area of particular concern HMS Highly Migratory Species ICCAT International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas IFQ individual fishing quota Magnuson-Stevens Act Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act MFMT maximum fishing mortality threshold MMPA Marine Mammal Protection Act MRFSS Marine Recreational Fisheries Survey and Statistics MRIP Marine Recreational Information Program MSST minimum stock size threshold MSY maximum sustainable yield NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOR net operating revenue NTL notice to lessees OFL overfishing limit OY optimum yield PS producer surplus RFA regulatory flexibility analysis RIR regulatory impact review RFFA reasonably foreseeable future actions ROV remotely operated vehicle RQ Regional Quotient SEIS Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement SEFSC Southeast Fisheries Science Center SERO Southeast Regional Office of NMFS SFA Sustainable Fisheries Act SLA Submerged Lands Act SPGM Federal shrimp permit SRD Science and Research Director SRHS Southeast Regional Headboat Survey SSC Scientific and Statistical Committee South Atlantic Council South Atlantic Fishery Management Council VMS vessel monitoring systems WTP willingness to pay Coral Amendment 9 iv Coral Protection Areas TABLE OF CONTENTS Gulf of Mexico Coral Amendment 9 Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) .................... i FEIS Table of Contents ................................................................................................................... ii Abbreviations Used in this Document ........................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ v List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. ix List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ xi Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................... xiii Fishery Impact Statement .......................................................................................................... xxiv Chapter 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Purpose and Need ............................................................................................................... 11 1.3 History of Management ...................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 2. Management Alternatives .......................................................................................... 15 2.1 Action 1 – Modify Existing HAPC Boundary for Regulations in Pulley Ridge ............... 15 2.2 Action 2 – New Areas for HAPC Status in the Southeastern Gulf .................................... 23 2.3 Action 3 – New Areas for HAPC Status in the Northeastern Gulf .................................... 28 2.4 Action 4 – New Areas for HAPC Status in the Northwestern Gulf................................... 37 2.5 Action 5 – New Areas for HAPC Status in the Southwestern Gulf................................... 41 2.6 Action 6 – New Deep-water Coral Areas for HAPC Status Not Recommended to Have Fishing Regulations. ........................................................................................................... 45 2.7 Action 7 – Prohibit Dredge Fishing In All Existing HAPCs That Have Fishing Regulations ......................................................................................................................... 55 Chapter 3. Affected Environment ................................................................................................ 57 3.1 Description of the Fishery .................................................................................................. 57 3.1.1 Coral Fishery ............................................................................................................... 57 3.1.2 Shrimp Fishery ...........................................................................................................
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