Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery 2019–20 Harvest Specifications, Yelloweye Rebuilding Plan Revisions, and Management Measures
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Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery 2019–20 Harvest Specifications, Yelloweye Rebuilding Plan Revisions, and Management Measures Environmental Assessment/Magnuson Stevens Act Analysis/Regulatory Impact Review/ Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis November 2018 Lead Agency: National Marine Fisheries Service, West Coast Region National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Responsible Official: Barry A. Thom, Regional Administrator National Marine Fisheries Service For further information, contact Keeley Kent, National Marine Fisheries Service 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115 206-526-4655 [Intentionally blank] i 2019–20 Groundfish Harvest Specifications EA/MSA Analysis/RIR/RFAA November 2018 Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 15 1.1 Proposed Action, Purpose and Need ........................................................................................... 16 1.2 Tiered NEPA Analysis ................................................................................................................ 17 1.2.1 Tiered Analysis of Harvest Specifications .......................................................................... 17 1.2.2 Tiered Analysis of Management Measures ......................................................................... 18 1.3 Description of the Management Area ......................................................................................... 18 1.4 Scoping and Public Input ............................................................................................................ 19 1.5 Public Comments ........................................................................................................................ 20 Chapter 2 Alternatives ............................................................................................................................. 23 2.1 Harvest Specification Alternatives .............................................................................................. 23 2.1.1 Default Harvest Specifications (No Action) ....................................................................... 23 2.1.2 The Preferred Alternative .................................................................................................... 29 2.1.3 Alternative Harvest Specifications and Rebuilding Plan Parameters for Yelloweye Rockfish 37 2.1.4 Alternative Harvest Specifications for California Scorpionfish S. 34°27’ N. Lat. ............. 37 2.1.5 Alternative Harvest Specifications for Lingcod N. of 40°10’ N Lat. and Lingcod S. of 40°10’ N Lat. ...................................................................................................................................... 38 2.2 Management Measure Alternatives ............................................................................................ 38 2.2.1 Integrated Alternatives ........................................................................................................ 38 2.2.2 New Management Measures Analyzed in this EA ............................................................. 39 2.2.2.1 Salmon Mitigation Measures (Appendix C, Section C.1) ............................................... 39 2.2.2.2 Updates to Rockfish Conservation Area Coordinates in California (Appendix C, Section C.2) 41 2.2.2.3 Stock complex Composition Restructuring (Appendix C, Section C.3) ......................... 42 2.2.2.4 Remove Automatic Authority Established in Conjunction with Amendment 21-3 for Darkblotched Rockfish and Pacific Ocean Perch in the At-Sea Sector (Appendix C, Section C.4) 43 2.2.2.5 Lingcod and Sablefish Discard Mortality Rates in the Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota Program (Appendix C, Section C.5) .................................................................................... 44 2.2.2.6 Modify Commercial Fixed Gear Depths and Recreational Fisheries inside the Western Cowcod Conservation Area (Appendix C, sections C.6 and C.7) .................................................. 44 2.2.2.7 Removal of Daily Vessel Quota Pound (QP) Limits (Appendix C, Section C.8) ........... 44 2.2.2.8 Incidental Lingcod Retention Ratio in the Commercial Salmon Troll Fishery (Appendix C, Section C.9) ................................................................................................................................ 45 2.2.2.9 New Management Measures under Consideration by the Council but Not Further Analyzed in this EA ........................................................................................................................ 45 ii 2019–20 Groundfish Harvest Specifications EA/MSA Analysis/RIR/RFAA November 2018 2.2.2.10 Alternatives Considered but not Analyzed Further ..................................................... 46 2.2.2.11 Summary of the preferred alternative for management measures ............................... 47 Chapter 3 Affected Environment ............................................................................................................. 47 3.1 Environmental Components Affected by the Proposed Action .................................................. 47 3.2 Groundfish Stocks ....................................................................................................................... 48 3.2.1 Stocks with Proposed Changes to the Default Harvest Control Rule ................................. 48 3.2.1.1 California Scorpionfish S. 34°27' N. Lat. ....................................................................... 48 3.2.1.2 Lingcod North of 40º10' N lat. and South of 40º10' N lat. .............................................. 49 3.2.1.3 Yelloweye rockfish ......................................................................................................... 50 3.2.2 Stocks where the Default ACL is Outside the Range Analyzed in the 2015 EIS ............... 51 3.2.2.1 Bocaccio South of 40°10’ N lat. ..................................................................................... 52 3.2.2.2 Canary Rockfish .............................................................................................................. 54 3.2.2.3 Pacific Ocean Perch North of 40°10' N lat. .................................................................... 56 3.2.2.4 Widow Rockfish ............................................................................................................. 58 3.2.3 Stocks that may be affected by proposed new management measures ............................... 60 3.3 Essential Fish Habitat ................................................................................................................. 60 3.4 Protected Species ........................................................................................................................ 61 3.4.1 Eulachon ............................................................................................................................. 63 3.4.2 Humpback Whale ................................................................................................................ 63 3.4.3 Short-Tailed Albatross ........................................................................................................ 66 3.4.4 Salmon ................................................................................................................................ 67 3.5 Socioeconomic Environment ...................................................................................................... 70 3.5.1 Groundfish Fishery Sectors ................................................................................................. 70 3.5.2 Revenue Trends for Commercially Important Groundfish ................................................. 71 3.5.3 Landings and Revenue for Commercial Fishery Sector...................................................... 72 3.5.3.1 Non-whiting Fishery Sectors .......................................................................................... 72 3.5.3.2 Whiting Fishery Sectors .................................................................................................. 72 3.5.3.3 Midwater Trawl Fishery for Rockfish ............................................................................. 73 3.5.4 Tribal Fishery ...................................................................................................................... 74 3.5.5 Recreational Groundfish Fishery ........................................................................................ 75 3.5.6 Fishing Communities .......................................................................................................... 77 Chapter 4 Direct and Indirect Effects ...................................................................................................... 81 4.1 Methods used for the Impact Analysis ........................................................................................ 81 4.2 Impacts of Harvest Specifications on Managed Groundfish Stocks ........................................... 81 4.2.1 Stocks with Alternative Harvest Control Rules under Consideration ................................. 82 iii 2019–20 Groundfish Harvest Specifications EA/MSA Analysis/RIR/RFAA November 2018 4.2.1.1 California Scorpionfish South of 34°27' N lat. ............................................................... 82 4.2.1.2 Lingcod North and South of 40°10' N lat. ...................................................................... 82 4.2.1.3 Yelloweye Rockfish