Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Steller Sea Lion Protection Measures for the Pollock Fisheries Off Alaska

NMFS issues an emergency interim rule implementing reasonable and prudent alternatives (RPAs) to avoid the likelihood that the pollock fisheries off Alaska will jeopardize the continued existence of the western population of Steller sea lions or adversely modify its critical habitat. This emergency rule implements three types of management measures for the pollock fisheries of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) and Gulf of Alaska (GOA): Measures to temporally disperse fishing effort; measures to spatially disperse fishing effort; and measures to provide sufficient protection from fisheries competition for prey in waters adjacent to rookeries and important haulouts. These emergency measures are necessary to avoid jeopardy and adverse modification.