Environmental Assessment, Regulatory Impact Review, and Final Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis for a Final Rule to Implement the Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Plan and Revise the Large Mesh Size Restriction Under the Mid-Atlantic Large Mesh Gil

摘要

An environmental assessment (EA) was prepared to assess potential environmental impacts associated with a NMFS final rule to reduce serious injury and incidental mortality of the Western North Atlantic coastal bottlenose dolphin stock from Category I and II fisheries by implementing a Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Plan (BDTRP) under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA); and to provide consistency amongst state and federal large mesh regulations by amending the mid-Atlantic large mesh gillnet rule (50 CFR 223.206(d)(8)) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The following general requirements will be implemented by the Preferred Alternative (Alternative 7): time/area gillnet restrictions, gear proximity (fishermen must stay within a set distance of gear); gear modifications; nonregulatory conservation measures; and a revision to the large mesh gillnet size restriction.