PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT

This document shows proposed changes to the groundfish fishery management plan (FMP) developed by Council/National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) staff based on the preferred alternatives in the Bycatch Mitigation Program final environmental impact statement (Amendment 18) and the Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) environmental impact statement (Amendment 19). Substantive changes address elements of the preferred alternative for each of these actions. As part of Amendment 18, the FMP has also been updated to better reflect the current management framework. Table 1 shows changes in the organization of chapters under Amendment 18. Text has been revised in chapters 1, 2, 6, 9, 10, and 11 of the current FMP under Amendment 18. Text in chapters 1, 6, and 7 (a new chapter created by Amendment 18) has been revised under Amendment 19. Because of changes in the chapter structure, chapter 8 is renumbered chapter 9 and chapter 12 is renumbered chapter 11, but no other changes are made in these chapters. Chapter 6, Management Measures, has been substantially reorganized and revised. Material in chapter 9 (Restrictions On Other Fisheries) and chapter 11 (Management Measures that Continue in Effect with Implementation of Amendment 4) have been incorporated into chapter 6, outdated references to foreign and joint-venture fishing have been deleted, and the structure of the chapter has been modified to emphasize the range of management measures available to the Council. Management measures to mitigate the advers