NOAA Fisheries Plans Workshops On Crab Regulations
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The Alaska Region of NOAA Fisheries will conduct public workshops in Seattle and Anchorage to explain proposed regulations for the new crab fishery management program in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. The workshops, which are open to any interested member of the public, will be held as follows:

Seattle-November 11, Room 204, 10:00 a.m., Washington Trade and Convention Center. The workshop is located with Pacific Marine Expo.

Anchorage-December 6 and 7, Hilton Hotel, Dillingham-Katmai Room from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. each night. The workshops precede the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council Meeting, also at the Hilton.

The purpose of the workshops is to provide information on the proposed regulations in order to assist interested members of the public to provide comment. The regulations will implement a recommendation by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to "rationalize" the Bering Sea crab fisheries. The rationalization program, which was congressionally approved in January of this year, is designed to provide for a safer and more stable crab fishery. Managers expect to implement the program during 2005.