Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Modify Groundfish Season Timing in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Fisheries
Built by the Tribune's code from the Federal Register. No AI wrote this page. Published in the Federal Register Oct. 21, 2026. Document 2026-21507. Updated Nov. 5, 2026.
Open for public comment until Nov. 20, 2026. Comment on Regulations.gov
- What it does
NMFS proposes two technical revisions to regulations for the opening and closing times of groundfish fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) and Gulf of Alaska (GOA) management areas. First, this proposed rule would authorize NMFS to determine the opening and closing times for the sablefish Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) and Community Development Quota (CDQ) fishing season, taking into consideration the halibut IFQ/CDQ season set by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). Second, this proposed rule would allow NMFS flexibility to change the time of day for closing a groundfish fishery. This proposed rule is necessary to minimize regulatory discards, reduce uncertainty for fishery participants, and enable fuller utilization and more precise limitation of allowable harvest. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act), the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish of the BSAI Management Area (BSAI FMP) and the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish Fisheries of the GOA (GOA FMP), and other applicable laws.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's summary, as published in the Federal Register.
- What it would change
1 part of Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations:
- Before this
No earlier Federal Register document under regulation identifier 0648-BO22 since Jan. 1, 2025.
- What happens next and when
Submit comments on or before November 20, 2026.
The agency's dates, word for word.
The record as published
| Document number | 2026-21507 |
|---|---|
| Action | Proposed rule; request for comments. |
| Agencies | Commerce Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| Published | Oct. 21, 2026 |
| Comments close | Nov. 20, 2026 |
| Regulation identifier (RIN) | 0648-BO22 |
| Docket | NOAA-NMFS-2026-1948 |
Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register