96186 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 233 / Wednesday, December 4, 2024 / Proposed Rules 

21Public Law 107–347, sec. 208, 116 Stat. 2899, 

2921 (Dec. 17, 2002). 

The E-Government Act of 2002,21

requires Federal agencies to conduct a 

Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) for 

new or substantially changed 

technology that collects, maintains, or 

disseminates information in an 

identifiable form. No new or 

substantially changed technology would 

collect, maintain, or disseminate 

information as a result of this rule. 

Accordingly, FMCSA has not conducted 

a PIA. 

In addition, the Agency submitted a 

Privacy Threshold Assessment (PTA) to 

evaluate the risks and effects the 

proposed rulemaking might have on 

collecting, storing, and sharing 

personally identifiable information. The 

PTA has been submitted to FMCSA’s 

Privacy Officer for review and 

preliminary adjudication and to DOT’s 

Privacy Officer for review and final 

adjudication. 

I. E.O. 13175 (Indian Tribal 

Governments) 

This rule does not have Tribal 

implications under E.O. 13175, 

Consultation and Coordination with 

Indian Tribal Governments, because it 

does not have a substantial direct effect 

on one or more Indian Tribes, on the 

relationship between the Federal 

Government and Indian Tribes, or on 

the distribution of power and 

responsibilities between the Federal 

Government and Indian Tribes. 

J. National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 

FMCSA analyzed this proposed rule 

pursuant to the National Environmental 

Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 

4321, et seq.) and determined this action 

is categorically excluded from further 

analysis and documentation in an 

environmental assessment or 

environmental impact statement under 

FMCSA Order 5610.1 (69 FR 9680), 

Appendix 2, paragraph (6)(t)(2). The 

categorical exclusion (CE) in paragraph 

(6)(t)(2) covers requirements ensuring 

that States have the appropriate 

regulations concerning the qualification 

and licensing of persons who apply and 

are issued a commercial driver’s license. 

The proposed requirements in this rule 

are covered by this CE. 

K. Rulemaking Summary 

As required by 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(4), a 

summary of this rule can be found in 

the Abstract section of the Department’s 

Unified Agenda entry for this 

rulemaking at https://www.reginfo.gov/ 

public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=

202310&RIN=2126-AC59. 

List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 383 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Alcohol abuse, Drug abuse, 

Drug testing, Highway safety, Motor 

carriers, Penalties, Safety, 

Transportation. 

Accordingly, FMCSA proposes to 

amend 49 CFR chapter III, part 383 as 

follows: 

PART 383—COMMERCIAL DRIVER’S 

LICENSE STANDARDS; 

REQUIREMENTS AND PENALTIES 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 383 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 521, 31136, 31301, et 

seq., and 31502; secs. 214 and 215 of Pub. L. 

106–159, 113 Stat. 1748, 1766, 1767; sec. 

1012(b) of Pub. L. 107–56, 115 Stat. 272, 297, 

sec. 4140 of Pub. L. 109–59, 119 Stat. 1144, 

1746; sec. 32934 of Pub. L. 112–141, 126 Stat. 

405, 830; sec. 23019 of Pub. L. 117–58, 135 

Stat. 429, 777; and 49 CFR 1.87. 

■ 2. Amend § 383.3 by revising 

paragraph (i) to read as follows: 

§ 383.3 Applicability. 

* * * * * 

(i) Hazardous materials endorsement 

exemption for certain drivers 

transporting diesel or jet fuel. A State 

may waive the requirement for a holder 

of a Class A commercial driver’s license 

to obtain a hazardous materials 

endorsement under this part, if the 

license holder is: 

(1) Acting within the scope of the 

license holder’s employment, and 

within the State of domicile (or another 

State with a hazardous materials 

endorsement exemption) as an 

employee of a custom harvester 

operation, agrichemical business, farm 

retail outlet and supplier, livestock 

feeder, or agriculture aviation operation; 

and 

(2) Operating a service vehicle that is: 

(i) Transporting diesel or jet fuel in a 

quantity of 3,785 liters (1,000 gallons) or 

less; and 

(ii) Clearly placarded in accordance 

with 49 CFR part 172 subpart F and all 

other applicable HMRs. 

* * * * * 

■ 3. Amend § 383.5 by adding in 

alphabetical order a definition for jet 

fuel to read as follows: 

§ 383.5 Definitions. 

* * * * * 

Jet fuel means ‘‘fuel, aviation, turbine 

engine’’ as listed in the Hazardous 

Materials Table in § 172.101 of this title 

that is reclassed as a combustible liquid 

in accordance with part 173 of this title. 

* * * * * 

Issued under authority delegated in 49 CFR 

1.87. 

Vincent G. White, 

Deputy Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2024–28097 Filed 12–3–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 241127–0305; RTID 0648– 

XE346] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and 

Aleutian Islands; Proposed 2025 and 

2026 Harvest Specifications for 

Groundfish 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Proposed rule; harvest 

specifications and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: NMFS proposes 2025 and 

2026 harvest specifications, 

apportionments, and prohibited species 

catch allowances for the groundfish 

fisheries of the Bering Sea and Aleutian 

Islands (BSAI) management area. This 

action is necessary to establish harvest 

limits for groundfish during the 2025 

and 2026 fishing years and to 

accomplish the goals and objectives of 

the Fishery Management Plan for 

Groundfish of the Bering Sea and 

Aleutian Islands Management Area 

(FMP). The 2025 harvest specifications 

supersede those previously set in the 

final 2024 and 2025 harvest 

specifications, and the 2026 harvest 

specifications will be superseded in 

early 2026 when the final 2026 and 

2027 harvest specifications are 

published. The intended effect of this 

action is to conserve and manage the 

groundfish resources in the BSAI in 

accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

January 3, 2025. 

ADDRESSES: A plain language summary 

of this proposed rule is available at 

https://www.regulations.gov/docket/ 

NOAA-NMFS-2024-0116. You may 

submit comments on this document, 

identified by NOAA–NMFS–2024–0116, 

by any of the following methods: 

• Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 233 / Wednesday, December 4, 2024 / Proposed Rules 96187 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Visit 

https://www.regulations.gov and type 

NOAA–NMFS–2024–0116 in the Search 

box. Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, 

complete the required fields, and enter 

or attach your comments. 

• Mail: Submit written comments to 

Gretchen Harrington, Assistant Regional 

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: 

Records Office. Mail comments to P.O. 

Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668. 

• Fax: (907) 586–7465; Attn: Gretchen 

Harrington. 

Instructions: Comments sent by any 

other method, to any other address or 

individual, or received after the end of 

the comment period, may not be 

considered by NMFS. All comments 

received are a part of the public record 

and will generally be posted for public 

viewing on https://www.regulations.gov 

without change. All personal identifying 

information (e.g., name, address, etc.), 

confidential business information, or 

otherwise sensitive information 

submitted voluntarily by the sender will 

be publicly accessible. NMFS will 

accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/ 

A’’ in the required fields if you wish to 

remain anonymous). 

Electronic copies of the Alaska 

Groundfish Harvest Specifications Final 

Environmental Impact Statement (Final 

EIS), Record of Decision (ROD) for the 

Final EIS, and the annual 

Supplementary Information Reports 

(SIR) to the Final EIS prepared for this 

action are available from https://

www.regulations.gov. An updated 2025 

SIR for the final 2025 and 2026 harvest 

specifications will be available from the 

same source. 

The final 2023 Stock Assessment and 

Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) report for the 

groundfish resources of the BSAI, dated 

November 2023, is available from the 

North Pacific Fishery Management 

Council (Council) at 1007 West 3rd 

Ave., Suite 400, Anchorage, Alaska 

99501, phone 907–271–2809, or from 

the NMFS Alaska Region website at 

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

population-assessments/north-pacificgroundfish-stock-assessments-andfishery-evaluation. The 2024 SAFE 

report for the BSAI will be available 

from the same sources. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Steve Whitney, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal 

regulations at 50 CFR part 679 

implement the FMP and govern the 

groundfish fisheries in the BSAI. The 

Council prepared the FMP, and NMFS 

approved it, under the MagnusonStevens Act. General regulations 

governing U.S. fisheries also appear at 

50 CFR part 600. 

The FMP and its implementing 

regulations require that NMFS, after 

consultation with the Council, specify 

annually the total allowable catch (TAC) 

for target species. The sum of TACs for 

all groundfish target species in the BSAI 

must be within the optimum yield (OY) 

range of 1.4 million to 2.0 million 

metric tons (mt) (see § 679.20(a)(1)(i)(A) 

and 679.20(a)(2)). Section 679.20(c)(1) 

further requires that NMFS publish 

proposed harvest specifications in the 

Federal Register and solicit public 

comments on proposed annual TACs for 

each target species and apportionments 

thereof; prohibited species catch (PSC) 

allowances; prohibited species quota 

(PSQ) reserves established by § 679.21; 

seasonal allowances of pollock, Pacific 

cod, and Atka mackerel TAC; American 

Fisheries Act allocations; Amendment 

80 allocations; Community 

Development Quota (CDQ) reserve 

amounts established by 

§ 679.20(b)(1)(ii); and acceptable 

biological catch (ABC) surpluses and 

reserves for CDQ groups and 

Amendment 80 cooperatives for 

flathead sole, rock sole, and yellowfin 

sole. The proposed harvest 

specifications set forth in tables 1 

through 15 of this proposed rule satisfy 

these requirements. 

In accordance with § 679.20(c)(3), 

NMFS will publish the final 2025 and 

2026 harvest specifications after (1) 

considering comments received within 

the comment period (see DATES), (2) 

consulting with the Council at its 

December 2024 meeting, (3) considering 

information presented in the 2025 SIR 

to the Final EIS that assesses the need 

to prepare a Supplemental EIS (see 

ADDRESSES), and (4) considering 

information presented in the final 2024 

SAFE report, including the 2024 

Ecosystem Status Reports for both the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. 

Other Actions Affecting or Potentially 

Affecting the 2025 and 2026 Harvest 

Specifications 

Amendment 125 to the FMP: Pacific 

Cod Small Boat Access 

NMFS is developing a proposed rule 

to implement Amendment 125 to the 

FMP, which, if approved, would 

redefine the BSAI Pacific cod jig sector 

during the A-season (January 1–April 

30) to include hook-and-line or pot 

catcher vessels (CV) less than or equal 

to 55 feet (ft) (16.8 meters (m)) length 

overall (LOA). All harvest from the 

redefined A-season jig sector would be 

deducted from the jig sector’s 1.4 

percent allocation currently set in 

regulation (§ 679.20(a)(7)(ii)). In 

addition, the current hook-and-line or 

pot CV less than 60 feet (ft) (18.3 m) 

LOA sector would be redefined from 

January 1 to April 30 so that harvest 

only from hook-and-line or pot CVs 

with a LOA of 55 ft (16.8 m) and less 

than 60 ft LOA (55–59 ft) (16.8–18.0 m) 

would be deducted from the hook-andline or pot CV less than 60 feet (ft) (18.3 

m) LOA sector’s 2.0 percent allocation 

currently set in regulation 

(§ 679.20(a)(7)(ii)). If amendment 125 

and its implementing regulations are 

approved by the Secretary of Commerce, 

NMFS would incorporate the changes in 

a future harvest specifications action, 

and any such changes are anticipated 

for the 2026 and 2027 harvest 

specifications. 

State of Alaska Guideline Harvest Levels 

For 2025 and 2026, the State of Alaska 

Board of Fisheries (BOF) established the 

guideline harvest level (GHL) for vessels 

using pot, longline, jig, and hand troll 

gear in State waters in the State’s 

Aleutian Islands subarea (AI) Statewaters sablefish registration area that 

includes all State waters west of Scotch 

Cap Light (164°44.72′ W longitude) and 

south of Cape Sarichef (54°36′ N 

latitude). The AI GHL is set at 5 percent 

of the combined proposed Bering Sea 

(BS) subarea and AI ABC (1,233 mt). 

The State’s AI sablefish registration area 

includes areas adjacent to parts of the 

Federal BS subarea. Since most of the 

State’s 2025 and 2026 GHL sablefish 

fishery is expected to occur in State 

waters adjacent to the Federal BS 

subarea, the Council and its BSAI 

Groundfish Plan Team (Plan Team), 

Scientific and Statistical Committee 

(SSC), and Advisory Panel (AP) 

recommended that the sum of all State 

and Federal sablefish removals from the 

BS and AI not exceed the proposed ABC 

recommendations for sablefish in the BS 

and AI. Accordingly, the Council 

recommended, and NMFS proposes, 

that the 2025 and 2026 sablefish TACs 

in the BS and AI be reduced by at least 

5 percent to account for the State’s 

GHLs for sablefish caught in State 

waters. 

For 2025 and 2026, the BOF 

established the GHL for vessels using 

pot gear in State waters in the BS equal 

to 13 percent of the Pacific cod ABC in 

the BS. The BS GHL will increase by 

one percent if 90 percent of the GHL is 

harvested by November 15 of the 

preceding year for 2 consecutive years 

but may not exceed 15 percent of the BS 

ABC. If 90 percent of the GHL is not 

harvested by November 15 of the 

preceding year for 2 consecutive years, 

the GHL will decrease by 1 percent, but 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
96188 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 233 / Wednesday, December 4, 2024 / Proposed Rules 

the GHL may not decrease below 10 

percent of the BS ABC. Based on harvest 

in 2023 and 2024, the GHL will be 13 

percent in 2025. 13 percent of the 

proposed BS ABC is 19,614 mt. NMFS 

will account for any adjustment to the 

2026 GHL in the final 2026 and 2027 

harvest specifications. Also, for 2025 

and 2026, the BOF established an 

additional GHL for vessels using jig gear 

in State waters in the BS equal to 45 mt 

of Pacific cod in the BS. The Council 

and its Plan Team, SSC, and AP 

recommended that the sum of all State 

and Federal waters Pacific cod removals 

from the BS not exceed the ABC 

recommendations for Pacific cod in the 

BS. Accordingly, the Council 

recommended, and NMFS proposes, 

that the 2025 and 2026 Pacific cod TACs 

in the BS account for the State’s GHLs 

for Pacific cod caught in State waters in 

the BS. 

For 2025 and 2026, the BOF 

established the GHL in State waters in 

the AI equal to 35 percent of the Pacific 

cod ABC in the AI. The AI GHL will 

increase annually by 4 percent of the AI 

ABC if 90 percent of the GHL is 

harvested by November 15 of the 

preceding year but may not exceed 39 

percent of the AI ABC or 15 million 

pounds (6,804 mt). If 90 percent of the 

GHL is not harvested by November 15 

of the preceding year for 2 consecutive 

years, the GHL will decrease by 4 

percent, but the GHL may not decrease 

below 15 percent of the AI ABC. Based 

on harvest in 2023 and 2024, the GHL 

likely will remain at 35 percent in 2025. 

Thirty-five percent of the proposed AI 

ABC is 4,350 mt. NMFS will account for 

any adjustment to the 2025 GHL in the 

final 2025 and 2026 harvest 

specifications. The GHL for 2026 may 

change based on harvest during the 

preceding fishing years, and NMFS will 

account for any adjustment to the 2026 

GHL in the final 2026 and 2027 harvest 

specifications. The Council and its Plan 

Team, SSC, and AP recommended that 

the sum of all State and Federal waters 

Pacific cod removals from the AI not 

exceed the ABC recommendations for 

Pacific cod in the AI. Accordingly, the 

Council recommended, and NMFS 

proposes, that the 2025 and 2026 Pacific 

cod TACs in the AI account for the 

State’s GHL for Pacific cod caught in 

State waters in the AI. 

Proposed ABC and TAC Harvest 

Specifications 

In October 2024, the Council’s SSC, 

its AP, and the Council reviewed the 

most recent biological and harvest 

information on the condition of the 

BSAI groundfish stocks. The Plan Team 

compiled and presented this 

information in the final 2023 SAFE 

report for the BSAI groundfish fisheries, 

dated November 2023 (see ADDRESSES). 

The final 2024 SAFE report, including 

individual stock assessments, will be 

available on the NMFS Alaska Region 

website (see ADDRESSES). 

The proposed 2025 and 2026 harvest 

specifications are based on the final 

2025 harvest specifications published in 

March 2024 (89 FR 17287, March 11, 

2024), which were set after 

consideration of the most recent 2023 

SAFE report that was presented at the 

November 2023 Plan Team meeting. 

The SAFE report contains a review of 

the latest scientific analyses and 

estimates of each species’ biomass and 

past, present, and possible future 

condition of the stocks and groundfish 

fisheries off Alaska. The SAFE report 

also contains an economic summary 

informed by the Economic SAFE and 

ecosystem information summarized 

from the Ecosystem Status Reports 

(ESR). The SAFE report provides 

information to the Council and NMFS 

for recommending and setting, 

respectively, annual harvest levels for 

each stock and documenting significant 

trends or changes in the resource, 

marine ecosystems, and fisheries over 

time. 

The ESRs are combined into an 

appendix to the SAFE reports. The ESRs 

compile and summarize information 

about the status of the Alaska marine 

ecosystems for the Plan Team, SSC, AP, 

Council, NMFS, and the public, and 

they are updated annually. These ESRs 

include ecosystem report cards, 

ecosystem assessments, and ecosystem 

status indicators (i.e., climate indices, 

sea surface temperature), which together 

provide context for ecosystem-based 

fisheries management in Alaska. The 

ESRs inform stock assessments and are 

integrated into the annual harvest 

recommendations, primarily through 

inclusion in stock assessment-specific 

risk tables that inform the specification 

of ABC for target species. Also, the ESRs 

provide context for the SSC’s 

recommendations for overfishing levels 

(OFL) and ABCs, as well as for the 

Council’s TAC recommendations. The 

SAFE reports and the ESRs are 

presented at the October and December 

Council meetings before the SSC, AP, 

and the Council make groundfish 

harvest recommendations, and they aid 

NMFS in implementing these annual 

groundfish harvest specifications. An 

ESR is prepared for both the Eastern BS 

ecosystem and the AI ecosystem (as well 

as for the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem). 

In addition to the 2023 SAFE report, 

the Plan Team, SSC, and Council also 

reviewed preliminary survey data from 

2024 surveys, updates on ecosystem and 

socioeconomic profiles (ESPs) for 

certain species, initial updates on 

climate and oceanography for Alaska 

ecosystems, and summaries of potential 

changes to models and methodologies. 

From these data and analyses, the Plan 

Team and SSC recommend the 

proposed OFL and ABC for each species 

and species group. The proposed 2025 

and 2026 harvest specifications in this 

action are subject to change in the final 

harvest specifications to be published 

by NMFS following the Council’s 

December 2024 meeting. 

In November 2024, the Plan Team 

will update the 2023 SAFE report to 

include new information collected 

during 2024, such as NMFS stock 

surveys, revised stock assessments, and 

catch data. The Plan Team will compile 

this information and present the draft 

2024 SAFE report at the December 2024 

Council meeting. At that meeting, the 

SSC and the Council will review the 

2024 SAFE report, and the Council will 

approve the 2024 SAFE report for use in 

informing the Council’s final 

recommendations to NMFS. The 

Council will consider information in the 

2024 SAFE report, recommendations 

from the November 2024 Plan Team 

meeting and December 2024 SSC and 

AP meetings, public testimony, and 

relevant written comments in making its 

recommendations to NMFS for the final 

2025 and 2026 harvest specifications. 

Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(2) and (3), the 

Council could recommend that NMFS 

adjust the final TACs if warranted based 

on the biological condition of 

groundfish stocks or a variety of 

socioeconomic considerations, or if 

required to cause the sum of TACs to 

fall within the OY range. 

Potential Changes Between Proposed 

and Final Specifications 

In previous years, the most significant 

changes (relative to the amount of 

assessed tonnage of fish) to the OFLs 

and ABCs from the proposed to the final 

harvest specifications have been based 

on the most recent NMFS stock surveys. 

These surveys provide updated 

estimates of stock biomass and spatial 

distribution, and inform changes to the 

models or the models’ results used for 

producing stock assessments. Any 

changes to models used in stock 

assessments will be recommended by 

the Plan Team in November 2024, 

reviewed by the SSC in December 2024, 

and then included in the final 2024 

SAFE report. Model changes can result 

in changes to final OFLs, ABCs, and 

TACs. The final 2024 SAFE report will 

include the most recent information, 

such as catch data. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 233 / Wednesday, December 4, 2024 / Proposed Rules 96189 

The final harvest specification 

amounts for these stocks are not 

expected to vary greatly from these 

proposed harvest specification amounts. 

If the 2024 SAFE report indicates that 

the stock biomass trend is increasing for 

a species, then the final 2025 and 2026 

harvest specifications may reflect an 

increase from the proposed harvest 

specifications. Conversely, if the 2024 

SAFE report indicates that the stock 

biomass trend is decreasing for a 

species, then the final 2025 and 2026 

harvest specifications may reflect a 

decrease from the proposed harvest 

specifications. In addition to changes 

driven by biomass trends, there may be 

changes in TACs due to the constraint 

of the OY for the BSAI. Under 

regulations and the FMP, TAC may not 

exceed ABC, but can be set equal to 

ABC. The regulations require the sum of 

all TACs for target species in the BSAI 

to be set to an OY between 1.4 and 2 

million mt. Thus, the Council may be 

required to recommend TACs that are 

lower than the ABCs recommended by 

the Plan Team and the SSC, if setting all 

TACs equal to ABCs would cause the 

sum of TACs to exceed an OY of 2 

million mt. Generally, total ABCs 

greatly exceed 2 million mt in years 

with a large pollock biomass. For both 

2025 and 2026, NMFS anticipates that 

the sum of the final ABCs will exceed 

2 million mt, and therefore TACs for 

some species likely will have to be set 

lower than ABCs to ensure the sum of 

TACs is between 1.4 and 2 million mt. 

Historically, the sum of the final TACs 

has been close to or equal to 2 million 

mt. 

The proposed 2025 and 2026 OFLs 

and ABCs are based on the best 

available biological and scientific 

information, including projected 

biomass trends, information on assumed 

distribution of stock biomass, and 

revised technical methods used to 

calculate stock biomass. The FMP 

specifies a series of six tiers to define 

OFLs and ABCs based on the level of 

reliable information available to fishery 

scientists. Tier 1 represents the highest 

level of information quality available, 

while Tier 6 represents the lowest. The 

proposed 2025 and 2026 TACs are also 

based on the best available biological 

and socioeconomic information. 

In October 2024, the SSC adopted the 

proposed 2025 and 2026 OFLs and 

ABCs recommended by the Plan Team 

for all groundfish. In making its 

recommendations, the Council adopted 

the SSC’s OFL and ABC 

recommendations. The OFL and ABC 

amounts are unchanged from the final 

2025 harvest specifications published in 

the Federal Register on March 11, 2024 

(89 FR 17287). The sum of the proposed 

2025 and 2026 ABCs for all assessed 

groundfish is 3,550,691 mt. The sum of 

the proposed TACs is 1,998,491 mt. 

NMFS has reviewed the 

recommendations of the SSC and 

Council for OFLs, ABCs, and TACs for 

target species and species groups in the 

BSAI as well as any other relevant 

information. Based on that review, 

NMFS is proposing the OFLs, ABCs, 

and TACs set forth in the tables of this 

proposed rule. NMFS concludes that 

these specifications are consistent with 

the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the FMP, 

and other applicable law, subject to 

further review and consideration after 

public comment. 

Specification and Apportionment of 

TAC Amounts 

The Council recommended proposed 

2025 and 2026 TACs that are equal to 

the proposed ABCs for 2025 and 2026 

BS and AI Greenland turbot, BSAI 

Kamchatka flounder, Central AI Atka 

mackerel, BS Pacific ocean perch, 

Central AI Pacific ocean perch, Eastern 

AI Pacific ocean perch, BS and Eastern 

AI blackspotted and rougheye rockfish, 

Central AI and Western AI blackspotted 

and rougheye rockfish, BSAI shortraker 

rockfish, and BS and AI ‘‘other 

rockfish.’’ The Council recommended 

proposed TACs less than the respective 

proposed ABCs for all other species and 

species groups. TACs for some species 

and species groups are reduced so that 

the overall TAC does not exceed the 

BSAI OY. 

The proposed groundfish OFLs, 

ABCs, and TACs are subject to change 

pending the completion of the final 

2024 SAFE report, public comment, and 

the Council’s recommendations for the 

final 2025 and 2026 harvest 

specifications during its December 2024 

meeting. These proposed amounts are 

consistent with the biological condition 

of groundfish stocks as described in the 

2023 SAFE report. The proposed ABCs 

reflect harvest amounts that are less 

than the specified overfishing levels. 

The proposed TACs have been adjusted 

for other biological information and 

socioeconomic considerations, 

including maintaining the overall TAC 

within the required OY range. Pursuant 

to section 3.2.3.4.1 of the FMP, the 

Council could recommend that NMFS 

adjust the final TACs, if warranted on 

the basis of bycatch considerations, 

management uncertainty, or 

socioeconomic considerations; or if 

required in order to cause the sum of the 

TACs to fall within the OY range. Table 

1 lists the proposed 2025 and 2026 OFL, 

ABC, TAC, initial TAC (ITAC), CDQ 

amounts, and nonspecified reserves for 

groundfish for the BSAI. The proposed 

apportionment of TAC amounts among 

fisheries and seasons is discussed 

below. 

TABLE 1—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 OVERFISHING LEVEL (OFL), ACCEPTABLE BIOLOGICAL CATCH (ABC), TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCH (TAC), INITIAL TAC (ITAC), CDQ RESERVE ALLOCATION, AND NONSPECIFIED RESERVES OF

GROUNDFISH IN THE BSAI 1

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Species Area 

Proposed 2025 and 2026 

OFL ABC TAC ITAC 2 CDQ 3 4 Nonspecified 

reserves 

Pollock 4 ...................................................................... BS ......................... 3,449,000 2,401,000 1,325,000 1,192,500 132,500 ........................

AI .......................... 53,030 43,863 19,000 17,100 1,900 ........................

Bogoslof ............... 115,146 86,360 250 250 .................... ........................

Pacific cod 5 ................................................................ BS ......................... 180,798 150,876 131,217 117,177 14,040 ........................

AI .......................... 18,416 12,431 8,080 7,216 865 ........................

Sablefish 6 ................................................................... Alaska-wide .......... 55,317 47,350 n/a n/a n/a ........................

BS ......................... n/a 11,499 9,500 4,038 356 356 

AI .......................... n/a 13,156 8,440 1,794 158 158 

Yellowfin sole ............................................................. BSAI ..................... 317,932 276,917 195,000 174,135 20,865 ........................

Greenland turbot ........................................................ BSAI ..................... 3,185 2,740 2,740 2,329 n/a ........................

BS ......................... n/a 2,310 2,310 1,964 247 99 

AI .......................... n/a 430 430 366 .................... 65 

Arrowtooth flounder .................................................... BSAI ..................... 104,270 88,548 14,000 11,900 1,498 602 

Kamchatka flounder ................................................... BSAI ..................... 8,687 7,360 7,360 6,256 .................... 1,104 


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TABLE 1—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 OVERFISHING LEVEL (OFL), ACCEPTABLE BIOLOGICAL CATCH (ABC), TOTAL ALLOWABLE CATCH (TAC), INITIAL TAC (ITAC), CDQ RESERVE ALLOCATION, AND NONSPECIFIED RESERVES OF

GROUNDFISH IN THE BSAI 1—Continued 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Species Area 

Proposed 2025 and 2026 

OFL ABC TAC ITAC 2 CDQ 3 4 Nonspecified 

reserves 

Rock sole 7 ................................................................. BSAI ..................... 264,789 122,535 66,000 58,938 7,062 ........................

Flathead sole 8 ............................................................ BSAI ..................... 82,699 68,203 35,500 31,702 3,799 ........................

Alaska plaice .............................................................. BSAI ..................... 45,182 37,560 20,000 17,000 .................... 3,000 

Other flatfish 9 ............................................................. BSAI ..................... 22,919 17,189 4,500 3,825 .................... 675 

Pacific ocean perch .................................................... BSAI ..................... 48,139 40,366 37,181 32,711 n/a ........................

BS ......................... n/a 11,430 11,430 9,716 .................... 1,715 

EAI ........................ n/a 7,828 7,828 6,990 838 ........................

CAI ....................... n/a 5,423 5,423 4,843 580 ........................

WAI ....................... n/a 15,685 12,500 11,163 1,338 ........................

Northern rockfish ........................................................ BSAI ..................... 22,838 18,685 15,000 12,750 .................... 2,250 

Blackspotted/Rougheye rockfish 10 ............................ BSAI ..................... 813 607 607 516 .................... 91 

BS/EAI .................. n/a 412 412 350 .................... 62 

CAI/WAI ................ n/a 195 195 166 .................... 29 

Shortraker rockfish ..................................................... BSAI ..................... 706 530 530 451 .................... 80 

Other rockfish 11 ......................................................... BSAI ..................... 1,680 1,260 1,260 1,071 .................... 189 

BS ......................... n/a 880 880 748 .................... 132 

AI .......................... n/a 380 380 323 .................... 57 

Atka mackerel ............................................................. BSAI ..................... 99,723 84,676 66,165 59,085 7,080 ........................

BS/EAI .................. n/a 37,049 30,000 26,790 3,210 ........................

CAI ....................... n/a 14,877 14,877 13,285 1,592 ........................

WAI ....................... n/a 32,750 21,288 19,010 2,278 ........................

Skates ......................................................................... BSAI ..................... 44,203 36,625 30,361 25,807 .................... 4,554 

Sharks ........................................................................ BSAI ..................... 689 450 400 340 .................... 60 

Octopuses .................................................................. BSAI ..................... 6,080 4,560 400 340 .................... 60 

Total .................................................................... ............................... 4,946,241 3,550,691 1,998,491 1,779,229 193,125 15,058 

1These amounts apply to the entire BSAI management area unless otherwise specified. With the exception of pollock, and for the purpose of these harvest specifications, the BS subarea includes the Bogoslof District. 2Except for pollock, the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to fixed gear, and the Amendment 80 species (Atka mackerel, flathead sole, rock sole, yellowfin sole, 

Pacific cod, and Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch), 15 percent of the TAC for each species and species group is put into a nonspecified reserve. The ITAC for 

these species is the remainder of the TAC after subtraction of the reserves. For pollock and Amendment 80 species, ITAC is the non-CDQ allocation of TAC (see 

footnote 3 and 4). 3For the Amendment 80 species (Atka mackerel, flathead sole, rock sole, yellowfin sole, Pacific cod, and Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch), 10.7 percent of the 

TAC is reserved for use by CDQ participants (see § 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C)). Twenty percent of the sablefish TAC allocated to fixed gear, 7.5 percent of the sablefish TAC 

allocated to trawl gear, and 10.7 percent of the TACs for Bering Sea Greenland turbot and BSAI arrowtooth flounder are reserved for use by CDQ participants (see 

§ 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(B) and (D)). The 2026 fixed gear portion of the sablefish ITAC and CDQ reserve will not be specified until the final 2026 and 2027 harvest specifications. Aleutian Islands Greenland turbot, ‘‘other flatfish,’’ Alaska plaice, Bering Sea Pacific ocean perch, Kamchatka flounder, northern rockfish, shortraker rockfish, 

blackspotted and rougheye rockfish, ‘‘other rockfish,’’ skates, sharks, and octopuses are not allocated to the CDQ Program. 4 Under § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), the annual BS pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing allowance (10 percent) and second for the incidental 

catch allowance (46,000 mt), is further allocated by sector for a pollock directed fishery as follows: inshore–50 percent; catcher/processor–40 percent; and 

motherships–10 percent. Section 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(1) requires the AI pollock TAC to be set at 19,000 mt when the AI pollock ABC equals or exceeds 19,000 mt. 

Under § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2), the annual AI pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing allowance (10 percent) and second for the incidental 

catch allowance (3,000 mt), is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a pollock directed fishery. The Bogoslof pollock TAC is set to accommodate incidental catch 

amounts. 5The proposed BS Pacific cod TAC is set to account for the 13 percent of the BS ABC, plus 45 mt, for the State of Alaska’s (State) guideline harvest levels in 

State waters of the BS. The proposed AI Pacific cod TAC is set to account for 35 percent of the AI ABC for the State guideline harvest level in State waters of the AI. 6The sablefish OFL and ABC are Alaska-wide and include the Gulf of Alaska. The Alaska-wide sablefish OFL and ABC are included in the total OFL and ABC. The 

BS and AI sablefish TACs are set to account for the 5 percent of the BS and AI ABC for the State of Alaska’s (State) guideline harvest level in State waters of the BS 

and AI. 7 ‘‘Rock sole’’ includes Lepidopsetta polyxystra (Northern rock sole). 8 ‘‘Flathead sole’’ includes Hippoglossoides elassodon (flathead sole) and Hippoglossoides robustus (Bering flounder). 9 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), Alaska plaice, arrowtooth flounder, flathead sole, Greenland turbot, 

Kamchatka flounder, rock sole, and yellowfin sole. 10 ‘‘Blackspotted/Rougheye rockfish’’ includes Sebastes melanostictus (blackspotted) and Sebastes aleutianus (rougheye). 11 ‘‘Other rockfish’’ includes all Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch, dark rockfish, northern rockfish, shortraker rockfish, and 

blackspotted/rougheye rockfish. 

Note: Regulatory areas and districts are defined at § 679.2 (BSAI = Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area, BS = Bering Sea subarea, AI = Aleutian Islands subarea, EAI = Eastern Aleutian district, CAI = Central Aleutian district, WAI = Western Aleutian district.) 

Groundfish Reserves and the Incidental 

Catch Allowance for Pollock, Atka 

Mackerel, Flathead Sole, Rock Sole, 

Yellowfin Sole, and AI Pacific Ocean 

Perch 

Section 679.20(b)(1)(i) requires NMFS 

to reserve 15 percent of the TAC for 

each target species (except for pollock, 

fixed gear allocation of sablefish, and 

Amendment 80 species) in a 

nonspecified reserve. Section 

679.20(b)(1)(ii)(B) requires that NMFS 

allocate 20 percent of the fixed gear 

allocation of sablefish to the fixed gear 

sablefish CDQ reserve for each subarea. 

Section 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(D) requires that 

NMFS allocate 7.5 percent of the trawl 

gear allocation of sablefish for each 

subarea from the nonspecified reserve 

and 10.7 percent of BS Greenland turbot 

and BSAI arrowtooth flounder TACs to 

the respective CDQ reserves. Section 

679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C) requires that NMFS 

allocate 10.7 percent of the TACs for 

Atka mackerel, AI Pacific ocean perch, 

yellowfin sole, rock sole, flathead sole, 

and Pacific cod (the Amendment 80 

allocated species) to the respective CDQ 

reserves. 

Sections 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A) and 

679.31(a) require allocation of 10 

percent of the BS pollock TAC to the 

pollock CDQ directed fishing allowance 

(DFA). Sections 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) 

and 679.31(a) require 10 percent of the 

AI pollock TAC be allocated to the 

pollock CDQ DFA. The entire Bogoslof 

District pollock TAC is allocated as an 

incidental catch allowance (ICA) 

pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(ii) because the 

Bogoslof District is closed to directed 


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fishing for pollock by regulation 

(§ 679.22(a)(7)(B)). With the exception of 

the fixed gear sablefish CDQ reserve, the 

regulations do not further apportion the 

CDQ reserves by gear. 

Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(1), 

NMFS proposes a pollock ICA of 46,000 

mt of the BS pollock TAC after 

subtracting the 10 percent CDQ DFA. 

This allowance is based on NMFS’s 

examination of the pollock incidentally 

retained and discarded catch, including 

the incidental catch by CDQ vessels, in 

target fisheries other than pollock in 

recent years. Pursuant to 

§ 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) and (ii), NMFS 

proposes a pollock ICA of 3,000 mt of 

the AI pollock TAC after subtracting the 

10 percent CDQ DFA. This allowance is 

based on NMFS’s examination of the 

pollock incidental catch, including the 

incidental catch by CDQ vessels, in 

target fisheries other than pollock in 

recent years. 

After subtracting the 10.7 percent 

CDQ reserve and pursuant to 

§ 679.20(a)(8) and (10), NMFS proposes 

ICAs of 2,000 mt of flathead sole, 3,000 

mt of rock sole, 2,000 mt of yellowfin 

sole, 10 mt of Western Aleutian district 

Pacific ocean perch, 60 mt of Central 

Aleutian district Pacific ocean perch, 

100 mt of Eastern Aleutian district 

Pacific ocean perch, 20 mt of Western 

Aleutian district Atka mackerel, 100 mt 

of Central Aleutian district Atka 

mackerel, and 800 mt of Eastern 

Aleutian district and BS Atka mackerel. 

These ICAs are based on NMFS’s 

examination of the incidental catch in 

other target fisheries in recent years. 

The regulations do not designate the 

remainder of the nonspecified reserve 

by species or species group. Any 

amount of the reserve may be 

apportioned to a target species that 

contributed to the nonspecified reserve 

during the year, provided that such 

apportionments are consistent with 

§ 679.20(a)(3) and do not result in 

overfishing (see § 679.20(b)(1)(i)). In the 

final 2025 and 2026 harvest 

specifications, NMFS will evaluate 

whether any apportionments are 

necessary and may apportion from the 

nonspecified reserve to increase the 

ITAC for any target species that 

contributed to the reserve. 

Allocations of Pollock TAC Under the 

American Fisheries Act 

Section 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A) requires that 

BS pollock TAC be apportioned as a 

DFA, after subtracting 10 percent for the 

CDQ Program and 46,000 mt for the 

ICA, as follows: 50 percent to the 

inshore sector, 40 percent to the 

catcher/processor (CP) sector, and 10 

percent to the mothership sector. In the 

BS, 45 percent of the DFAs are allocated 

to the A season (January 20 to June 10), 

and 55 percent of the DFAs are allocated 

to the B season (June 10 to November 1) 

(§§ 679.20(a)(5)(i)(B)(1) and 

679.23(e)(2)). The AI directed pollock 

fishery allocation to the Aleut 

Corporation is the amount of pollock 

TAC remaining in the AI after 

subtracting 1,900 mt for the CDQ DFA 

(10 percent), and 3,000 mt for the ICA 

(§ 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)). In the AI, the 

total A season apportionment of the 

pollock TAC (including the AI directed 

fishery allocation, the CDQ DFA, and 

the ICA) may not exceed 40 percent of 

the ABC for AI pollock, and the 

remainder of the pollock TAC is 

allocated to the B season 

(§ 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(3)). Table 2 lists 

these proposed 2025 and 2026 amounts. 

Within any fishing year, any 

underharvest of a seasonal allowance 

may be added to a subsequent seasonal 

allowance (§ 679.20(a)(5)(i)(B)(2) and 

679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(3)(iii)). 

Section 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(6) sets 

harvest limits for pollock in the A 

season (January 20 to June 10) in Areas 

543, 542, and 541. In Area 543, the A 

season pollock harvest limit is no more 

than 5 percent of the AI pollock ABC. 

In Area 542, the A season pollock 

harvest limit is no more than 15 percent 

of the AI pollock ABC. In Area 541, the 

A season pollock harvest limit is no 

more than 30 percent of the AI pollock 

ABC. 

Section 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4) includes 

several specific requirements regarding 

BS pollock allocations. First, it requires 

that 8.5 percent of the pollock allocated 

to the CP sector be available for harvest 

by American Fisheries Act (AFA) 

catcher vessels (CVs) with CP sector 

endorsements, unless the Regional 

Administrator receives a cooperative 

contract that allows the distribution of 

harvest among AFA CPs and AFA CVs 

in a manner agreed to by all members 

of the CP sector cooperative(s). Second, 

AFA CPs not listed in the AFA are 

limited to harvesting no more than 0.5 

percent of the pollock allocated to the 

CP sector. Table 2 lists the proposed 

2025 and 2026 allocations of pollock 

TAC. Tables 13, 14, and 15 list the AFA 

CP and CV harvesting sideboard limits. 

The BS inshore pollock cooperative and 

open access sector allocations are based 

on the submission of AFA inshore 

cooperative applications due to NMFS 

on December 1 of each calendar year. 

Because AFA inshore cooperative 

applications for 2025 have not been 

submitted to NMFS, and NMFS 

therefore cannot calculate 2025 

allocations, NMFS has not included 

inshore cooperative tables in these 

proposed harvest specifications. NMFS 

will include the 2025 AFA inshore 

pollock cooperative and open access 

sector allocations in the final harvest 

specifications. NMFS also will post the 

2025 AFA inshore pollock cooperative 

and open access sector allocations on 

the Alaska Region website at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

sustainable-fisheries/alaska-fisheriesmanagement-reports prior to the start of 

the fishing year, based on the harvest 

specifications effective on that date. 

Table 2 also lists proposed seasonal 

apportionments of pollock and harvest 

limits within the Steller Sea Lion 

Conservation Area (SCA). The harvest of 

pollock within the SCA, as defined at 

§ 679.22(a)(7)(vii), is limited to no more 

than 28 percent of the annual pollock 

DFA before 12 p.m. (noon), April 1, as 

provided in § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(C). The A 

season pollock SCA harvest limit will be 

apportioned to each sector in proportion 

to each sector’s allocated percentage of 

the DFA. 

TABLE 2—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 ALLOCATIONS OF POLLOCK TACS TO THE DIRECTED POLLOCK FISHERIES AND TO

THE CDQ DIRECTED FISHING ALLOWANCES (DFA) 1

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Area and sector 2025 and 2026 

allocations 

A season 1 B season 1

A season 

DFA 

SCA harvest 

limit 2

B season 

DFA 

Bering Sea subarea TAC ...................................................................................... 1,325,000 n/a n/a n/a 

CDQ DFA ............................................................................................................... 132,500 59,625 37,100 72,875 

ICA1 ....................................................................................................................... 46,000 n/a n/a n/a 

Total Bering Sea DFA (non-CDQ) ......................................................................... 1,146,500 515,925 321,020 630,575 


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TABLE 2—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 ALLOCATIONS OF POLLOCK TACS TO THE DIRECTED POLLOCK FISHERIES AND TO

THE CDQ DIRECTED FISHING ALLOWANCES (DFA) 1—Continued 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Area and sector 2025 and 2026 

allocations 

A season 1 B season 1

A season 

DFA 

SCA harvest 

limit 2

B season 

DFA 

AFA Inshore ........................................................................................................... 573,250 257,963 160,510 315,288 

AFA Catcher/Processors 3 ..................................................................................... 458,600 206,370 128,408 252,230 

Catch by CPs ................................................................................................. 419,619 188,829 n/a 230,790 

Catch by CVs 3 ............................................................................................... 38,981 17,541 n/a 21,440 

Unlisted CP Limit 4 ................................................................................... 2,293 1,032 n/a 1,261 

AFA Motherships ................................................................................................... 114,650 51,593 32,102 63,058 

Excessive Harvesting Limit 5 .................................................................................. 200,638 n/a n/a n/a 

Excessive Processing Limit 6 ................................................................................. 343,950 n/a n/a n/a 

Aleutian Islands subarea ABC ............................................................................... 43,863 n/a n/a n/a 

Aleutian Islands subarea TAC ............................................................................... 19,000 n/a n/a n/a 

CDQ DFA ............................................................................................................... 1,900 1,900 n/a ....................

ICA ......................................................................................................................... 3,000 1,500 n/a 1,500 

Aleut Corporation ................................................................................................... 14,100 14,100 n/a ....................

Area harvest limit 7 ................................................................................................. n/a n/a n/a n/a 

541 .................................................................................................................. 13,159 n/a n/a n/a 

542 .................................................................................................................. 6,579 n/a n/a n/a 

543 .................................................................................................................. 2,193 n/a n/a n/a 

Bogoslof District ICA8 ............................................................................................ 300 n/a n/a n/a 

1Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), the annual Bering Sea subarea pollock TAC, after subtracting the CDQ DFA (10 percent) and the ICA 

(46,000 mt), is allocated as a DFA as follows: inshore sector–50 percent, CPs–40 percent, and mothership sector–10 percent. In the Bering Sea 

subarea, 45 percent of the DFA and CDQ DFA are allocated to the A season (January 20–June 10) and 55 percent of the DFA and CDQ DFA 

are allocated to the B season (June 10–November 1). Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2), the annual Aleutian Islands subarea pollock TAC, after 

subtracting first for the CDQ DFA (10 percent) and second for the ICA (3,000 mt), is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a directed pollock fishery. In the Aleutian Islands subarea, the A season is allocated up to 40 percent of the AI pollock ABC. 2 In the Bering Sea subarea, pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(C), no more than 28 percent of each sector’s annual DFA may be taken from the 

SCA before noon, April 1. The SCA is defined at § 679.22(a)(7)(vii). 3Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4), 8.5 percent of the DFA allocated to listed CPs shall be available for harvest only by eligible catcher vessels with a CP endorsement delivering to listed CPs, unless there is a cooperative contract for the year. 4Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4)(iii), the AFA unlisted CPs are limited to harvesting not more than 0.5 percent of the C/P sector’s allocation 

of pollock. 5Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(6), NMFS establishes an excessive harvesting share limit equal to 17.5 percent of the sum of the non-CDQ 

pollock DFAs. 6Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(7), NMFS establishes an excessive processing share limit equal to 30 percent of the sum of the non-CDQ 

pollock DFAs. 7Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(6), NMFS establishes harvest limits for pollock in the A season in Area 541 no more than 30 percent, in 

Area 542 no more than 15 percent, and in Area 543 no more than 5 percent of the Aleutian Islands pollock ABC. 8Pursuant to § 679.22(a)(7)(B), the Bogoslof District is closed to directed fishing for pollock. The amounts specified are therefore for incidental 

catch only and are not apportioned by season or sector (§ 679.20(a)(5)(ii)). 

Allocation of the Atka Mackerel TACs 

Section 679.20(a)(8) allocates the Atka 

mackerel TACs to the Amendment 80 

and BSAI trawl limited access sectors, 

after subtracting the CDQ reserves, ICAs 

for the BSAI trawl limited access sector 

and non-trawl gear sector, and the jig 

gear allocation (table 3). The percentage 

of the ITAC for Atka mackerel allocated 

to the Amendment 80 and BSAI trawl 

limited access sectors is listed in table 

33 to 50 CFR part 679 and in § 679.91. 

Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(8)(i), up to 2 

percent of the Eastern Aleutian district 

and BS subarea Atka mackerel TAC may 

be allocated to vessels using jig gear. 

The percent of this allocation is 

recommended annually by the Council 

based on several criteria, including the 

anticipated harvest capacity of the jig 

gear fleet. The Council recommended, 

and NMFS proposes, a 0.5 percent 

allocation of the Atka mackerel TAC in 

the Eastern Aleutian district and BS 

subarea to the jig sector gear in 2025 and 

2026. 

Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(A) apportions 

the Atka mackerel TAC, after 

subtraction of the jig gear allocation, 

into two equal seasonal allowances. 

Section 679.23(e)(3) sets the first 

seasonal allowance for directed fishing 

with trawl gear from January 20 through 

June 10 (A season), and the second 

seasonal allowance from June 10 

through December 31 (B season). 

Section 679.23(e)(4)(iii) applies Atka 

mackerel trawl seasons to trawl CDQ 

Atka mackerel fishing. Within any 

fishing year, any underharvest or 

overharvest of a seasonal allowance may 

be added to or subtracted from a 

subsequent seasonal allowance 

(§ 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(B)). The ICA and jig 

gear allocations are not apportioned by 

season. 

Sections 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(1)(i) and 

(ii) limit Atka mackerel catch within 

waters 0 nautical miles (nmi) to 20 nmi 

of Steller sea lion sites listed in table 6 

to 50 CFR part 679 and located west of 

178° W longitude to no more than 60 

percent of the annual TACs in Areas 542 

and 543, and equally divides that 

annual harvest limit between the A and 

B seasons as defined at § 679.23(e)(3). 

Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(2) requires 

that the annual TAC in Area 543 will be 

no more than 65 percent of the ABC in 

Area 543. Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(D) 

requires that any unharvested Atka 

mackerel A season allowance that is 

added to the B season be prohibited 

from being harvested within waters 0 

nmi to 20 nmi of Steller sea lion sites 

listed in table 6 to 50 CFR part 679 and 

located in Areas 541, 542, and 543. 

Table 3 lists the proposed 2025 and 

2026 Atka mackerel seasonal 

allowances, area allowances, and the 

sector allocations. One Amendment 80 

cooperative has formed for the 2025 

fishing year. Because all Amendment 80 

vessels are part of the sole cooperative, 


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no allocation to the Amendment 80 

limited access sector is required for 

2025. The 2026 allocations for Atka 

mackerel between Amendment 80 

cooperatives and the Amendment 80 

limited access sector will not be known 

until eligible participants apply for 

participation in the program by 

November 1, 2025. NMFS will post the 

2026 Amendment 80 cooperatives and 

Amendment 80 limited access sector 

allocations on the Alaska Region 

website at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

sustainable-fisheries/sustainablefisheries-alaska prior to the start of the 

fishing year, based on the harvest 

specifications effective on that date. 

TABLE 3—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 SEASONAL AND SPATIAL ALLOWANCES, GEAR SHARES, CDQ RESERVE, 

INCIDENTAL CATCH ALLOWANCE (ICA), AND AMENDMENT 80 ALLOCATIONS OF THE BSAI ATKA MACKEREL TAC 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Sector 1 Season 234

2025 and 2026 allocation by area 

Eastern Aleutian 

District/Bering Sea 

Central Aleutian 

District 5

Western Aleutian 

District 5

TAC ........................................................................ n/a ................................... 30,000 14,877 21,288 

CDQ reserve .......................................................... Total ................................ 3,210 1,592 2,278 

A ...................................... 1,605 796 1,139 

Critical habitat 5 ............... n/a 478 683 

B ...................................... 1,605 796 1,139 

Critical habitat 5 ............... n/a 478 683 

non-CDQ TAC ........................................................ n/a ................................... 26,790 13,285 19,010 

ICA .......................................................................... Total ................................ 800 100 20 

Jig 6 ......................................................................... Total ................................ 130 ................................ ................................

BSAI trawl limited access ....................................... Total ................................ 2,586 1,319 ................................

A ...................................... 1,293 659 ................................

Critical habitat 5 ............... n/a 396 ................................

B ...................................... 1,293 659 ................................

Critical habitat 5 ............... n/a 396 ................................

Amendment 80 7 ..................................................... Total ................................ 23,274 11,867 18,990 

A ...................................... 11,637 5,933 9,495 

Critical habitat 5 ............... n/a 3,560 5,697 

B ...................................... 11,637 5,933 9,495 

Critical habitat 5 ............... n/a 3,560 5,697 

1Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii) allocates the Atka mackerel TACs, after subtracting the CDQ reserves, ICAs, and the jig gear allocation, to the 

Amendment 80 and BSAI trawl limited access sectors. The allocation of the ITAC for Atka mackerel to the Amendment 80 and BSAI trawl limited 

access sectors is established in table 33 to 50 CFR part 679 and § 679.91. The CDQ reserve is 10.7 percent of the TAC for use by CDQ participants (see § 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C)). 2Sections 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(A) and 679.22(a) establish temporal and spatial limitations for the Atka mackerel fishery. 

3The seasonal allowances of Atka mackerel for the CDQ reserve, BSAI trawl limited access sector, and Amendment 80 sector are 50 percent 

in the A season and 50 percent in the B season. 4Section 679.23(e)(3) authorizes directed fishing for Atka mackerel with trawl gear during the A season from January 20 to June 10, and the B 

season from June 10 to December 31. 5Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(1)(i) limits no more than 60 percent of the annual TACs in Areas 542 and 543 to be caught inside of Steller sea 

lion critical habitat; § 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(1)(ii) equally divides the annual harvest limits between the A and B seasons as defined at § 679.23(e)(3); 

and § 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(2) requires that the TAC in Area 543 shall be no more than 65 percent of ABC in Area 543. 6Sections 679.2 and 679.20(a)(8)(i) require that up to 2 percent of the Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea subarea TAC be allocated to 

jig gear after subtraction of the CDQ reserve and ICA. The proposed amount of this allocation is 0.5 percent. The jig gear allocation is not apportioned by season. 7The 2026 allocations for Atka mackerel between Amendment 80 cooperatives and the Amendment 80 limited access sector will not be known 

until eligible participants apply for participation in the program by November 1, 2025. 

Allocation of the Pacific Cod TAC 

The Council separated the BSAI OFL, 

ABC, and TAC into BS and AI subarea 

OFLs, ABCs, and TACs for Pacific cod 

in 2014 (79 FR 12108, March 4, 2014). 

Section 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C) allocates 10.7 

percent of the BS TAC and the AI TAC 

to the CDQ Program. After CDQ 

allocations have been deducted from the 

respective BS and AI Pacific cod TACs, 

the remaining BS and AI Pacific cod 

TACs are combined for calculating 

further BSAI Pacific cod sector 

allocations and seasonal allowances. If 

the non-CDQ Pacific cod TAC is or will 

be reached in either the BS or the AI 

subareas, NMFS will prohibit directed 

fishing for non-CDQ Pacific cod in that 

subarea, as provided in 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii). 

Section 679.20(a)(7)(ii) allocates to the 

non-CDQ sectors the combined BSAI 

Pacific cod TAC, after subtracting 10.7 

percent for the CDQ Program, as 

follows: 1.4 percent to vessels using jig 

gear, 2.0 percent to hook-and-line or pot 

CVs less than 60 feet (ft) (18.3 m) LOA, 

0.2 percent to hook-and-line CVs greater 

than or equal to 60 ft (18.3 m) LOA, 48.7 

percent to hook-and-line CPs, 8.4 

percent to pot CVs greater than or equal 

to 60 ft (18.3 m) LOA, 1.5 percent to pot 

CPs, 2.3 percent to AFA trawl CPs, 13.4 

percent to the Amendment 80 sector, 

and 22.1 percent to trawl CVs. The BSAI 

ICA for the hook-and-line and pot 

sectors will be deducted from the 

aggregate portion of BSAI Pacific cod 

TAC allocated to the hook-and-line and 

pot sectors (§ 679.20(a)(7)(ii)(B)). For 

2025 and 2026, the Regional 

Administrator proposes a BSAI ICA of 

500 mt, based on anticipated incidental 

catch by these sectors in other fisheries. 

During the fishing year, NMFS may 

reallocate unharvested Pacific cod 

among sectors, consistent with the 

reallocation hierarchy set forth at 

§ 679.20(a)(7)(iii). 

The BSAI ITAC allocation of Pacific 

cod to the Amendment 80 sector is 

established in table 33 to 50 CFR part 

679 and § 679.91. One Amendment 80 

cooperative has formed for the 2025 

fishing year. Because all Amendment 80 

vessels are part of the sole cooperative, 

no allocation to the Amendment 80 

limited access sector is required for 


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96194 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 233 / Wednesday, December 4, 2024 / Proposed Rules 

2025. The 2026 allocations for Pacific 

cod between Amendment 80 

cooperatives and the Amendment 80 

limited access sector will not be known 

until eligible participants apply for 

participation in the program by 

November 1, 2025. NMFS will post the 

2026 Amendment 80 cooperatives and 

Amendment 80 limited access fishery 

allocations on the Alaska Region 

website at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

sustainable-fisheries/sustainablefisheries-alaska prior to the start of the 

fishing year, based on the harvest 

specifications effective on that date. 

The BSAI ITAC allocation of Pacific 

cod to the Pacific Cod Trawl 

Cooperative Program (PCTC) Program is 

established in § 679.131(b). Section 

679.131(b)(1)(i) also requires NMFS to 

establish an ICA for incidental catch of 

Pacific cod by trawl CVs engaged in 

directed fishing for groundfish other 

than PCTC Program Pacific cod during 

the A and B seasons. In the annual 

harvest specification process, NMFS 

determines the Pacific cod trawl catcher 

vessel TAC and the annual 

apportionment of Pacific cod in the A 

and B seasons between the PCTC 

Program DFA and the ICA 

(§ 679.131(b)(2)) (table 4 below). The 

allocations to PCTC Program 

cooperatives are not included in these 

proposed harvest specifications. PCTC 

Program cooperative applications are 

not due to NMFS until November 1, 

2024; therefore, NMFS cannot calculate 

2025 and 2026 allocations in 

conjunction with these proposed 

harvest specifications (§ 679.131(b)). 

After receiving the PCTC Program 

applications, NMFS will calculate the 

2025 allocations for PCTC Program 

cooperatives, as set forth in in 

§ 679.131(b), and will include the 2025 

PCTC Program cooperative allocations 

in the final harvest specifications. 

NMFS also will post the 2025 PCTC 

Program cooperative allocations on the 

Alaska Region website at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

sustainable-fisheries/alaska-fisheriesmanagement-reports prior to the start of 

the fishing year, based on the harvest 

specifications effective on that date. The 

2026 allocations for Pacific cod for 

PCTC Program cooperatives will not be 

known until eligible participants apply 

for participation in the program by 

November 1, 2025. 

The sector allocations of Pacific cod 

are apportioned into seasonal 

allowances to disperse the Pacific cod 

fisheries over the fishing year (see 

§§ 679.20(a)(7)(i)(B) (CDQ), 

679.20(a)(7)(iv)(A) (non-CDQ), and 

679.23(e)(5) (seasons)). Table 4 lists the 

non-CDQ sector and seasonal 

allowances. In accordance with 

§ 679.20(a)(7)(iv)(B) and (C), any unused 

portion of a non-CDQ Pacific cod 

seasonal allowance for any sector, 

except the jig sector, will become 

available at the beginning of that 

sector’s next seasonal allowance. 

Section 679.20(a)(7)(i)(B) sets forth the 

CDQ Pacific cod gear allowances by 

season, and CDQ groups are prohibited 

from exceeding those seasonal 

allowances (§ 679.7(d)(6)). 

Section 679.20(a)(7)(vii) requires that 

the Regional Administrator establish an 

Area 543 Pacific cod harvest limit based 

on Pacific cod abundance in Area 543 

as determined by the annual stock 

assessment process. Based on the 2023 

stock assessment, the Regional 

Administrator has preliminarily 

determined for 2025 and 2026 that the 

estimated amount of Pacific cod 

abundance in Area 543 is 15.7 percent 

of total AI abundance. To calculate the 

Area 543 Pacific cod harvest limit, 

NMFS first subtracts the State GHL 

Pacific cod amount from the AI Pacific 

cod ABC. Then NMFS determines the 

harvest limit in Area 543 by multiplying 

the percentage of Pacific cod estimated 

in Area 543 (15.7 percent) by the 

remaining ABC for AI Pacific cod. Based 

on these calculations, which rely on the 

2023 stock assessment, the proposed 

Area 543 harvest limit is 1,269 mt. 

However, the final Area 543 harvest 

limit could change if the Pacific cod 

abundance in Area 543 changes based 

on the stock assessment in the final 

2024 SAFE report. 

Under the PCTC Program, PCTC 

cooperatives are required to collectively 

set aside up to 12 percent of the PCTC 

Program A-season allocation for 

delivery to an AI shoreplant established 

through the process set forth at 

§ 679.132 in years in which an AI 

community representative notifies 

NMFS of their intent to process PCTC 

Program Pacific cod in Adak or Atka. A 

notice of intent to process PCTC 

Program Pacific cod for 2025 must be 

submitted in writing to the Regional 

Administrator by a representative of the 

City of Adak or the City of Atka no later 

than October 15. A notice of intent was 

not received in 2024, and accordingly 

the AI set-aside will not be in effect for 

2025. The 2026 set-aside will be 

determined after the October 15, 2025, 

deadline in conjunction with the 2026 

and 2027 harvest specifications process. 

Based on the proposed 2025 and 2026 

Pacific cod TACs, table 4 lists the CDQ 

and non-CDQ TAC amounts; non-CDQ 

seasonal allowances by gear; the sector 

allocations of Pacific cod; and the 

seasons set forth at § 679.23(e)(5). 

TABLE 4—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 SECTOR ALLOCATIONS AND SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF THE BSAI 1 PACIFIC COD

TAC 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Sector Percent 

2025 and 2026 

share of gear 

sector total 

2025 and 2026 

share of 

sector total 

2025 and 2026 seasonal allowances 

Season Amount 

Total Bering Sea TAC ...................................................................................... n/a 131,217 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

Bering Sea CDQ .............................................................................................. n/a 14,040 n/a See § 679.20(a)(7)(i)(B) ...... n/a 

Bering Sea non-CDQ TAC .............................................................................. n/a 117,177 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

Total Aleutian Islands TAC .............................................................................. n/a 8,080 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

Aleutian Islands CDQ ...................................................................................... n/a 865 n/a See § 679.20(a)(7)(i)(B) ...... n/a 

Aleutian Islands non-CDQ TAC ....................................................................... n/a 7,215 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

Western Aleutians Islands Limit ...................................................................... n/a 1,269 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

Total BSAI non-CDQ TAC 1 ............................................................................. 100.0 124,392 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

Total hook-and-line/pot gear ............................................................................ 60.8 75,630 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

Hook-and-line/pot ICA2 ................................................................................... n/a n/a 500 n/a ....................................... n/a 

Hook-and-line/pot sub-total .............................................................................. n/a 75,130 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

Hook-and-line catcher/processors ................................................................... 48.7 n/a 60,179 n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-season .......................................................................................................... Jan-1–Jun 10 ...................... 30,691 

B-season .......................................................................................................... Jun 10–Dec 31 ................... 29,487 

Hook-and-line catcher vessels ≥60 ft LOA ...................................................... 0.2 n/a 247 n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-season .......................................................................................................... Jan 1–Jun 10 ...................... 126 

B-season .......................................................................................................... Jun 10–Dec 31 ................... 121 

Pot catcher/processors .................................................................................... 1.5 n/a 1,854 n/a ....................................... n/a 


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TABLE 4—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 SECTOR ALLOCATIONS AND SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF THE BSAI 1 PACIFIC COD

TAC—Continued 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Sector Percent 

2025 and 2026 

share of gear 

sector total 

2025 and 2026 

share of 

sector total 

2025 and 2026 seasonal allowances 

Season Amount 

Pot catcher/processors A-season .................................................................... Jan 1–Jun 10 ...................... 945 

Pot catcher/processors B-season .................................................................... Sept 1–Dec 31 .................... 908 

Pot catcher vessels ≥60 ft LOA ....................................................................... 8.4 n/a 10,380 n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-season .......................................................................................................... Jan 1–Jun 10 ...................... 5,294 

B-season .......................................................................................................... Sept-1–Dec 31 .................... 5,086 

Catcher vessels <60 ft LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear ......................... 2.0 n/a 2,471 n/a ....................................... n/a 

Trawl catcher vessels 3 .................................................................................... 22.1 27,491 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-Season ICA .................................................................................................. Jan 20–Apr 1 ...................... 1,500 

A-season PCTC ............................................................................................... Jan 20–Apr 1 ...................... 18,843 

B-season ICA ................................................................................................... Apr 1–Jun 10 ...................... 700 

B-season PCTC ............................................................................................... Apr 1–Jun 10 ...................... 2,324 

C-season trawl catcher vessels ....................................................................... Jun 10–Nov 1 ..................... 4,124 

AFA trawl catcher/processors .......................................................................... 2.3 2,861 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-season .......................................................................................................... Jan 20–Apr 1 ...................... 2,146 

B-season .......................................................................................................... Apr 1–Jun 10 ...................... 715 

C-season .......................................................................................................... Jun 10–Nov 1 ..................... ..............

Amendment 80 ................................................................................................. 13.4 16,669 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-season .......................................................................................................... Jan 20–Apr 1 ...................... 12,501 

B-season .......................................................................................................... Apr 1–Jun 10 ...................... 4,167 

C-season .......................................................................................................... Jun 10–Dec 31 ................... ..............

Jig ..................................................................................................................... 1.4 1,741 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-season .......................................................................................................... Jan 1–Apr 30 ...................... 1,045 

B-season .......................................................................................................... Apr 30–Aug 31 ................... 348 

C-season .......................................................................................................... Aug 31–Dec 31 ................... 348 

1The sector allocations and seasonal allowances for BSAI Pacific cod TAC are based on the sum of the BS and AI Pacific cod TACs, after subtraction of the reserves for the CDQ Program. If the TAC for Pacific cod in either the BS or AI is or will be reached, then directed fishing will be prohibited for non-CDQ Pacific cod in 

that subarea, even if a BSAI allowance remains (§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii)). 2The ICA for the hook-and-line and pot sectors will be deducted from the aggregate portion of Pacific cod TAC allocated to the hook-and-line and pot sectors. The 

Regional Administrator proposes an ICA of 500 mt based on anticipated incidental catch by these sectors in other fisheries. 3The A and B season trawl CV Pacific cod allocation will be allocated to the PCTC Program after subtraction of the A and B season ICAs (§ 679.131(b)(1)). The 

Regional Administrator proposes for the A and B seasons, ICAs of 1,500 mt and 700 mt, respectively, to account for projected incidental catch of Pacific cod by trawl 

catcher vessels engaged in directed fishing for groundfish other than PCTC Program Pacific cod. 

Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

Sablefish Gear Allocation 

Section 679.20(a)(4)(iii) and (iv) 

require allocation of sablefish TAC for 

the BS and AI between trawl gear and 

fixed gear. Gear allocations of the 

sablefish TAC for the BS are 50 percent 

for trawl gear and 50 percent for fixed 

gear. Gear allocations of the TAC for the 

AI are 25 percent for trawl gear and 75 

percent for fixed gear. Section 

679.20(b)(1)(ii)(B) requires that NMFS 

apportion 20 percent of the fixed gear 

allocation of sablefish TAC to the CDQ 

reserve for each subarea. Also, 

§ 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(D)(1) requires that 7.5 

percent of the trawl gear allocation of 

sablefish TAC from the nonspecified 

reserve, established under 

§ 679.20(b)(1)(i), be apportioned to the 

CDQ reserve. The Council 

recommended that only trawl gear 

allocations of sablefish TACs be 

established biennially and that fixed 

gear allocations of sablefish TACs be 

established for 1 year. NMFS concurs, 

and the proposed harvest specifications 

for the fixed gear sablefish Individual 

Fishing Quota (IFQ) fisheries are limited 

to the 2025 fishing year to ensure those 

fisheries are conducted concurrently 

with the halibut IFQ fishery. Concurrent 

sablefish and halibut IFQ fisheries 

reduce the potential for discards of 

halibut and sablefish in those fisheries. 

The sablefish IFQ fisheries remain 

closed at the beginning of each fishing 

year until the final harvest 

specifications for the sablefish IFQ 

fisheries are in effect. Table 5 lists the 

proposed 2025 and 2026 gear 

allocations of the sablefish TAC and 

CDQ reserve amounts. 

TABLE 5—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 GEAR SHARES AND CDQ RESERVE OF BSAI SABLEFISH TACS

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Subarea and gear Percent 

of TAC 

2025 Share 

of TAC 

2025 

ITAC 1

2025 CDQ 

reserve 

2026 Share 

of TAC 

2026 

ITAC 

2026 CDQ 

reserve 

Bering Sea: 

Trawl gear ..................................................... 50 4,750 4,038 356 4,750 4,038 356 

Fixed gear 2 ................................................... 50 4,750 n/a 950 n/a n/a n/a 

Total ....................................................... 100 9,500 4,038 1,306 4,750 4,038 356 

Aleutian Islands: 

Trawl gear ..................................................... 25 2,110 1,794 158 2,110 1,794 158 

Fixed gear 2 ................................................... 75 6,330 n/a 1,266 n/a n/a n/a 


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TABLE 5—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 GEAR SHARES AND CDQ RESERVE OF BSAI SABLEFISH TACS—Continued 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Subarea and gear Percent 

of TAC 

2025 Share 

of TAC 

2025 

ITAC 1

2025 CDQ 

reserve 

2026 Share 

of TAC 

2026 

ITAC 

2026 CDQ 

reserve 

Total ....................................................... 100 8,440 1,794 1,424 2,110 1,794 158 

1For the sablefish TAC allocated to vessels using trawl gear, 15 percent of TAC is apportioned to the nonspecified reserve (§ 679.20(b)(1)(i)). 

The ITAC for vessels using trawl gear is the remainder of the TAC after subtracting this reserve. In the BS and AI, 7.5 percent of the trawl gear 

allocation of the TAC is assigned from the nonspecified reserve to the CDQ reserve (§ 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(D)(1)). 2For the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to vessels using fixed gear, 20 percent of the allocated TAC for the BS and AI is reserved for 

use by CDQ participants (§ 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(B)). The ITAC for vessels using fixed gear is the remainder of the TAC after subtracting the CDQ reserve for each subarea. The Council recommended, and NMFS proposes, that specifications for the fixed gear sablefish IFQ fisheries be limited 

to 1 year. 

Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

Allocation of the AI Pacific Ocean 

Perch, and BSAI Flathead Sole, Rock 

Sole, and Yellowfin Sole TACs 

Section 679.20(a)(10)(i) and (ii) 

require that NMFS allocate AI Pacific 

ocean perch, and BSAI flathead sole, 

rock sole, and yellowfin sole TACs 

between the Amendment 80 sector and 

the BSAI trawl limited access sector, 

after subtracting 10.7 percent for the 

CDQ reserves and amounts for ICAs for 

the BSAI trawl limited access sector and 

vessels using non-trawl gear. The 

allocation of the ITACs for AI Pacific 

ocean perch, and BSAI flathead sole, 

rock sole, and yellowfin sole to the 

Amendment 80 sector is established in 

accordance with tables 33 and 34 to 50 

CFR part 679 and in § 679.91. 

One Amendment 80 cooperative has 

formed for the 2025 fishing year. 

Because all Amendment 80 vessels are 

part of the sole cooperative, no 

allocation to the Amendment 80 limited 

access sector is required for 2025. The 

2026 allocations for Amendment 80 

species between Amendment 80 

cooperatives and the Amendment 80 

limited access sector will not be known 

until eligible participants apply for 

participation in the program and the 

deadline for applying for participation 

is November 1, 2025. NMFS will post 

the 2026 Amendment 80 cooperatives 

and Amendment 80 limited access 

sector allocations on the Alaska Region 

website at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

sustainable-fisheries/sustainablefisheries-alaska prior to the start of the 

fishing year, based on the harvest 

specifications effective on that date. 

Table 6 lists the proposed 2025 and 

2026 allocations of the AI Pacific ocean 

perch, and BSAI flathead sole, rock sole, 

and yellowfin sole TACs. 

TABLE 6—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT QUOTA (CDQ) RESERVES, INCIDENTAL CATCH

AMOUNTS (ICAS), AND AMENDMENT 80 ALLOCATIONS OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS PACIFIC OCEAN PERCH, AND BSAI 

FLATHEAD SOLE, ROCK SOLE, AND YELLOWFIN SOLE TACS

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Sector 

2025 and 2026 allocations 

Pacific ocean perch Flathead 

sole 

Rock 

sole 

Yellowfin 

sole Eastern 

Aleutian 

District 

Central 

Aleutian 

District 

Western 

Aleutian 

District BSAI BSAI BSAI 

TAC .................................................................................. 7,828 5,423 12,500 35,500 66,000 195,000 

CDQ ................................................................................. 838 580 1,338 3,799 7,062 20,865 

ICA ................................................................................... 100 60 10 2,000 3,000 2,000 

BSAI trawl limited access ................................................ 689 478 223 .................... .................... 33,796 

Amendment 80 1 .............................................................. 6,201 4,304 10,929 29,702 55,938 138,339 

1The 2026 allocations between Amendment 80 cooperatives and the Amendment 80 limited access sector will not be known until eligible participants apply for participation in the program by the deadline of November 1, 2025. 

Section 679.2 defines the ABC surplus 

for flathead sole, rock sole, and 

yellowfin sole as the difference between 

the annual ABC and TAC for each 

species. Section 679.20(b)(1)(iii) 

establishes ABC reserves for flathead 

sole, rock sole, and yellowfin sole. The 

ABC surpluses and the ABC reserves are 

necessary to mitigate the operational 

variability, environmental conditions, 

and economic factors that may constrain 

the CDQ groups and the Amendment 80 

cooperatives from fully harvesting their 

allocations and to improve the 

likelihood of achieving and 

maintaining, on a continuing basis, the 

optimum yield in the BSAI groundfish 

fisheries. NMFS, after consultation with 

the Council, may set the ABC reserve at 

or below the ABC surplus for each 

species, thus maintaining the TAC at or 

below ABC limits. An amount equal to 

10.7 percent of the ABC reserves will be 

allocated as CDQ ABC reserves for 

flathead sole, rock sole, and yellowfin 

sole. Section 679.31(b)(4) establishes the 

annual allocations of CDQ ABC reserves 

among the CDQ groups. The 

Amendment 80 ABC reserves are the 

ABC reserves minus the CDQ ABC 

reserves. Section 679.91(i)(2) establishes 

each Amendment 80 cooperative ABC 

reserves to be the ratio of each 

cooperatives’ quota share units and the 

total Amendment 80 quota share units, 

multiplied by the Amendment 80 ABC 

reserve for each respective species. 

Table 7 lists the proposed 2025 and 

2026 ABC surplus and ABC reserves for 

BSAI flathead sole, rock sole, and 

yellowfin sole. 


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TABLE 7—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 ABC SURPLUS, ABC RESERVES, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT QUOTA (CDQ) ABC 

RESERVES, AND AMENDMENT 80 ABC RESERVES IN THE BSAI FOR FLATHEAD SOLE, ROCK SOLE, AND YELLOWFIN SOLE

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Sector Flathead sole Rock sole Yellowfin sole 

ABC ...................................................................................................................................... 68,203 122,535 276,917 

TAC ...................................................................................................................................... 35,500 66,000 195,000 

ABC surplus ......................................................................................................................... 32,703 56,535 81,917 

ABC reserve ........................................................................................................................ 32,703 56,535 81,917 

CDQ ABC reserve ............................................................................................................... 3,499 6,049 8,765 

Amendment 80 ABC reserve 1 ............................................................................................ 29,204 50,486 73,152 

Note: The 2026 allocations between Amendment 80 cooperatives and the Amendment 80 limited access sector will not be known until eligible 

participants apply for participation in the program by the deadline of November 1, 2025. 

Proposed PSC Limits for Halibut, 

Salmon, Crab, and Herring 

Sections 679.21(b), (e), (f), and (g) set 

forth the BSAI PSC limits. Section 

679.21(b)(1) establishes three fixed 

halibut PSC limits totaling 1,770 mt, 

and assigns 315 mt of the halibut PSC 

limit as the PSQ reserve for use by the 

groundfish CDQ Program, 745 mt of the 

halibut PSC limit for the BSAI trawl 

limited access sector, and 710 mt of the 

halibut PSC limit for the BSAI non-trawl 

sector. Under amendment 123 to the 

FMP and implementing regulations (88 

FR 82740, November 24, 2023), an 

additional amount for the halibut PSC 

limit for the Amendment 80 sector is 

determined annually based on the most 

recent halibut biomass estimates from 

the International Pacific Halibut 

Commission (IPHC) setline survey index 

and the NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science 

Center (AFSC) Eastern Bering Sea shelf 

trawl survey index. In accordance with 

§ 679.21(b)(1)(i)(B), NMFS applies both 

halibut biomass estimates such that the 

value at the intercept of those survey 

indices from table 58 to 50 CFR part 679 

is the Amendment 80 sector halibut PSC 

limit for the following year. 

The 2024 AFSC Eastern Bering Sea 

shelf trawl survey index estimate of 

halibut abundance is 125,145 mt and is 

below the threshold level of 150,000 mt. 

The IPHC setline survey index is 

unknown at this time but is anticipated 

to be available by December 2024. Based 

on the 2024 AFSC Eastern Bering Sea 

shelf trawl survey index indicating a 

low biomass state, the final Amendment 

80 sector halibut PSC limit will be one 

of the following—1,134 mt, 1,309 mt, 

1,396 mt, or 1,745 mt—depending on 

the IPHC setline survey index. Since 

both survey indices are not yet 

available, NMFS is unable to calculate 

the Amendment 80 sector halibut PSC 

limit for next year in these proposed 

2025 and 2026 harvest specifications 

and therefore proposes a roll-over from 

last year’s 2024 and 2025 harvest 

specifications of 1,396 mt. NMFS will 

calculate the final Amendment 80 sector 

halibut PSC limit and the total halibut 

PSC limit for the BSAI in the final 2025 

and 2026 harvest specifications. 

Section 679.21(b)(1)(iii)(A) and (B) 

require apportionment of the BSAI nontrawl halibut PSC limit into PSC 

allowances among six fishery categories, 

and § 679.21(b)(1)(ii)(A) and (B), 

(e)(3)(i)(B), and (e)(3)(iv) require 

apportionment of the BSAI trawl limited 

access sector’s halibut and crab PSC 

limits into PSC allowances among seven 

fishery categories. Tables 9 and 10 list 

the proposed fishery PSC allowances for 

the BSAI trawl limited access sector 

fisheries, and table 11 lists the proposed 

fishery PSC allowances for the nontrawl fisheries. 

Pursuant to section 3.6 of the FMP, 

the Council recommends, and NMFS 

proposes, that certain specified nontrawl fisheries be exempt from the 

halibut PSC limit. As in past years, after 

consultation with the Council, NMFS 

proposes to exempt the pot gear fishery, 

the jig gear fishery, and the sablefish 

IFQ fixed gear fishery categories from 

halibut bycatch restrictions for the 

following reasons: (1) the pot gear 

fisheries have low halibut bycatch 

mortality; (2) NMFS estimates halibut 

mortality for the jig gear fleet to be 

negligible because of the small size of 

the fishery and the selectivity of the 

gear; and (3) the sablefish and halibut 

IFQ fisheries have low halibut bycatch 

mortality because the IFQ Program 

requires legal-size halibut to be retained 

by vessels using fixed gear if a halibut 

IFQ permit holder or a hired master is 

aboard and is holding unused halibut 

IFQ for that vessel category and the IFQ 

regulatory area in which the vessel is 

operating (§ 679.7(f)(11)). 

As of November 8, 2024, total 

groundfish catch for the pot gear fishery 

in the BSAI was 13,278 mt, with an 

associated halibut bycatch mortality of 9 

mt. The 2024 jig gear fishery harvested 

0 mt of groundfish. Most vessels in the 

jig gear fleet are exempt from observer 

coverage requirements. As a result, 

observer data are not available on 

halibut bycatch in the jig gear fishery. 

As mentioned above, NMFS estimates a 

negligible amount of halibut bycatch 

mortality because of the selective nature 

of jig gear and the low mortality rate of 

halibut caught with jig gear and 

released. 

Under § 679.21(f)(2), NMFS annually 

allocates portions of either 33,318, 

45,000, 47,591, or 60,000 Chinook 

salmon PSC limits among the AFA 

sectors, depending on past bycatch 

performance, on whether Chinook 

salmon bycatch incentive plan 

agreements (IPA) are approved, and on 

whether NMFS determines it is a low 

Chinook salmon abundance year. NMFS 

will determine that it is a low Chinook 

salmon abundance year when 

abundance of Chinook salmon in 

western Alaska is less than or equal to 

250,000 Chinook salmon. The State 

provides to NMFS an estimate of 

Chinook salmon abundance using the 3- 

System Index for western Alaska, based 

on the Kuskokwim, Unalakleet, and 

Upper Yukon aggregate stock grouping. 

If an AFA sector participates in an 

approved IPA and has not exceeded its 

performance standard under 

§ 679.21(f)(6), and if it is not a low 

Chinook salmon abundance year, then 

NMFS will allocate a portion of the 

60,000 Chinook salmon PSC limit to 

that sector as specified in 

§ 679.21(f)(3)(iii)(A). If no IPA is 

approved, or if the sector has exceeded 

its performance standard under 

§ 679.21(f)(6), and if it is not a low 

abundance year, then NMFS will 

allocate a portion of the 47,591 Chinook 

salmon PSC limit to that sector as 

specified in § 679.21(f)(3)(iii)(C). If an 

AFA sector participates in an approved 

IPA and has not exceeded its 

performance standard under 

§ 679.21(f)(6) in a low abundance year, 

then NMFS will allocate a portion of the 

45,000 Chinook salmon PSC limit to 

that sector as specified in 

§ 679.21(f)(3)(iii)(B). If no IPA is 

approved, or if the sector has exceeded 


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its performance standard under 

§ 679.21(f)(6), and if in a low abundance 

year, then NMFS will allocate a portion 

of the 33,318 Chinook salmon PSC limit 

to that sector as specified in 

§ 679.21(f)(3)(iii)(D). 

NMFS has determined that 2024 was 

a low Chinook salmon abundance year, 

based on the State’s estimate that 

Chinook salmon abundance in western 

Alaska is less than 250,000 Chinook 

salmon. In addition, all AFA sectors are 

participating in NMFS-approved IPAs, 

and no sector has exceeded the sector’s 

annual Chinook salmon bycatch 

performance standard in any three of 

seven consecutive years. Therefore, in 

2025, the Chinook salmon PSC limit is 

45,000 Chinook salmon, allocated to 

each sector as specified in 

§ 679.21(f)(3)(iii)(B). In 2025, the 

Chinook salmon bycatch performance 

standard under § 679.21(f)(6) is 33,318 

Chinook salmon, allocated to each 

sector as specified in 

§ 679.21(f)(3)(iii)(D). If a sector exceeds 

its Chinook salmon bycatch 

performance standard in any three of 

seven consecutive years, that sector’s 

allocation is reduced to the amount 

allocated under the Chinook salmon 

bycatch performance standard at 

§ 679.21(f)(3)(iii)(C)–(D). The AFA 

sector Chinook salmon PSC limits are 

also seasonally apportioned with 70 

percent for the A season pollock fishery 

and 30 percent for the B season pollock 

fishery (§§ 679.21(f)(3)(i) and 

679.23(e)(2)). NMFS publishes the 

approved IPAs and the Chinook salmon 

PSC allocations and reports at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

sustainable-fisheries/sustainablefisheries-alaska. 

Section 679.21(g)(2)(i) specifies 700 

fish as the 2025 and 2026 Chinook 

salmon PSC limit for the AI pollock 

fishery. Section 679.21(g)(2)(ii) allocates 

7.5 percent, or 53 Chinook salmon, as 

the AI PSQ reserve for the CDQ Program 

and allocates the remaining 647 

Chinook salmon to the non-CDQ 

fisheries. 

Section 679.21(f)(14)(i) specifies 

42,000 fish as the 2025 and 2026 nonChinook salmon PSC limit for vessels 

using trawl gear from August 15 through 

October 14 in the Catcher Vessel 

Operational Area (CVOA). Section 

679.21(f)(14)(ii) allocates 10.7 percent, 

or 4,494 non-Chinook salmon, in the 

CVOA as the PSQ reserve for the CDQ 

Program and allocates the remaining 

37,506 non-Chinook salmon in the 

CVOA to the non-CDQ fisheries. Section 

679.21(f)(14)(iv) exempts from closures 

in the Chum Salmon Savings Area trawl 

vessels participating in directed fishing 

for pollock and operating under an IPA 

approved by NMFS. 

PSC limits for crab and herring are 

specified annually based on abundance 

and spawning biomass. 

Based on the most recent (2024) 

survey data, the red king crab mature 

female abundance is estimated at 11.7 

million red king crabs, and the effective 

spawning biomass is estimated at 22.47 

million lbs (10,190 mt). Based on the 

criteria set out at § 679.21(e)(1)(i), the 

calculated 2025 and 2026 PSC limit of 

red king crab in Zone 1 for trawl gear 

is 97,000 animals. This limit derives 

from the mature female abundance 

estimate above 8.4 million mature red 

king crab and an effective spawning 

biomass between 14.5 and 55 million 

lbs (6,577 and 24,947 mt). 

Section 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)(2) 

establishes criteria under which NMFS 

must specify, after consultation with the 

Council, an annual red king crab 

bycatch limit for the Red King Crab 

Savings Subarea (RKCSS) if the State 

has established a GHL fishery for red 

king crab in the Bristol Bay area in the 

previous year. The regulations limit the 

RKCSS red king crab bycatch limit to 25 

percent of the red king crab PSC limit, 

based on the need to optimize the 

groundfish harvest relative to red king 

crab bycatch. In October 2024, the 

Council recommended and NMFS 

proposes that the RKCSS red king crab 

bycatch limit for 2025 and 2026 be 

equal to 25 percent of the red king crab 

PSC limit (table 9). 

Based on the most recent (2024) 

survey data from the NMFS annual 

bottom trawl survey, Tanner crab 

(Chionoecetes bairdi) abundance is 

estimated at 1,216 million animals. 

Pursuant to criteria set out at 

§ 679.21(e)(1)(ii), the calculated 2025 

and 2026 C. bairdi crab PSC limit for 

trawl gear is 980,000 animals in Zone 1 

and 2,970,000 animals in Zone 2. The 

limit in Zone 1 is based on the total 

abundance of C. bairdi (estimated at 

1,216 million animals), which is greater 

than 400 million animals. The limit in 

Zone 2 is based on the total abundance 

of C. bairdi (estimated at 1,216 million 

animals), which is greater than 400 

million animals. 

Pursuant to § 679.21(e)(1)(iii), the PSC 

limit for trawl gear for snow crab (C. 

opilio) is based on total abundance as 

indicated by the NMFS annual bottom 

trawl survey. The C. opilio crab PSC 

limit in the C. opilio bycatch limitation 

zone (COBLZ) is set at 0.1133 percent of 

the Bering Sea abundance index minus 

150,000 crabs, unless a minimum or 

maximum PSC limit applies. Based on 

the most recent (2024) survey estimate 

of 13.37 billion animals, the calculated 

C. opilio crab PSC limit is 14,998,210 

animals. Because 0.1133 percent 

multiplied by the total abundance is 

greater than 13 million animals, the 

maximum PSC limit applies and the 

PSC limit will be 12.85 million animals. 

Pursuant to § 679.21(e)(1)(v), the PSC 

limit of Pacific herring caught while 

conducting any trawl operation for BSAI 

groundfish is 1 percent of the annual 

eastern Bering Sea herring biomass. Due 

to the lack of new information as of 

October 2024 regarding herring PSC 

limits and apportionments, the Council 

recommended, and NMFS proposes, 

basing the proposed 2025 and 2026 

herring PSC limits and apportionments 

on the 2023 survey data. Based on the 

2023 survey data, the best current 

estimate of 2025 and 2026 herring 

biomass is 253,511 mt. This amount was 

developed by the Alaska Department of 

Fish and Game based on biomass for 

spawning aggregations. Therefore, the 

herring PSC limit proposed for 2025 and 

2026 is 2,535 mt for all trawl gear as 

listed in tables 8 and 9. The Council and 

NMFS will reconsider the herring PSC 

limit for the final harvest specifications 

when updated survey data and 

information on biomass becomes 

available. 

Section 679.21(e)(3)(i)(A)(1) 

apportions 10.7 percent of each trawl 

gear PSC limit specified for crab as a 

PSQ reserve for use by the groundfish 

CDQ Program. Section 679.21(e)(3)(i)(A) 

requires that crab PSQ reserves be 

subtracted from the total trawl PSC 

limits. The crab and halibut PSC limits 

assigned to the Amendment 80 and 

BSAI trawl limited access sectors are 

listed in table 35 to 50 CFR part 679. 

The resulting proposed 2025 and 2026 

apportionments of crab and halibut PSC 

limits to CDQ PSQ, the Amendment 80 

sector, and the BSAI trawl limited 

access sector are listed in table 8. 

Pursuant to §§ 679.21(b)(1)(i), 

679.21(e)(3)(vi), and 679.91(d) through 

(f), crab and halibut trawl PSC limits 

assigned to the Amendment 80 sector 

are then further issued to Amendment 

80 cooperatives as cooperative quotas. 

Crab and halibut PSC cooperative 

quotas assigned to Amendment 80 

cooperatives are not assigned to specific 

fishery categories. 

One Amendment 80 cooperative has 

formed for the 2025 fishing year. 

Because all Amendment 80 vessels are 

part of the sole cooperative, no PSC 

limit assigned to the Amendment 80 

limited access sector is required for 

2025. The 2026 PSC limits assigned 

between Amendment 80 cooperatives 

and the Amendment 80 limited access 

sector will not be known until eligible 

participants apply for participation in 


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the program by the deadline of 

November 1, 2025. NMFS will post the 

2026 Amendment 80 cooperatives and 

Amendment 80 limited access sector 

limits on the Alaska Region website at 

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

sustainable-fisheries/sustainablefisheries-alaska prior to the start of the 

fishing year, based on the harvest 

specifications effective on that date. 

The BSAI allocation of halibut and 

crab PSC limits to the PCTC Program is 

established in § 679.131(c) and (d). The 

halibut PSC apportioned to the trawl CV 

sector is 98 percent of the halibut PSC 

limit apportioned to the BSAI trawl 

limited access sector’s Pacific cod 

fishery category, and the remaining 2 

percent is apportioned to the AFA CP 

sector. The trawl CV sector 

apportionment is further assigned to the 

A and B seasons (95 percent) and the C 

season (5 percent), and the A and B 

season trawl CV halibut PSC limit is 

reduced by 25 percent to determine the 

overall PCTC Program halibut PSC limit. 

The crab PSC apportioned to the trawl 

CV sector is 90.6 percent of the crab PSC 

limit apportioned to the BSAI trawl 

limited access sector’s Pacific cod 

fishery category, and the remaining 9.4 

percent is apportioned to the AFA CP 

sector. The trawl CV sector 

apportionment is further assigned to the 

A and B seasons (95 percent) and the C 

season (5 percent), and the A and B 

season trawl CV crab PSC limit is 

reduced by 35 percent to determine the 

overall PCTC Program crab PSC limit. 

Pursuant to § 679.131(c) and (d), the 

halibut and crab trawl PSC limits 

assigned to the PCTC Program are then 

further issued to PCTC Program 

cooperatives as cooperative quotas. The 

halibut and crab PSC limits issued to 

PCTC Program cooperatives are not 

included in these proposed harvest 

specifications. PCTC Program 

cooperative applications are not due to 

NMFS until November 1, 2024; 

therefore, NMFS cannot calculate 2025 

PSC limits in conjunction with these 

proposed harvest specifications 

(§ 679.131(c) and (d)). After receiving 

the PCTC Program cooperative 

applications, NMFS will calculate the 

2025 halibut and crab PSC limits for 

PCTC Program cooperatives, as set forth 

in in § 679.131(c) and (d), and will 

include the 2025 halibut and crab PSC 

limits for PCTC Program cooperatives in 

the final harvest specifications. NMFS 

also will post them on the Alaska 

Region website at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

sustainable-fisheries/alaska-fisheriesmanagement-reports prior to the start of 

the fishing year, based on the harvest 

specifications effective on that date. The 

2026 allocations of halibut and crab PSC 

limits for PCTC Program cooperatives 

will not be known until eligible 

participants apply for participation in 

the program by the deadline of 

November 1, 2025. 

Sections 679.21(b)(2) and (e)(5) 

authorize NMFS, after consulting with 

the Council, to establish seasonal 

apportionments of halibut and crab PSC 

amounts for the BSAI non-trawl, BSAI 

trawl limited access, and Amendment 

80 limited access sectors to maximize 

the ability of the fleets to harvest the 

available groundfish TAC and to 

minimize bycatch. The factors 

considered are (1) seasonal distribution 

of prohibited species, (2) seasonal 

distribution of target groundfish species 

relative to prohibited species 

distribution, (3) prohibited species 

bycatch needs on a seasonal basis 

relevant to prohibited species biomass 

and expected catches of target 

groundfish species, (4) expected 

variations in bycatch rates throughout 

the year, (5) expected changes in 

directed groundfish fishing seasons, (6) 

expected start of fishing effort, and (7) 

economic effects of establishing 

seasonal prohibited species 

apportionments on segments of the 

target groundfish industry. Based on 

these criteria, the Council 

recommended, and NMFS proposes, the 

seasonal PSC apportionments in tables 

10 and 11 to maximize harvest among 

gear types, fisheries, and seasons, while 

minimizing bycatch of PSC. 

TABLE 8—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 APPORTIONMENT OF PROHIBITED SPECIES CATCH ALLOWANCES TO NON-TRAWL

GEAR, THE CDQ PROGRAM, AMENDMENT 80, AND THE BSAI TRAWL LIMITED ACCESS SECTORS

PSC species, areas, and zones 1 Total PSC 4 Non-trawl 

PSC 

CDQ PSQ 

reserve 2

Trawl PSC 

remaining 

after CDQ 

PSQ 

Amendment 

80 sector 3 4

BSAI trawl 

limited access 

sector 

BSAI PSC 

limits not 

allocated 2

Halibut mortality (mt) BSAI ........................... 3,166 710 315 n/a 1.396 745 n/a 

Herring (mt) BSAI .......................................... 2,535 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 

Red king crab (animals) Zone 1 ................... 97,000 n/a 10,379 86,621 43,293 26,489 16,839 

C. opilio (animals) COBLZ ............................ 12,850,000 n/a 1,374,950 11,475,050 5,639,987 3,688,081 2,146,982 

C. bairdi crab (animals) Zone 1 .................... 980,000 n/a 104,860 875,140 368,521 411,228 95,390 

C. bairdi crab (animals) Zone 2 .................... 2,970,000 n/a 317,790 2,652,210 627,778 1,241,500 782,932 

1 Refer to § 679.2 for definitions of areas and zones. 

2The PSQ reserve for the CDQ Program for crab species is 10.7 percent of each crab PSC limit. 

3The Amendment 80 program reduced apportionment of the trawl PSC limits for crab below the total PSC limit. These reductions are not apportioned to other gear 

types or sectors. 4 Under Amendment 123 and implementing regulations (88 FR 82740, November 24, 2023), the halibut PSC limit for the Amendment 80 sector is determined annually based on the most recent halibut biomass estimates from the IPHC setline survey index and the NMFS AFSC Eastern Bering Sea shelf trawl survey index 

(§ 679.21(b)(1)(i)(A)–(C)). Since both survey indices are not yet available, NMFS is unable to calculate the Amendment 80 sector halibut PSC limit for the proposed 

2025 and 2026 harvest specifications and therefore proposes a roll-over from last year’s 2024 and 2025 harvest specifications of 1,396 mt. NMFS will update the final 

halibut PSC limit for the Amendment 80 sector, as well as the total halibut PSC limit for the BSAI, in the final 2025 and 2026 harvest specifications. 

TABLE 9—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 HERRING AND RED KING CRAB SAVINGS SUBAREA PROHIBITED SPECIES CATCH

ALLOWANCES FOR ALL TRAWL SECTORS

Fishery categories Herring (mt) 

BSAI 

Red king crab 

(animals) Zone 1 

Yellowfin sole ................................................................................................................................................... 147 n/a 

Rock sole/flathead sole/Alaska plaice/other flatfish 1 ...................................................................................... 73 n/a 

Greenland turbot/arrowtooth flounder/Kamchatka flounder/sablefish ............................................................. 7 n/a 

Rockfish ........................................................................................................................................................... 7 n/a 

Pacific cod ....................................................................................................................................................... 13 n/a 

Midwater trawl pollock ..................................................................................................................................... 2,257 n/a 

Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species 2 3 .......................................................................................................... 30 n/a 


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TABLE 9—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 HERRING AND RED KING CRAB SAVINGS SUBAREA PROHIBITED SPECIES CATCH

ALLOWANCES FOR ALL TRAWL SECTORS—Continued 

Fishery categories Herring (mt) 

BSAI 

Red king crab 

(animals) Zone 1 

2024 Red king crab savings subarea non-pelagic trawl gear 4 ...................................................................... n/a 24,250 

Total trawl PSC ........................................................................................................................................ 2,535 97,000 

1 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ for PSC monitoring includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), Alaska plaice, arrowtooth flounder, 

flathead sole, Greenland turbot, Kamchatka flounder, rock sole, and yellowfin sole. 2Pollock other than midwater trawl pollock, Atka mackerel, and ‘‘other species’’ fishery category. 

3 ‘‘Other species’’ for PSC monitoring includes skates, sharks, and octopuses. 

4 In October 2024, the Council recommended and NMFS proposes that the red king crab bycatch limit within the RKCSS be limited to 25 percent of the red king crab PSC limit (see § 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)(2)). 

Note: Species apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

TABLE 10–PROPOSED 2025 PROHIBITED SPECIES BYCATCH ALLOWANCES FOR THE BSAI TRAWL LIMITED ACCESS

SECTORS AND PACIFIC COD TRAWL COOPERATIVE PROGRAM

BSAI trawl limited access sector fisheries 

Prohibited species and area 1

Halibut 

mortality 

(mt) BSAI 

Red king crab 

(animals) 

Zone 1 

C. opilio 

(animals) 

COBLZ 

C. bairdi (animals) 

Zone 1 Zone 2 

Yellowfin sole ....................................................................... 265 23,337 3,521,726 346,228 1,185,500 

Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish 2 ................................. ........................ ........................ 0 ........................ ........................

Greenland turbot/arrowtooth flounder/Kamchatka flounder/ 

sablefish ........................................................................... ........................ ........................ 0 ........................ ........................

Rockfish, April 15–December 31 ......................................... 5 ........................ 2,971 ........................ 1,000 

Total Pacific cod 3 ................................................................ 300 2,955 148,531 60,000 50,000 

AFA CP Pacific cod ............................................................. 6 278 13,962 5,640 4,700 

PCTC Program Pacific cod, A and B season ..................... 209 1,653 83,097 33,567 27,973 

Trawl CV Pacific cod, C season .......................................... 15 134 6,728 2,718 2,265 

PCTC Program unallocated reduction ................................. 70 890 44,744 18,075 15,062 

Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species 4 ................................. 175 197 14,854 5,000 5,000 

Total BSAI trawl limited access sector PSC ................ 745 26,489 3,688,082 411,228 1,241,500 

1 Refer to § 679.2 for definitions of areas and zones. 

2 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ for PSC monitoring includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), Alaska plaice, arrowtooth flounder, 

flathead sole, Greenland turbot, Kamchatka flounder, rock sole, and yellowfin sole. 3With the implementation of the PCTC Program, the BSAI trawl limited access sector Pacific cod PSC limits for halibut and crab are split between AFA CPs, PCTC A and B-season for trawl CVs, and open access C-season. NMFS will apply a 25 percent reduction to the A and B season trawl CV sector halibut PSC limit in the annual harvest specifications after the Council recommends and NMFS approves the BSAI trawl limited access sector’s PSC limit apportionments to fishery categories including the Pacific cod fishery category. In addition, NMFS will apply a 35 

percent reduction to the A and B season trawl CV sector crab PSC limit. Any amount of the PCTC Program halibut or crab PSC limits remaining 

after the B season may be reapportioned to the trawl CV open access fishery in the C season. Because the annual PSC limits for the PCTC Program are not a fixed amount established in regulation and, instead, are determined annually through the harvest specification process, NMFS 

must apply the reduction to the A and B season apportionment of the trawl CV sector apportionment to implement the overall PSC reductions 

under the PCTC Program. 4 ‘‘Other species’’ for PSC monitoring includes skates, sharks, and octopuses. 

Note: Species apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

TABLE 11—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 HALIBUT PROHIBITED SPECIES BYCATCH ALLOWANCES FOR NON-TRAWL

FISHERIES

Halibut mortality (mt) BSAI 

Non-trawl fisheries Seasons Catcher/processor Catcher vessel All non-trawl 

Pacific cod ...................................................... Annual Pacific cod .......................... 648 13 661 

January 1–June 10 ......................... 388 9 n/a 

June 10–August 15 ......................... 162 2 n/a 

August 15–December 31 ................ 98 2 n/a 

Non-Pacific cod non-trawl-Total ..................... May 1–December 31 ....................... n/a n/a 49 

Groundfish pot and jig ................................... n/a ................................................... n/a n/a Exempt 

Sablefish hook-and-line ................................. n/a ................................................... n/a n/a Exempt 

Total for all non-trawl PSC ..................... n/a ................................................... n/a n/a 710 


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Halibut Discard Mortality Rates 

To monitor halibut bycatch mortality 

allowances and apportionments, the 

Regional Administrator uses observed 

halibut incidental catch rates, halibut 

discard mortality rates (DMRs), and 

estimates of groundfish catch to project 

when a fishery’s halibut bycatch 

mortality allowance or seasonal 

apportionment is reached. Halibut 

incidental catch rates are based on 

observed estimates of halibut incidental 

catch in the groundfish fishery. DMRs 

are estimates of the proportion of 

incidentally caught halibut that do not 

survive after being returned to the sea. 

The cumulative halibut mortality that 

accrues to a particular halibut PSC limit 

is the product of a DMR multiplied by 

the estimated halibut PSC. DMRs are 

estimated using the best scientific 

information available in conjunction 

with the annual BSAI stock assessment 

process. The DMR methodology and 

findings are included as an appendix to 

the annual BSAI groundfish SAFE 

report (see ADDRESSES). 

In 2016, the DMR estimation 

methodology underwent revisions per 

the Council’s recommendation. A 

halibut working group (IPHC, Council, 

and NMFS staff) developed improved 

estimation methods that have 

undergone review by the Plan Team, 

SSC, and the Council. A summary of the 

revised methodology is included in the 

BSAI proposed 2017 and 2018 harvest 

specifications (81 FR 87863, December 

6, 2016), and the comprehensive 

discussion of the working group’s 

statistical methodology is available from 

the Council (see ADDRESSES). The DMR 

working group’s revised methodology is 

intended to improve estimation 

accuracy, transparency, and 

transferability used for calculating 

DMRs. The working group will continue 

to consider improvements to the 

methodology used to calculate halibut 

mortality, including potential changes 

to the reference period (the period of 

data used for calculating the DMRs). 

The methodology will continue to 

ensure that NMFS is using DMRs that 

more accurately reflect halibut 

mortality, which will inform the 

different sectors of their estimated 

halibut mortality and allow specific 

sectors to respond with methods that 

could reduce mortality and, eventually, 

the DMR for that sector. 

At the October 2024 meeting, the SSC, 

AP, and Council recommended halibut 

DMRs derived from the revised 

methodology, and NMFS proposes 

DMRs calculated under the revised 

methodology. Comparing the proposed 

2025 and 2026 DMRs to the final DMRs 

from the 2024 and 2025 harvest 

specifications, the DMR for pelagic 

trawl gear remained at 100 percent, the 

DMR for motherships and CPs using 

non-pelagic trawl gear increased 1 

percent, the DMR for CVs using nonpelagic trawl gear increased 4 percent, 

the DMR for CPs using hook-and-line 

gear increased 2 percent, the DMR for 

CVs using hook-and-line gear increased 

2 percent, and the DMR for pot gear 

decreased 5 percent. Table 12 lists the 

proposed 2025 and 2026 DMRs. 

TABLE 12—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 PACIFIC HALIBUT DISCARD MORTALITY RATES (DMR) FOR THE BSAI 

Gear Sector 

Halibut discard 

mortality rate 

(percent) 

Pelagic trawl ............................................................................. All .............................................................................................. 100 

Non-pelagic trawl ...................................................................... Mothership and catcher/processor ........................................... 86 

Non-pelagic trawl ...................................................................... Catcher vessel .......................................................................... 67 

Hook-and-line ........................................................................... Catcher vessel .......................................................................... 9 

Hook-and-line ........................................................................... Catcher/processor .................................................................... 9 

Pot ............................................................................................ All .............................................................................................. 21 

Listed AFA CP Sideboard Limits 

Pursuant to § 679.64(a), the Regional 

Administrator is responsible for 

restricting the ability of listed AFA CPs 

to engage in directed fishing for 

groundfish species other than pollock to 

protect participants in other groundfish 

fisheries from adverse effects resulting 

from the AFA fishery and from fishery 

cooperatives in the directed pollock 

fishery. These restrictions are set as 

sideboard limits on catch. On February 

8, 2019, NMFS published a final rule 

(84 FR 2723) that implemented 

regulations to prohibit non-exempt AFA 

CPs from directed fishing for all 

groundfish species or species groups 

subject to sideboard limits (see 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iv)(D) and table 54 to 50 

CFR part 679). NMFS proposes to 

exempt AFA CPs from a yellowfin sole 

sideboard limit pursuant to 

§ 679.64(a)(1)(v) because the proposed 

2025 and 2026 aggregate ITAC of 

yellowfin sole assigned to the 

Amendment 80 sector and BSAI trawl 

limited access sector is greater than 

125,000 mt. 

Section 679.64(a)(2) and tables 40 and 

41 to 50 CFR part 679 establish a 

formula for calculating PSC sideboard 

limits for halibut and crab caught by 

listed AFA CPs. The basis for these 

sideboard limits is described in detail in 

the final rules implementing the major 

provisions of the AFA (67 FR 79692, 

December 30, 2002) and Amendment 80 

(72 FR 52668, September 14, 2007). PSC 

species listed in table 13 that are caught 

by listed AFA CPs participating in any 

groundfish fishery other than pollock 

will accrue against the proposed 2025 

and 2026 PSC sideboard limits for the 

listed AFA CPs. Section 

679.21(b)(4)(iii), (e)(3)(v), and (e)(7) 

authorize NMFS to close directed 

fishing for groundfish other than 

pollock for listed AFA CPs once a 2025 

or 2026 PSC sideboard limit listed in 

table 13 is reached. Pursuant to 

§ 679.21(b)(1)(ii)(C) and (e)(3)(ii)(C), 

halibut or crab PSC by listed AFA CPs 

while fishing for pollock will accrue 

against the PSC allowances annually 

specified for the pollock/Atka mackerel/ 

‘‘other species’’ fishery categories, 

according to § 679.21(b)(1)(ii)(B) and 

(e)(3)(iv). 


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96202 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 233 / Wednesday, December 4, 2024 / Proposed Rules 

TABLE 13—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 BSAI AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT LISTED CATCHER/PROCESSOR PROHIBITED

SPECIES SIDEBOARD LIMITS

PSC species and area 1 Ratio of PSC 

to total PSC 

Proposed 2025 and 

2026 PSC available 

to trawl vessels 

after subtraction 

of PSQ 2

Proposed 2025 and 

2026 CP sideboard 

limit 2

Halibut mortality BSAI .................................................................................... n/a n/a 286 

Red king crab Zone 1 .................................................................................... 0.007 86,621 606 

C. opilio (COBLZ) .......................................................................................... 0.153 11,475,050 1,755,683 

C. bairdi Zone 1 ............................................................................................. 0.140 875,140 122,520 

C. bairdi Zone 2 ............................................................................................. 0.050 2,652,210 132,611 

1 Refer to § 679.2 for definitions of areas. 

2 Halibut amounts are in metric tons of halibut mortality. Crab amounts are in numbers of animals. 

AFA CV Sideboard Limits 

The Regional Administrator is 

responsible for restricting the ability of 

listed AFA CVs to engage in directed 

fishing for groundfish species other than 

pollock to protect participants in other 

groundfish fisheries from adverse effects 

resulting from the AFA and from fishery 

cooperatives in the pollock directed 

fishery. These restrictions are set out as 

sideboard limits on catch. Section 

679.64(b)(3) and (b)(4) and tables 40 and 

41 to 50 CFR part 679 establish formulas 

for setting AFA CV groundfish and 

halibut and crab PSC sideboard limits 

for the BSAI. The basis for these 

sideboard limits is described in detail in 

the final rules implementing the major 

provisions of the AFA (67 FR 79692, 

December 30, 2002), Amendment 80 (72 

FR 52668, September 14, 2007), and 

amendment 122 (88 FR 53704, August 8, 

2023). NMFS proposes to exempt AFA 

CVs from a yellowfin sole sideboard 

limit pursuant to § 679.64(b)(6) because 

the proposed 2025 and 2026 aggregate 

ITAC of yellowfin sole assigned to the 

Amendment 80 sector and BSAI trawl 

limited access sector is greater than 

125,000 mt. 

On February 8, 2019, NMFS 

published a final rule (84 FR 2723) that 

implemented regulations to prohibit 

non-exempt AFA CVs from directed 

fishing for a majority of the groundfish 

species or species groups subject to 

sideboard limits (see 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iv)(D) and table 55 to 50 

CFR part 679). The only remaining 

sideboard limit for non-exempt AFA 

CVs is for Pacific cod. Pursuant to 

amendment 122 to the FMP, the Pacific 

cod sideboard limit is no longer 

necessary in the A and B seasons 

because directed fishing in the BSAI for 

Pacific cod by trawl CVs is now 

managed under the PCTC Program, and 

accordingly the sideboard limit is in 

effect in the C season only 

(§ 679.64(b)(3)(ii)). Table 14 lists the 

proposed 2025 and 2026 AFA CV 

Pacific cod sideboard limits. 

TABLE 14—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 BSAI PACIFIC COD SIDEBOARD LIMITS FOR AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER

VESSELS (CVS) 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Fishery by area/gear/season 

Ratio of 1997 

AFA CV 

catch to TAC 

2025 and 2026 

initial TAC for 

C Season 

2025 and 2026 

AFA catcher vessel 

sideboard limits 

BSAI ....................................................................................................................... n/a n/a n/a 

Trawl gear CV ........................................................................................................ n/a n/a n/a 

C Season Jun 10–Nov 1 ....................................................................................... 0.8609 4,124 3,550 

Note: As proposed, § 679.64(b)(6) would exempt AFA CVs from a yellowfin sole sideboard limit because the proposed 2025 and 2026 aggregate ITAC of yellowfin sole assigned to the Amendment 80 sector and BSAI trawl limited access sector is greater than 125,000 mt. 

Halibut and crab PSC limits listed in 

table 15 that are caught by AFA CVs 

participating in any groundfish fishery 

other than pollock will accrue against 

the 2025 and 2026 PSC sideboard limits 

for the AFA CVs. Section 

679.21(b)(4)(iii), (e)(3)(v), and (e)(7) 

authorize NMFS to close directed 

fishing for groundfish other than 

pollock for AFA CVs once a 2025 or 

2026 PSC sideboard limit listed in table 

15 is reached. Pursuant to 

§ 679.21(b)(1)(ii)(C) and (e)(3)(ii)(C), 

halibut or crab PSC by AFA CVs while 

fishing for pollock will accrue against 

the PSC allowances annually specified 

for the pollock/Atka mackerel/‘‘other 

species’’ fishery categories, according to 

§ 679.21(b)(1)(ii)(B) and (e)(3)(iv). 

TABLE 15—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER VESSEL PROHIBITED SPECIES CATCH

SIDEBOARD LIMITS FOR THE BSAI 1

PSC species and area 1 Target fishery category 2

AFA catcher 

vessel PSC 

sideboard limit ratio 

Proposed 2025 

and 2026 PSC 

limit after 

subtraction of PSQ 

reserves 3

Proposed 2025 

and 2026 AFA 

catcher vessel 

PSC sideboard 

limit 3

Halibut .................................... Pacific cod trawl .................... n/a .......................................... n/a .......................................... n/a 

Pacific cod hook-and-line or 

pot.

n/a .......................................... n/a .......................................... 2 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 233 / Wednesday, December 4, 2024 / Proposed Rules 96203 

TABLE 15—PROPOSED 2025 AND 2026 AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER VESSEL PROHIBITED SPECIES CATCH

SIDEBOARD LIMITS FOR THE BSAI 1—Continued 

PSC species and area 1 Target fishery category 2

AFA catcher 

vessel PSC 

sideboard limit ratio 

Proposed 2025 

and 2026 PSC 

limit after 

subtraction of PSQ 

reserves 3

Proposed 2025 

and 2026 AFA 

catcher vessel 

PSC sideboard 

limit 3

Yellowfin sole total ................ n/a .......................................... n/a .......................................... 101 

Rock sole/flathead sole/Alaska plaice/other flatfish 4.n/a .......................................... n/a .......................................... 228 

Greenland turbot/arrowtooth 

flounder/Kamchatka flounder/sablefish.

n/a .......................................... n/a .......................................... ..........................

Rockfish ................................. n/a .......................................... n/a .......................................... 2 

Pollock/Atka mackerel/other 

species 5.

n/a .......................................... n/a .......................................... 5 

Red king crab Zone 1 ............ n/a .......................................... 0.2990 .................................... 86,621 .................................... 25,900 

C. opilio COBLZ .................... n/a .......................................... 0.1680 .................................... 11,475,050 ............................. 1,927,808 

C. bairdi Zone 1 ..................... n/a .......................................... 0.3300 .................................... 875,140 .................................. 288,796 

C. bairdi Zone 2 ..................... n/a .......................................... 0.1860 .................................... 2,652,210 ............................... 493,311 

1 Refer to § 679.2 for definitions of areas and zones. 

2Target fishery categories are defined at § 679.21(b)(1)(ii)(B) and (e)(3)(iv). 

3 Halibut amounts are in metric tons of halibut mortality. Crab amounts are in numbers of animals. 

4 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ for PSC monitoring includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), Alaska plaice, arrowtooth flounder, 

flathead sole, Greenland turbot, Kamchatka flounder, rock sole, and yellowfin sole. 5 ‘‘Other species’’ for PSC monitoring includes skates, sharks, and octopuses. 

Classification 

NMFS is issuing this proposed rule 

pursuant to section 305(d) of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act. Through 

previous actions, the FMP and 

regulations authorize NMFS to take this 

action (see 50 CFR part 679). The NMFS 

Assistant Administrator has 

preliminarily determined that the 

proposed harvest specifications are 

consistent with the FMP, the MagnusonStevens Act, and other applicable laws, 

subject to further review and 

consideration after public comment. 

This action is authorized under 50 

CFR 679.20 and is exempt from review 

under Executive Order 12866 because it 

only implements annual catch limits in 

the BSAI. 

NMFS prepared an EIS for the Alaska 

groundfish harvest specifications and 

alternative harvest strategies (see 

ADDRESSES) and made it available to the 

public on January 12, 2007 (72 FR 

1512). On February 13, 2007, NMFS 

issued the ROD for the Final EIS. A SIR 

is being prepared for the final 2025 and 

2026 harvest specifications to address 

the need to prepare a Supplemental EIS 

(40 CFR 1502.9(d)(1)). Copies of the 

Final EIS, ROD, and annual SIRs for this 

action are available from NMFS (see 

ADDRESSES). The Final EIS analyzes the 

environmental, social, and economic 

consequences of alternative harvest 

strategies on resources in the action 

area. Based on the analysis in the Final 

EIS, NMFS concluded that the preferred 

alternative (Alternative 2) provides the 

best balance among relevant 

environmental, social, and economic 

considerations and allows for continued 

management of the groundfish fisheries 

based on the most recent, best scientific 

information. 

Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 

This Initial Regulatory Flexibility 

Analysis (IRFA) was prepared for this 

proposed rule, as required by Section 

603 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act 

(RFA) (5 U.S.C. 603), to describe the 

economic impact this proposed rule, if 

adopted, would have on small entities. 

The IRFA describes the action; the 

reasons why this proposed rule is 

proposed; the objectives and legal basis 

for this proposed rule; the estimated 

number and description of directly 

regulated small entities to which this 

proposed rule would apply; the 

recordkeeping, reporting, and other 

compliance requirements of this 

proposed rule; and the relevant Federal 

rules that may duplicate, overlap, or 

conflict with this proposed rule. The 

IRFA also describes significant 

alternatives to this proposed rule that 

would accomplish the stated objectives 

of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and any 

other applicable statutes, and that 

would minimize any significant 

economic impact of this proposed rule 

on small entities. The description of the 

proposed action, its purpose, and the 

legal basis are explained earlier in the 

preamble and are not repeated here. 

For RFA purposes only, NMFS has 

established a small business size 

standard for businesses, including their 

affiliates, whose primary industry is 

commercial fishing (see 50 CFR 200.2). 

A business primarily engaged in 

commercial fishing (North American 

Industry Classification System (NAICS) 

code 11411) is classified as a small 

business if it is independently owned 

and operated, is not dominant in its 

field of operation (including its 

affiliates), and has combined annual 

gross receipts not in excess of $11 

million for all its affiliated operations 

worldwide. A shoreside and mothership 

processor primarily involved in seafood 

processing (NAICS code 311710) is 

classified as a small business if it is 

independently owned and operated, is 

not dominant in its field of operation 

(including its affiliates), and has 

combined annual employment, counting 

all individuals employed on a full-time, 

part-time, or other basis, not in excess 

of 750 employees for all its affiliated 

operations worldwide. 

Number and Description of Small 

Entities Regulated by This Proposed 

Rule 

The entities directly regulated by the 

groundfish harvest specifications 

include: (a) entities operating vessels 

with groundfish Federal fisheries 

permits (FFPs) catching FMP groundfish 

in Federal waters (including those 

receiving direction allocations of 

groundfish); (b) all entities operating 

vessels, regardless of whether they hold 

groundfish FFPs, catching FMP 

groundfish in the State-waters parallel 

fisheries; and (c) all entities operating 

vessels fishing for halibut inside 3 

nautical miles of the shore (whether or 

not they have FFPs). In 2023 (the most 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with PROPOSALS1
96204 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 233 / Wednesday, December 4, 2024 / Proposed Rules 

recent year of complete data), there were 

119 individual CVs and CPs with gross 

revenues less than or equal to $11 

million as well as 6 CDQ groups. This 

represents the potential suite of directly 

regulated small entities. This includes 

an estimated 116 small CV and 3 small 

CP entities in the BSAI groundfish 

sector. The determination of entity size 

is based on vessel revenues and 

affiliated group revenues. This 

determination also includes an 

assessment of fisheries cooperative 

affiliations, although actual vessel 

ownership affiliations have not been 

completely established. However, the 

estimate of these 116 CVs may be an 

overstatement of the number of small 

entities, as some of these vessels may be 

affiliated with large entities. This latter 

group of vessels had average gross 

revenues that varied by gear type. 

Average gross revenues for hook-andline CVs, pot gear CVs, and trawl gear 

CVs are estimated to be $910,000, $1.5 

million, and $2.3 million, respectively. 

Average gross revenues for CP entities 

are confidential. There are 3 AFA 

cooperative affiliated motherships, 

which appear to fall under the 750 

worker threshold and are therefore 

small entities. The average gross 

revenues for the AFA motherships are 

confidential. 

Description of Significant Alternatives 

That Minimize Adverse Impacts on 

Small Entities 

The action under consideration is 

comprised of the proposed 2025 and 

2026 harvest specifications, 

apportionments, and prohibited species 

catch limits for the groundfish fishery of 

the BSAI. This action is necessary to 

establish harvest limits for groundfish 

during the 2025 and 2026 fishing years 

and is taken in accordance with the 

FMP prepared and recommended by the 

Council pursuant to the MagnusonStevens Act. The establishment of the 

proposed harvest specifications is 

governed each year by the harvest 

strategy for the catch of groundfish in 

the BSAI. This strategy was selected 

from among five alternatives, with the 

preferred alternative harvest strategy 

being one in which the TACs are set to 

levels that fall within the range of ABCs 

recommended by the SSC through the 

harvest specifications process, and the 

sum of the TACs must achieve the OY 

specified in the FMP and in regulation. 

While the specific numbers that the 

harvest strategy produces may vary from 

year to year, the methodology used for 

the preferred harvest strategy remains 

constant. 

The TACs associated with the 

preferred harvest strategy are those 

recommended by the Council in October 

2024. OFLs and ABCs for the species 

were based on recommendations 

prepared by the Council’s Plan Team in 

September 2024 and reviewed by the 

Council’s SSC in October 2024. The 

Council based its TAC 

recommendations on those of its AP, 

which were consistent with the SSC’s 

OFL and ABC recommendations. The 

sum of all TACs remains within the OY 

for the BSAI consistent with 

§ 679.20(a)(1)(i)(A). Because setting all 

TACs equal to ABCs would cause the 

sum of TACs to exceed an OY of 2 

million mt, TACs for some species or 

species groups are lower than the ABCs 

recommended by the Plan Team and the 

SSC. 

The proposed 2025 and 2026 OFLs 

and ABCs are based on the best 

available biological information, 

including projected biomass trends, 

information on assumed distribution of 

stock biomass, and revised technical 

methods to calculate stock biomass. The 

proposed 2025 and 2026 TACs are based 

on the best available biological and 

socioeconomic information. The 

proposed 2025 and 2026 OFLs, ABCs, 

and TACs are consistent with the 

biological condition of groundfish 

stocks as described in the 2023 SAFE 

report, which is the most recent, 

completed SAFE report. 

Under this action, the proposed ABCs 

reflect harvest amounts that are less 

than the specified overfishing levels. 

The proposed TACs are within the range 

of proposed ABCs recommended by the 

SSC and do not exceed the biological 

limits recommended by the SSC (the 

ABCs and OFLs). For some species and 

species groups in the BSAI, the Council 

recommended, and NMFS proposes, 

proposed TACs equal to proposed 

ABCs, which is intended to maximize 

harvest opportunities in the BSAI. 

However, NMFS cannot set TACs for 

all species in the BSAI equal to their 

ABCs due to the constraining OY limit 

of 2 million mt. For this reason, some 

proposed TACs are less than the 

proposed ABCs. The specific reductions 

were reviewed and recommended by the 

Council’s AP, and the Council in turn 

adopted the AP’s TAC 

recommendations in making its own 

recommendations for the proposed 2025 

and 2026 TACs. 

Based upon the best scientific data 

available, and in consideration of the 

objectives of this action, it appears that 

there are no significant alternatives to 

the proposed rule that have the 

potential to accomplish the stated 

objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Act 

and any other applicable statutes and 

that have the potential to minimize any 

significant adverse economic impact of 

the proposed rule on small entities. This 

action is economically beneficial to 

entities operating in the BSAI, including 

small entities. The action proposes 

TACs for commercially-valuable species 

in the BSAI and allows for the 

continued prosecution of the fishery, 

thereby creating the opportunity for 

fishery revenue. After public process 

during which the Council solicited 

input from stakeholders, the Council 

recommended the proposed harvest 

specifications, which NMFS determines 

would best accomplish the stated 

objectives articulated in the preamble 

for this proposed rule, and in applicable 

statutes, and would minimize to the 

extent practicable adverse economic 

impacts on the universe of directly 

regulated small entities. 

This action does not modify 

recordkeeping or reporting 

requirements, or duplicate, overlap, or 

conflict with any Federal rules. 

This proposed rule contains no 

information collection requirements 

under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995. 

Adverse impacts on marine mammals 

or endangered or threatened species 

resulting from fishing activities 

conducted under these harvest 

specifications are discussed in the Final 

EIS and its accompanying annual SIRs 

(see ADDRESSES). 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 

1540(f); 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 

3631 et seq.; Pub. L. 105–277; Pub. L. 106– 

31; Pub. L. 106–554; Pub. L. 108–199; Pub. 

L. 108–447; Pub. L. 109–241; Pub. L. 109– 

479. 

Dated: November 29, 2024. 

Samuel D. Rauch III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–28414 Filed 12–3–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with PROPOSALS1