Rule2025-22083
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reapportionment of Halibut Prohibited Species Catch Limits in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area
Primary source
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Published
December 5, 2025
Effective
December 4, 2025
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS is reapportioning the unused amounts of Pacific cod Trawl Cooperative (PCTC) Program halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) limits to the Pacific cod limited access trawl catcher vessel sector C season in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 232 (Friday, December 5, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 232 (Friday, December 5, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 56063-56064]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-22083]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 250312-0036, RTID 0648-XF360]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska;
Reapportionment of Halibut Prohibited Species Catch Limits in the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; reallocation.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is reapportioning the unused amounts of Pacific cod Trawl
Cooperative (PCTC) Program halibut prohibited species catch (PSC)
limits to the Pacific cod limited access trawl catcher vessel sector C
season in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI).
DATES: Effective December 4, 2025, through 2400 hours, Alaska local
time (A.l.t.), December 31, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Olson, 907-206-5813.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the
BSAI according to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP) prepared and
recommended by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council under
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). Regulations governing fishing by U.S.
vessels in accordance with the FMP appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part
600 and 50 CFR part 679.
The 2025 Pacific cod fishery halibut PSC limits specified for the
PCTC Program A and B seasons (January 20-June 10) is 220 metric tons
(mt) and for trawl catcher vessel C season (June 10-November 1) is 15
mt as established by the final 2025 and 2026 harvest specifications for
groundfish in the BSAI (90 FR 12640, March 18, 2025). Halibut PSC
limits for the Pacific cod fishery are apportioned between the PCTC
Program, the trawl catcher vessel limited access C season, and American
Fisheries Act catcher/processors as established under Sec. 679.131(c).
Any unused PCTC Program halibut PSC limits may be reapportioned to the
trawl catcher vessel C season under Sec. 679.131(c)(3).
The Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS has determined that during
the A and B seasons 137 mt of halibut PSC limit apportioned to the PCTC
Program was not caught. The B season closed on June 10. Therefore, in
accordance with Sec. 679.131(c)(3), NMFS reapportions 137 mt of the
halibut PSC limit for the PCTC Program to the limited access trawl
catcher vessel sector C season, which increases this sector's halibut
PSC limit apportionment to 152 mt. This action is authorized by Sec.
679.131(c)(3), which allows for unused halibut PSC limits to be
reapportioned to the C season, and is necessary to account for the
trawl catcher vessel sector's C season halibut PSC.
Classification
NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR part 679, which was
issued pursuant to section 304(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and is
exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there is good cause to waive prior
notice and an opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice
and comment would be impracticable and contrary to the public interest.
This requirement is impracticable and contrary to the public interest
as it would prevent NMFS from responding to the most recent fisheries
data in a timely fashion and from providing an accounting of the
reapportionment of unused halibut PSC limits to the trawl catcher
vessel C season under Sec. 679.131. Without this authorized
reapportionment, this would result in exceeding halibut PSC limits for
the limited access trawl catcher vessel sector. NMFS was unable to
publish a notice providing time for public comment because the most
recent relevant data for halibut PSC by those sectors harvesting
Pacific cod only became available as of December 2, 2025.
There is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day
delay in the effective date of this action. This finding is based upon
the reasons provided above for waiver of prior notice and opportunity
for public comment.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
[[Page 56064]]
Dated: December 3, 2025.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-22083 Filed 12-4-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 5, 2025.
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