Notice2026-02207
North Pacific Albacore United States Stakeholder Meeting; Meeting Announcement
Primary source
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Published
February 4, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS announces a U.S. stakeholder meeting to discuss North Pacific albacore (NPALB) management. This meeting is intended to gather stakeholder input and prepare for potential discussions at the 2026 annual meetings of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) and Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission Northern Committee (WCPFC NC) related to management of NPALB fisheries. The meeting topics are described under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 23 (Wednesday, February 4, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 4, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 5108]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-02207]
[[Page 5108]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RTID 0648-XF504
North Pacific Albacore United States Stakeholder Meeting; Meeting
Announcement
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces a U.S. stakeholder meeting to discuss North
Pacific albacore (NPALB) management. This meeting is intended to gather
stakeholder input and prepare for potential discussions at the 2026
annual meetings of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC)
and Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission Northern Committee
(WCPFC NC) related to management of NPALB fisheries. The meeting topics
are described under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this
notice.
DATES: The virtual meeting will be held on February 18, 2026, from 1
p.m. to 5 p.m. PST (11 a.m. to 3 p.m. HST). You must complete the
registration process by February 11, 2026, if you plan to attend the
meeting (see ADDRESSES).
ADDRESSES: If you plan to attend the meeting, which will be held by
webinar, please register at <a href="https://forms.gle/uSeePzqNHLGm5wC5A">https://forms.gle/uSeePzqNHLGm5wC5A</a>.
Instructions for attending the meeting will be emailed to meeting
participants before the meeting occurs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Valerie Post, Pacific Islands Regional
Office at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ed9b8c81889f8488c39d829e99ad83828c8cc38a829b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b1c7d0ddd4c3d8d49fc1dec2c5f1dfded0d09fd6dec7">[email protected]</span></a>; 1-323-372-2946 or Tyler Lawson, West
Coast Region Office at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ef9b96838a9dc1838e989c8081af81808e8ec1888099"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="57232e3b3225793b3620243839173938363679303821">[email protected]</span></a>; 1-503-230-5421.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 2025, the WCPFC NC requested the
International Scientific Committee on Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the
North Pacific Ocean (ISC) to provide estimates of the historical impact
of each fleet group on the NPALB stock to guide discussions on
potential fleet-specific reductions if stock biomass were to fall below
the threshold reference point as mandated by the harvest strategy. This
stakeholder meeting is intended to discuss this topic, gather
stakeholder input, and prepare for anticipated discussions at the IATTC
and WCPFC NC in 2026. For more information on the ISC's recommendations
related to fishing intensity, please see the ISC25 Plenary Report:
<a href="https://isc.fra.go.jp/pdf/ISC25/ISC25_Plenary_Report_FINAL.pdf">https://isc.fra.go.jp/pdf/ISC25/ISC25_Plenary_Report_FINAL.pdf</a>. For the
most recent NPALB catch statistics please see the ISC25 Annual Catch
Table: <a href="https://isc.fra.go.jp/pdf/ISC25/ISC25_Catchtable_202509.xlsx">https://isc.fra.go.jp/pdf/ISC25/ISC25_Catchtable_202509.xlsx</a>.
For updated information on NPALB fishing effort please see: <a href="https://meetings.wcpfc.int/node/26174">https://meetings.wcpfc.int/node/26174</a>.
NPALB U.S. Stakeholder Meeting Topics
The meeting agenda will be distributed to participants in advance
of the meeting. The meeting agenda will include a discussion on
translating fishing intensity into catch and/or effort limits for
NPALB. Additionally, a timeline of important events leading up to the
2026 meeting of the WCPFC NC will be discussed. NMFS envisions holding
a 2nd stakeholder webinar in mid to late May after the executive
summary of the 2026 NPALB stock assessment has been released and the
ISC has provided estimates of the historical impact of fleet groups. A
brief update on electronic logbooks for hook and line gear will also be
provided.
Special Accommodations
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be indicated when registering for the meeting (see ADDRESSES) by
February 11, 2026.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 951 et seq., 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., and 16
U.S.C. 6901 et seq.
Dated: January 30, 2026.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-02207 Filed 2-3-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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