Rule2026-03297
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of Pollock in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Primary source
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Published
February 19, 2026
Effective
February 19, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amounts of the Aleut Corporation and the Community Development Quota (CDQ) pollock directed fishing allowances (DFA) from the Aleutian Islands subarea to the Bering Sea subarea. This action is necessary to provide the opportunity for the harvest of the 2026 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock, consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 33 (Thursday, February 19, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 33 (Thursday, February 19, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 7903-7904]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-03297]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[RTID 0648-XF525; Docket No. 250312-0036]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation
of Pollock in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; reallocation.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amounts of the Aleut
Corporation and the Community Development Quota (CDQ) pollock directed
fishing allowances (DFA) from the Aleutian Islands subarea to the
Bering Sea subarea. This action is necessary to provide the opportunity
for the harvest of the 2026 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock,
consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan
for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area
(BSAI).
DATES: Effective 1200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), February 19,
2026, through 2400 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Whitney, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the
BSAI exclusive economic zone according to the Fishery Management Plan
for Groundfish of the BSAI Management Area (FMP) prepared and
recommended by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (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.
In the Aleutian Islands subarea, the portion of the 2026 pollock
TAC allocated to the Aleut Corporation and CDQ DFA is 14,100 metric
tons (mt) and 1,900 mt, respectively, as established by the final 2025
and 2026 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (90 FR
12640, March 18, 2025).
As of February 7, 2026, the Regional Administrator, Alaska Region,
NMFS has determined that 6,300 mt of the Aleut Corporation's DFA and
1,900 mt of pollock CDQ DFA in the Aleutian Islands subarea will likely
not be harvested and that there is harvesting capacity by Bering Sea
sectors. The Regional Administrator made this determination based on
harvest to date that indicates vessels participating in the Aleutian
Islands directed pollock fishery and Aleutian Islands CDQ directed
pollock fishery likely will not harvest the entire DFAs, the future
harvest needs in the Aleutian Islands subarea reported by the Aleut
Corporation and CDQ Program groups, and the current harvesting capacity
of sectors in the Bering Sea subarea. Therefore, in accordance with
Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(4), NMFS reallocates 6,300 mt of the Aleut
Corporation's DFA and 1,900 mt of pollock CDQ DFA from the Aleutian
Islands subarea to the Bering Sea subarea allocations. The 1,900 mt of
pollock CDQ DFA is added to the 2026 Bering Sea pollock CDQ DFA. The
6,300 mt of pollock reallocated from the Aleut Corporation's DFA is
apportioned to the American Fisheries Act (AFA) inshore sector (50
percent), AFA catcher/processor (CP) sector (40 percent), and the AFA
mothership sector (10 percent). The 2026 Bering Sea subarea pollock
incidental catch allowance remains at 46,000 mt. As a result, the 2026
harvest specifications for pollock in the Aleutian Islands subarea
included in the final 2025 and 2026 harvest specifications for
groundfish in the BSAI (90 FR 12640, March 18, 2025) is revised as
follows: 0 mt to CDQ DFA and 7,800 mt to the Aleut Corporation's DFA.
Furthermore, pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5), table 5 is revised to make
2026 pollock allocations consistent with this reallocation. This
reallocation results in an adjustment to the 2026
[[Page 7904]]
CDQ pollock DFAs, Aleutian Islands Aleut Corporation DFA, and Bering
Sea AFA sector allocations as established at Sec. 679.20(a)(5).
Table 5--Final 2026 Allocations of Pollock TACs to the Directed Pollock Fisheries and to the CDQ Directed
Fishing Allowances DFA \1\
[Amounts are in metric tons]
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2026 A season \1\ 2026 B season
2026 -------------------------------- \1\
Area and sector Allocations SCA harvest ---------------
A season DFA limit \2\ B season DFA
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Bering Sea subarea TAC \1\...................... 1,383,200 n/a n/a n/a
CDQ DFA......................................... 139,400 62,730 39,032 76,670
ICA \1\......................................... 46,000 n/a n/a n/a
Total Bering Sea non-CDQ DFA.................... 1,197,800 539,010 335,384 658,790
AFA Inshore..................................... 598,900 269,505 167,692 329,395
AFA CPs......................................... 479,120 215,604 134,154 263,516
Catch by CPs................................ 438,395 197,278 n/a 241,117
Catch by CVs \3\............................ 40,725 18,326 n/a 22,399
Unlisted CP Limit \4\....................... 2,396 1,078 n/a 1,318
AFA Motherships................................. 119,780 53,901 33,538 65,879
Excessive Harvesting Limit \5\.................. 209,615 n/a n/a n/a
Excessive Processing Limit \6\.................. 359,340 n/a n/a n/a
Aleutian Islands subarea ABC.................... 46,437 n/a n/a n/a
Aleutian Islands subarea TAC \1\................ 10,800 n/a n/a n/a
CDQ DFA......................................... .............. .............. n/a ..............
ICA............................................. 3,000 1,500 n/a 1,500
Aleut Corporation............................... 7,800 7,800 n/a ..............
Area harvest limit \7\.......................... n/a n/a n/a n/a
541......................................... 13,931 n/a n/a n/a
542......................................... 6,966 n/a n/a n/a
543......................................... 2,322 n/a n/a n/a
Bogoslof District ICA \8\....................... 250 n/a n/a n/a
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Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. The 2026 harvest specifications
for pollock are effective from 0001 hours, A.l.t., January 1, 2026, through 1200 hours, A.l.t., March 18,
2026.
\1\ Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), the Bering Sea subarea pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the
CDQ DFA (10 percent) and second for the ICA (46,000 mt), is allocated as a DFA as follows: inshore sector--50
percent, CP--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). When the AI pollock ABC equals or exceeds 19,000 mt, the
annual TAC is equal to 19,000 mt (Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(1)). Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2),
the AI 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 pollock directed fishery. In the AI subarea, the A season is
allocated no more than 40 percent of the AI pollock ABC.
\2\ In the Bering Sea subarea, pursuant to Sec. 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 Sec. 679.22(a)(7)(vii).
\3\ Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4), 8.5 percent of the allocation to listed CPs shall be available for
harvest only by eligible CVs with a CP endorsement delivering to listed CPs, unless there is a CP sector
cooperative contract for the year.
\4\ Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4)(iii), the AFA unlisted CPs are limited to harvesting not more than
0.5 percent of the CP sector's allocation of pollock.
\5\ Pursuant to Sec. 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.
\6\ Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(7), NMFS establishes an excessive processing share limit equal to 30.0
percent of the sum of the non-CDQ pollock DFAs.
\7\ Pursuant to Sec. 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(6), NMFS establishes harvest limits for pollock in the A season in
Area 541 of no more than 30 percent, in Area 542 of no more than 15 percent, and in Area 543 of no more than 5
percent of the AI pollock ABC.
\8\ Pursuant to Sec. 679.22(a)(7)(i)(B), the Bogoslof District is closed to directed fishing for pollock. The
amounts specified are for incidental catch only and are not apportioned by season or sector (Sec.
679.20(a)(5)(ii)).
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,
as it would prevent NMFS from responding to the most recent fisheries
data on pollock catch in a timely fashion, and would delay the
reallocation of unharvested Aleutian Islands pollock to the Bering Sea,
where sectors have the current capacity to harvest this reallocated
pollock. NMFS was unable to publish a notice providing time for public
comment because the most recent, relevant data on pollock catch only
became available as of February 7, 2026.
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.
Dated: February 17, 2026.
David R. Blankinship,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-03297 Filed 2-17-26; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 19, 2026.
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