Rule2026-05858
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Sablefish Managed Under the Individual Fishing Quota Program
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 26, 2026
Effective
March 26, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS is opening directed fishing for sablefish with fixed gear managed under the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program and the Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program. The season will open at 1200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 26, 2026, and will close at 1200 hours, A.l.t., December 7, 2026. These dates are the same as the 2026 commercial halibut fishery dates adopted by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), except the hours are not the same. The IFQ and CDQ halibut season dates are specified by a separate publication in the Federal Register of annual management measures, which should be referenced for the halibut-specific opening and closure times.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 58 (Thursday, March 26, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 58 (Thursday, March 26, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 14652-14653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-05858]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 260305-0066 and 260305-0067]
RTID 0648-XF542
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Sablefish
Managed Under the Individual Fishing Quota Program
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; opening.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed fishing for sablefish with fixed gear
managed under the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program and the
Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program. The season will open at 1200
hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 26, 2026, and will close at
1200 hours, A.l.t., December 7, 2026. These dates are the same as the
2026 commercial halibut fishery dates adopted by the International
Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), except the hours are not the same.
The IFQ and CDQ halibut season dates are specified by a separate
publication in the Federal Register of annual management measures,
which should be referenced for the halibut-specific opening and closure
times.
DATES: Effective 1200 hours, A.l.t., March 26, 2026, until 1200 hours,
A.l.t., December 7, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Olson, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Beginning in 1995, fishing for Pacific
halibut and sablefish with fixed gear in the IFQ regulatory areas
defined in 50 CFR 679.2 has been managed under the IFQ Program. The IFQ
Program is a regulatory regime designed to promote the conservation and
management of these fisheries and to further the objectives of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act) and the Northern Pacific Halibut Act. Persons holding
quota share receive an annual allocation of IFQ. Persons receiving an
annual allocation of IFQ are authorized to harvest IFQ species within
specified limitations. Further information on the implementation of the
IFQ Program, and the rationale supporting it, are contained in the
preamble to the final rule implementing the IFQ Program published in
the Federal Register, November 9, 1993 (58 FR 59375) and subsequent
amendments.
Directed fishing for sablefish using fixed gear in any IFQ
regulatory area is authorized only during the period specified by the
Regional Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator),
who must take into account the opening date of the halibut season when
determining the opening date for sablefish for the purposes of reducing
bycatch and regulatory discards between the two fisheries (50 CFR
679.23(g)(1)). This announcement is consistent with and required by
Sec. 679.23(g)(1), which requires that the directed fishing season for
sablefish managed under the IFQ Program be specified by the Regional
Administrator and announced by publication in the Federal Register.
Fishing for CDQ sablefish with fixed gear under an approved CDQ
allocation may occur only during the IFQ fishing season specified
pursuant to Sec. 679.23(e)(4)(ii) and (g)(1).
These season dates for sablefish IFQ and CDQ fishing facilitate
coordination between the sablefish season, chosen by the Regional
Administrator, and the halibut season, adopted by the IPHC. The
directed fishing season for sablefish with fixed gear managed under the
IFQ Program will open 1200 hours, A.l.t., March 26, 2026, and will
close 1200 hours, A.l.t., December 7, 2026. This period runs
concurrently with the IFQ season for Pacific halibut announced by the
IPHC, except the hours are not the same. The IFQ and CDQ halibut season
will be specified by a separate publication in the Federal Register of
annual management measures pursuant to 50 CFR 300.62.
There is a difference in the time of day for opening and closing
the halibut IFQ and CDQ commercial fishery and the Alaska sablefish IFQ
and CDQ commercial fishery. IPHC regulations open the halibut IFQ and
CDQ fishery at 0600 hours, A.l.t., on March 26, 2026, and NMFS will
open the Alaska sablefish IFQ and CDQ fishery at 1200 hours, A.l.t., on
March 26, 2026, pursuant to regulations that require that the time of
all openings and closures of fishing seasons, other than the beginning
and end of the calendar fishing year, is 1200 hours, A.l.t. (Sec.
679.23(b)). Therefore, if gear is deployed to fish for halibut in the
commercial fishery off Alaska before 1200 hours, A.l.t., on March 26,
2026, then IFQ or CDQ sablefish caught from that deployment may not be
retained. If a vessel operator holds both halibut IFQ or CDQ and
sablefish IFQ or CDQ, and the operator intends to retain sablefish on
March 26, then the vessel should deploy its commercial fishing gear
after 1200 hours, A.l.t.
IPHC regulations close the halibut IFQ and CDQ fishery at 2359
hours, A.l.t., on December 7, 2026, and NMFS will close the Alaska
sablefish IFQ and CDQ fishery at 1200 hours, A.l.t., on December 7,
2026 (Sec. 679.23(b)). Therefore, if gear is deployed to fish for
halibut in the commercial fishery off Alaska after 1200 hours, A.l.t.,
on December 7, 2026, then IFQ and CDQ sablefish caught from that
deployment may only be retained up to the Maximum Retainable Amount
(MRA), except for catch of sablefish with longline pot gear in the Gulf
of Alaska (Sec. 679.23(g)(2)) which must be treated as a prohibited
species. If an individual aboard a vessel holds both unused halibut IFQ
or CDQ and sablefish IFQ or CDQ, and the operator intends to retain
sablefish on December 7, 2026, after 1200 hours, A.l.t., then the
vessel may only retain IFQ or CDQ sablefish in accordance with the MRA
regulations at 50 CFR 679.20(e).
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 delay the opening of the sablefish fishery thereby
preventing holders of sablefish IFQ and CDQ from participating in the
Alaska sablefish IFQ and CDQ fishery, increasing bycatch and regulatory
discards between the sablefish fishery and the halibut fishery, and
preventing the accomplishment of the management objective for
simultaneous opening of these two fisheries that are managed under the
same IFQ Program. NMFS was unable to publish a notice providing time
for public comment
[[Page 14653]]
because the relevant information for opening the Alaska sablefish IFQ
and CDQ fishery only became available as of March 23, 2026. In
addition, NMFS developed this action to open the Alaska sablefish IFQ
and CDQ fishery concurrently with the halibut IFQ and CDQ fishery as
quickly as possible given the other rulemakings necessary to provide
notice of the harvest limits, allocations, and halibut season dates for
the fisheries.
There is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to establish an
effective date less than 30 days after date of publication. 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: March 23, 2026.
David R. Blankinship,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-05858 Filed 3-25-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on March 26, 2026.
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