Notice2026-10065
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Prohibited Species Donation Program
Primary source
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Published
May 20, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS announces the renewal of two prohibited species donation (PSD) permits to SeaShare, a non-profit and tax-exempt organization, authorizing this organization to distribute Pacific salmon (salmon) and Pacific halibut (halibut) to hunger relief agencies, food bank networks, or food bank distributors under the PSD program. Salmon and halibut are caught incidentally during directed fishing in the exclusive economic zone off Alaska for groundfish with trawl gear. This action is necessary to comply with provisions of the PSD program.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 97 (Wednesday, May 20, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 97 (Wednesday, May 20, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29462-29463]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-10065]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XF667]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Prohibited
Species Donation Program
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; selection of an authorized distributor.
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SUMMARY: NMFS announces the renewal of two prohibited species donation
(PSD) permits to SeaShare, a non-profit and tax-exempt organization,
authorizing this organization to distribute Pacific salmon (salmon) and
Pacific halibut (halibut) to hunger relief agencies, food bank
networks, or food bank distributors under the PSD program. Salmon and
halibut are caught incidentally during directed fishing in the
exclusive economic zone off Alaska for groundfish with trawl gear. This
action is necessary to comply with provisions of the PSD program.
DATES: May 20, 2026 through May 21, 2029.
ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the PSD permits for salmon and halibut
prepared for this action may be obtained from the NMFS Alaska Region
website at <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/commercial-fishing/permits-and-licenses-issued-alaska">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/commercial-fishing/permits-and-licenses-issued-alaska</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maggie Chan, 907-586-7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Fishing for groundfish by U.S. vessels in the exclusive economic
zone of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area and Gulf of
Alaska is managed by NMFS in accordance with the Fishery Management
Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management
Area
[[Page 29463]]
(BSAI FMP) and the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf
of Alaska (GOA FMP). These fishery management plans (FMPs) were
prepared and recommended by the North Pacific Fishery Management
Council under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). Regulations governing the federal
groundfish fisheries and implementing the FMPs appear at 50 CFR parts
600 and 679. Fishing for halibut in waters in and off Alaska is
governed by the Convention between the United States and Canada for the
Preservation of the Halibut Fishery of the North Pacific Ocean and
Bering Sea (Convention). The International Pacific Halibut Commission
(IPHC) promulgates regulations pursuant to the Convention. The IPHC's
regulations are subject to approval by the Secretary of State with
concurrence from the Secretary of Commerce. After approval by the
Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce, the IPHC regulations
are published in the Federal Register as annual management measures
pursuant to 50 CFR 300.62.
Amendments 26 and 29 to the BSAI and GOA FMPs, respectively,
authorize a salmon donation program and were approved by NMFS on July
10, 1996; a final rule implementing this program was published in the
Federal Register on July 24, 1996 (61 FR 38358). The salmon donation
program was expanded to include halibut as part of the PSD program
under amendments 50 to both FMPs that were approved by NMFS on May 6,
1998. A final rule implementing these amendments was published in the
Federal Register on June 12, 1998 (63 FR 32144). Although that final
rule contained a sunset provision for the halibut PSD program of
December 31, 2000, the halibut PSD program was permanently extended
under a final rule published in the Federal Register on December 14,
2000 (65 FR 78119). A full description of, and background information
on, the PSD program may be found in the preambles of the associated
proposed rules (61 FR 24750, May 16, 1996, and 63 FR 10583, March 4,
1998).
Section 679.26 authorizes the voluntary distribution of salmon and
halibut taken incidentally in the groundfish trawl fisheries in the
exclusive economic zone off Alaska to hunger relief agencies, food bank
networks, or food bank distributors by tax-exempt organizations through
an authorized distributor. The NMFS Administrator for the Alaska Region
(Regional Administrator) may select one or more tax-exempt
organizations to be authorized distributors, as defined at Sec. 679.2,
based on the information submitted by applicants under Sec. 679.26. An
applicant seeking to become an authorized distributor must submit to
the Regional Administrator all of the information required by Sec.
679.26(b)(1) and must submit a separate application for each species
(salmon or halibut) that the applicant seeks to distribute. After
reviewing qualified applicants, NMFS must announce the selection of
each authorized distributor in the Federal Register and issue one or
more PSD permits to each selected distributor (Sec. 679.26(b)(3)(i)).
Renewal of Permits to SeaShare
Currently, SeaShare, a tax-exempt organization founded to help the
seafood industry donate to U.S. hunger relief efforts, is the sole
authorized distributor of salmon and halibut taken incidentally in the
groundfish trawl fisheries off Alaska. SeaShare's current salmon and
halibut PSD permits became effective May 18, 2023 and authorize
SeaShare to participate in the PSD program through May 25, 2026 (88 FR
31701, May 18, 2023).
On March 20, 2026, the Regional Administrator received applications
from SeaShare to renew its salmon and halibut PSD permits. The Regional
Administrator reviewed the applications and determined that both
applications are complete and include all of the information required
by Sec. 679.26(b)(1), and that SeaShare continues to meet the
requirements for an authorized distributor of salmon and halibut under
the PSD program. Because SeaShare is the only applicant for PSD permits
at this time, the Regional Administrator does not need to determine how
many total authorized distributors to select using the criteria at
Sec. 679.26(b)(2).
These permits may be suspended, modified, or revoked under 15 CFR
part 904 for violation of Sec. 679.26 or other regulations in 50 CFR
part 679.
This action is taken under Sec. 679.26.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq.; 1801 et seq.; 3631 et seq.; Pub.
L. 108-447; Pub. L. 111-281.
Dated: May 13, 2026.
David R. Blankinship,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-10065 Filed 5-19-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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