Reallocation of Pollock Quotas from Aleutian Islands to Bering Sea

Regs.gov: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Published April 3rd, 2026

Detected April 4th, 2026

Summary

NMFS Alaska issued a temporary rule reallocating 6,300 metric tons of Aleut Corporation pollock DFA and 1,900 metric tons of CDQ pollock DFA from the Aleutian Islands subarea to the Bering Sea subarea. The reallocation is effective April 3, 2026 through December 31, 2026, to allow Bering Sea sectors to harvest pollock that would otherwise go uncaught in the Aleutian Islands.

View original document View source feed page

What changed

NMFS is reallocating projected unused pollock quotas from the Aleutian Islands to the Bering Sea subarea. As of March 14, 2026, the Regional Administrator determined that 6,300 mt of Aleut Corporation's DFA and 1,900 mt of CDQ DFA in the Aleutian Islands subarea would likely not be harvested due to insufficient harvesting capacity. The reallocated amounts are being distributed to Bering Sea sectors: the 6,300 mt from Aleut Corporation is apportioned 50% to AFA inshore sector, 40% to AFA catcher/processor sector, and 10% to AFA mothership sector; the 1,900 mt CDQ DFA is added to Bering Sea CDQ DFA.

This is an administrative reallocation with no new compliance obligations for affected parties. Bering Sea sectors with harvesting capacity should note the increased allocations available for the 2026 fishing year. The Aleutian Islands pollock CDQ DFA is revised to 0 mt, and Aleut Corporation DFA is revised to 6,300 mt. Table 4 of 50 CFR Part 679 is updated to reflect these changes. No action is required by industry participants other than accounting for updated allocations.

What to do next

Review updated 2026 pollock allocations in Table 4 of 50 CFR Part 679
Account for increased Bering Sea allocations if operating in the AFA sectors
No compliance filings required as this is an administrative reallocation

Source document (simplified)

Content

ACTION:

Temporary rule; reallocation.

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.), April 3, 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 12,600
metric tons (mt) and 1,900 mt, respectively, as established by the final 2026 and 2027 harvest specifications for groundfish
in the BSAI (91 FR 11750, March 10, 2026).

As of March 14, 2026, the Regional Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator) 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 § 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 (C/P) 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 2026 and 2027 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI
(91 FR 11750, March 10, 2026) is revised as follows: 0 mt to CDQ DFA and 6,300 mt to the Aleut Corporation's DFA. Furthermore,
pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5), table 4 is revised to make 2026 pollock allocations consistent with this reallocation. This reallocation
results in an adjustment to the 2026 CDQ pollock DFAs, Aleutian Islands Aleut Corporation DFA, and Bering Sea AFA sector allocations
as established at § 679.20(a)(5).

| Area and sector | 2026
Allocations | 2026 A season
1 | | 2026 B season
1 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | |
| A season
DFA | SCA harvest

           limit 2 | B season
           DFA |  |  |

| 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 | 4,500 | 2,250 | n/a | 2,250 |
| Aleut Corporation 7 | 6,300 | 6,300 | n/a | |
| Area harvest limit 8 | 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 9 | 250 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Note:
Season or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. The 2026 harvest specifications for pollock are effective
from 1200 hours, A.l.t., March 18, 2026, through 2400 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 2026. | | | | |
| 1 Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), the annual BS 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, C/P sector-40 percent, and
mothership sector-10 percent. In the BS 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 subarea
pollock ABC equals or exceeds 19,000 mt, the annual TAC for the AI subarea is equal to 19,000 mt (§ 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(1)). Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2), the annual AI subarea pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ DFA (10 percent) and second for the ICA (4,500 mt),
is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a directed pollock fishery. In the AI subarea, the A season is allocated up to 40
percent of the AI subarea pollock ABC. | | | | |
| 2 In the BS subarea, pursuant to § 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 § 679.22(a)(7)(vii). | | | | |
| 3 Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4), 8.5 percent of the DFA allocated to listed C/Ps shall be available for harvest only by eligible catcher vessels with a
C/P endorsement delivering to listed C/Ps, unless there is a cooperative contract for the year. | | | | |
| 4 Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4)(iii), the AFA unlisted C/Ps are limited to harvesting not more than 0.5 percent of the C/P sector's allocation of pollock. | | | | |
| 5 Pursuant to § 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 § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(7), NMFS establishes an excessive processing share limit equal to 30 percent of the sum of the non-CDQ pollock DFAs. | | | | |
| 7 Pursuant to § 679.4(m), prior to harvesting or processing pollock in the AI directed pollock fishery, a participant must
be selected by the Aleut Corporation and approved by the Regional Administrator. Annual allocation for vessels 60 feet (18.3
m) LOA or less participating in the AI directed pollock fishery is 50 percent of the AI directed pollock fishery allocation
(§ 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(5)). | | | | |
| 8 Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(6), NMFS establishes harvest limits for pollock in the A season in Area 541 no more than 30 percent, in Area 542 no more than
15 percent, and in Area 543 no more than 5 percent of the AI subarea pollock ABC. | | | | |
| 9 Pursuant to § 679.22(a)(7)(B), the Bogoslof District is closed to directed fishing for pollock. The amounts specified are
therefore for incidental catch only and are not apportioned by season or sector (§ 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 March 14, 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: April 1, 2026. David R. Blankinship, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2026-06566 Filed 4-2-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-P