The North Pacific Fishery Management Council wrapped up a LONG meeting on October 8th, working their way through most agenda items despite the government shut down.
The Council compiled recommendations on modernizing US fisheries to submit to NOAA in response to the administration’s call for comments. You can find the Council comments here. ALFA testified to the Council on the topic and submitted comments to both the Council and NOAA. ALFA called for renewed commitment to sustainable science-based fisheries management, policy that promotes and sustains opportunity for community-based fishermen (including bycatch caps and habitat protection), reduced observer and logbook burdens, and greater investment in US fisheries infrastructure, training, and marketing.
The Council also took action to reduce the complexity of Maximum Retainable (Bycatch) Amounts and canceled requirements for Economic Data Reporting in the BSAI trawl and crab fisheries. These changes reduce regulatory complexity and burdens on the trawl industry—which seems to be a Council priority right now—but continue to allow discards once Annual Catch Limits are reached. ALFA requested that the Council schedule a review of MRA percentages and initiate comprehensive collection of socioeconomic data. Although the MRA review has not yet been scheduled, the Council did request that their Social Science Plan Team complete a social science gap analysis and advise on further data collection.
Proposed changes to the IFQ and CQE programs
The Council requested an expanded discussion paper on requested changes to the CQE or IFQ programs that includes the following topics:
Ability of CQE to assign and manage quota in-season (e.g., explore processes similar to CDQ permitting for halibut or hired masters permits)
Allow time tendering in any federal or state commercial fishery off Alaska to count toward the 150-day transfer eligibility certificate (TEC) requirement to receive annual IFQ
Consider waiving the TEC requirement for individuals fishing annual IFQ derived from CQE-held quota share
Replace the existing NMFS interim policy with a regulation to establish a minimum age to be eligible to receive IFQ or QS by transfer (e.g., 12, 16, 18)
Potential to increase or remove the 50,000 lb sablefish vessel use cap for the Aleutian Islands CQE Program
Expansion of the designated unload areas for tenders receiving IFQ or CQE halibut or sablefish
Potential to waive the prior notice of landing requirement and restricted unload hours for small IFQ/CQE deliveries (e.g., ≤2,000 lbs)
Potential to increase the amount of quota an individual Gulf of Alaska CQE can hold. (No change to the overall cap for the entire program: 21% of the total halibut QS and 21% of the total sablefish QS in each IFQ regulatory area in which CQEs are eligible to hold QS)
At ALFA’s request, during staff tasking the Council initiated analysis of an amendment to suspend the 2% deduction for sablefish delivered bled, a deduction that currently disincentivizes the extra effort to deliver the highest quality sablefish. The Council has recommended suspending the deduction in the past, but that recommendation was refused by the Secretary of Commerce. The current administration has invited comment on regulations that discourage the competitiveness of American seafood, which seems aligned with suspending the 2% deduction. ALFA will work with the Council to advance this amendment. Stay tuned!
In December and again in June 2026, the Council will revisit spatial closures and pelagic trawl gear management after receiving a research report from Trident and other trawl sector representatives. Watch for action alerts and get ready to call for Council action that eliminates or severely curtails “pelagic” trawl contact with the sea floor.
Finally, the Council and public were noticed that the duration of the government shut down may disrupt the stock assessment process, which informs Council recommendations for catch limits or quotas. As many of you have noticed, the Restricted Access Management Division is also shut down, preventing quota transfers. ALFA has advised Alaska’s Congressional delegation of these impacts and will continue to advocate for budget resolution.