2025 Pacific Whiting U.S. Total Allowable Catch, 2025 Tribal Allocation, 2025 Incidental Set-Aside, and Annual Specifications for 2025 Non-Tribal Fisheries

The final rule establishes the recommendation of the Pacific Hake/Whiting Treaty Joint Management Committee (JMC) on an adjusted U.S. total allowable catch (TAC) of 295,520 metric tons (mt). This TAC includes the Tribal Pacific whiting allocation; a set-aside for incidental catch and research; allocations for the non-Tribal Pacific whiting fishery, and domestic fishery Harvest Guideline (HG) split among the shoreside, catcher-processor, and mothership sectors.

NOAA Fisheries contacted the four Pacific whiting treaty Tribes in late 2024 to determine their plans for participation in the 2024 Tribal Pacific whiting fishery. The Makah Tribe is the only tribe that has expressed interest in participating in the 2025 fishery. The Quileute Indian Tribe, Quinault Indian Nation, and Hoh Indian Tribe, while reserving the right to fish Pacific whiting, do not have plans to enter into or participate in the 2025 Pacific whiting fishery. The incidental set-aside is consistent with the PFMC recommendations made during their November 2024 meeting.

The Harvest Guideline is allocated among the non-Tribal sectors as follows:

This final rule is effective immediately. The Tribal and non-Tribal allocations for Pacific whiting, as well as the set-aside, are effective until December 31, 2025.