Amendment 75 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area

NOAA Fisheries issues regulatory changes to implement the partial approval of Amendment 75 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area. As partially approved, this amendment eliminates all reference to the requirements for 100-percent retention and utilization of rock sole and yellowfin sole in the groundfish fisheries of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area. 

The Improved Retention/Improved Utilization (IR/IU) Program, was adopted as Amendment 49 to the BSAI FMP. The IR/IU program requires that vessels fishing for groundfish in Alaska retain all pollock and Pacific cod beginning in 1998. Under Amendment 49, the IR/IU program expanded on January 1, 2003, to include all rock sole and yellowfin sole in the BSAI (flatfish IR/IU).