Restricted Access Management Program

Sorting commercially caught halibut, Juneau, Alaska. Photo: Allen Butner, NOAA Fisheries

The RAM Program supports efforts to ensure sustainable fisheries and promote fishing communities by issuing Federal fishing permits and other fishery authorizations to fishery participants. RAM also:

• Implements transferable allocation programs and fishery management programs, including requirements related to the determination of program eligibility and transfer of catch histories
• Issues subsistence halibut permits and sport halibut (charter) permits
• Provides advice and notifications to fishermen and the public on the interpretation of Federal fishing regulations

Throughout the calendar year, RAM reviews and issues licenses for the American Fisheries Act (AFA) Program, the Amendment 80 Program, Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) halibut and sablefish, the Rockfish Program, subsistence halibut, charter halibut, groundfish and crab License Limitation Program (LLP) and processes over a thousand IFQ halibut/sablefish, IFQ crab, Guided Angler Fish (GAF), and LLP license transfers.

Fishing Resources

• Questions and Answers about the North Pacific Fishery Management Council Requests for Emergency Actions: On February 10, 2021, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) made four recommendations to NOAA Fisheries for emergency or expedited changes to Federal fishing regulations.  NOAA Fisheries will analyze the Council’s recommendations and, if approved by the Secretary of Commerce, will publish a rule in the Federal Register. This process typically takes five to six weeks but the exact timing may vary for each action. 

• Permit Applications and Forms
• Reports
  • Permits and Licenses Issued
  • Catch and Landings
  • Management Reports
  • Status of Fisheries
• Online Services: eFISH, eLandings
• Monitoring and Reporting 
  • Recordkeeping and Reporting Forms
• Bycatch Reduction
• Cost Recovery Programs and Fee Payment
• Fishery Seasons

Alaska Fisheries

• Commercial
• Sport Halibut
• Subsistence 

Regulations and Management Actions

• Federal Register Rules and Notices - Open for Comment
• Federal Register Rules and Notices
• Federal Fishing Regulations, Acts, and Treaties
• Figures, Maps, Boundaries, Regulatory Areas, and Zones
• Fishery Management Plans and Amendments
  • Status of Regulatory and FMP Amendments
• Analyses
• Tribal Consultations

Contact Information

• RAM Staff