The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is adjusting the Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) amount in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) according to Robert D. Mecum, Acting Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS.
This action is necessary to allow harvest of Pacific cod that will not be harvested under the State of Alaska?s guideline harvest level for the Aleutian Islands subarea state water Pacific cod fishery. This action is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the BSAI.
On August 28, 2006, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) announced the closure of the state waters Pacific cod fishery, west of 170 degrees west longitude in the Aleutian Islands subarea, effective 11:59 a.m., A.l.t., September 1, 2006. As of September 1, 2006, the Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS, (Regional Administrator) has determined that ADF&G is making available 1,588 metric tons of unharvested Pacific cod from the Aleutian Islands state waters Pacific cod fishery to the federal Pacific cod fisheries. The 2006 TAC is incorrectly specified because of the unharvested state waters guideline harvest level in the Aleutian Islands subarea. Therefore, in accordance with 50 CFR 679.25(a)(1)(iii) and (2)(iv), the Regional Administrator adjusts the 2006 Pacific cod TAC in the BSAI.
The changes to tables 1, 2, 5, 12, and 14 of the 2006 and 2007 final harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (71 FR 10894, March 3, 2006) can be found here.
Fishermen are reminded that all actions and closures remain in full force and effect. This reallocation does not rescind or modify closures to directed fishing or actions prohibiting retention of a groundfish species.
This information bulletin only provides notice of a regulatory change. For the purposes of complying with the regulatory change, you are advised to see the actual text of the regulation in the Code of Federal Regulations.
