The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is prohibiting retention of “other rockfish” in the Aleutian Islands subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI), effective 12 noon, Alaska local time, October 6, 2017, according to James W. Balsiger, Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS.
This action is necessary because the 2017 total allowable catch of “other rockfish” in the Aleutian Islands subarea of the BSAI has been reached and is issued pursuant to 50 CFR 679.21(d)(2).
NMFS is requiring that other rockfish be treated in the same manner as prohibited species and be discarded at sea with a minimum of injury.
“Other rockfish” includes all Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch, northern rockfish, shortraker rockfish, and rougheye rockfish.
This information bulletin only provides notice of a fishery management action. For the purposes of complying with any requirements of this action, you are advised to see the actual text of the action in the Federal Register.
