The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is reapportioning the first and second seasonal apportionments of the 2021 Pacific halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) limits for the trawl deep-water and shallow-water species fishery categories in the Gulf of Alaska, according to James W. Balsiger, Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS.
This action is necessary to account for the actual halibut PSC use by the trawl deep-water and shallow-water species fishery categories from May 15 through June 30, 2021. NMFS managed the trawl deep-water and shallow-water fishery categories during the second season (April 1 – July 1) based on the combined first and second season halibut PSC limits (860 metric tons (mt)) for both categories.
The combined halibut PSC in the deep-water and shallow-water species fishery categories from January 1, 2021 through June 30, 2021 was 149 mt of the available 860 mt. NMFS is reapportioning the first and second seasonal apportionments as 73 mt to the deep-water species fishery category and 76 mt to the shallow-water species fishery category.
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.
