The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is prohibiting directed fishing for groundfish by vessels using nonpelagic trawl gear in the Red King Crab Savings Subarea (RKCSS) of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI), effective 12 noon, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), January 20, 2023, until 12 midnight, A.l.t., December 31, 2023, according to Jonathan M. Kurland, Regional Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS.
This action is necessary because the State of Alaska, Department of Fish and Game did not established a guideline harvest level fishery for red king crab in the Bristol Bay area for the 2022/2023 fishing year in accordance with 50 CFR 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)(1). The RKCSS is the portion of the Red King Crab Savings Area between 56°00′ and 56°10′ N. latitude.
NMFS will communicate separately in the near future regarding our decision on the request for emergency rulemaking to close the Red King Crab Savings Area and RKCSS to all fishing gears.
While this closure is effective the maximum retainable amounts at 50 CFR 679.20(e) and (f) apply at any time during a trip.
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 in the Code of Federal Regulations.
