Federal Register #2026-12303

2026 Salmon Harvest Specifications for Cook Inlet EEZ, Alaska

This opportunity concerns the final 2026 harvest specifications for the salmon fishery in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area, Alaska, issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) under NOAA and the Department of Commerce. - Government Buyer: - National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce - Office of Sustainable Fisheries - Products/Services Requested: - Harvest limits (Total Allowable Catch, TAC) for multiple salmon stocks: - Kenai River Late-Run sockeye salmon: 1,487,153 fish - Aggregate Chinook salmon: 240 fish - Aggregate coho salmon: 16,619 fish - Aggregate chum salmon: 68,645 fish - Aggregate pink salmon: 124,721 fish - Kasilof River and Aggregate Other sockeye salmon: TAC combined, no separate quantity specified - Unique/Notable Requirements: - Compliance with the Salmon Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and Magnuson-Stevens Act - TACs set to prevent overfishing and consider biological, social, and economic factors - No new fishing periods or regulatory changes; TACs allow commercial fishing for small entities (drift gillnet permit holders, charter operators) - Annual specifications, subject to inseason adjustments - OEMs and Vendors: - No OEMs or commercial vendors are involved; this is a regulatory action for fishery management - Period of Performance: - Specifications effective from the start of the 2026 season until the final 2027 harvest specifications are issued - Season aligns with State of Alaska drift gillnet fishery opening - Estimated Contract Value: - Not applicable; no procurement or monetary contract involved

Description

NMFS announces the final 2026 harvest specifications for the salmon fishery of the Cook Inlet exclusive economic zone (EEZ) Area. This action establishes harvest limits for salmon during the 2026 fishing year to achieve the goals of the Fishery Management Plan for Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ off Alaska. The rule aims to conserve and manage salmon resources in the Cook Inlet EEZ in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Harvest specifications and closures are effective from June 17, 2026, until the effective date of the final 2027 harvest specifications.

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