Opportunity
Federal Register #2026-22695
NOAA Seeks Comments on Proposed Alaska Sablefish Fishery Management Amendments
Buyer
U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Posted
November 06, 2026
Respond By
January 06, 2027
Identifier
2026-22695
NOAA is announcing proposed sablefish fishery-management changes for public review, not soliciting a purchase. - Government agency: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), through the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). - Plan sponsor: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council submitted the proposed amendments for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska groundfish fishery management plans. - Proposed changes: Certain fixed-gear vessels in the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) and Western Alaska Community Development (CDQ) programs could discard sablefish under specified conditions, with careful release required. - Allocation updates: Annual allocations would be adjusted to account for discard mortality; technical and housekeeping changes would align plan terminology and provisions with federal regulations. - Procurement details: No products, services, quantities, part numbers, OEMs, or vendors are identified.
Description
The notice announces that proposed amendments to the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska groundfish fishery management plans are available for public review and comment. If approved, the amendments would allow certain vessels fishing for sablefish with fixed gear under the IFQ or CDQ programs to discard sablefish under specified conditions. They would also revise annual allocations to account for sablefish discards and make related technical changes. Comments are due by January 5, 2027.