Draft Regulatory Impact Review for Proposed Regulatory Amendment to Modify Groundfish Season Timing in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Fisheries

This Regulatory Impact Review (RIR) analyzes proposed changes to regulations recommended by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) to revise opening and closing times in groundfish fisheries. The first measure would apply exclusively to vessel operators fishing under the sablefish Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) and Community Development Quota (CDQ) programs with fixed gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) and Gulf of Alaska (GOA) management areas and would authorize the Regional Administrator to determine the opening and closing times for the sablefish IFQ/CDQ fishing season, taking into consideration the halibut IFQ/CDQ season, as set by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). This measure is intended to minimize regulatory discards and reduce uncertainty for the fleet by re-aligning the sablefish and halibut IFQ/CDQ fishing season opening and closing times. The second measure would allow the Regional Administrator flexibility in the time for closing groundfish fisheries, which is currently set at 1200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), and would apply to all vessel operators fishing groundfish in the BSAI and GOA management areas. This measure is intended to allow more precise utilization of total allowable catch (TAC) and prevent overages.

Last updated by Alaska Regional Office on 10/21/2026

More Information

• Modify Groundfish Season Timing
• Draft Categorical Exclusion