Setting the catches and bycatch limits for 2027 and 2028 in federal water fisheries of the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska will highlight the October meetings of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC). The meetings are set for October 5-13 at the Egan Center in Anchorage.
The proposed Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for the next two years will be revealed at the October meeting and finalized in December. However, the bycatch numbers for “prohibited species” of crab and halibut are available now.
Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands HERE — Gulf of Alaska HERE
The deadline for written comments is Friday, October 2.
Highlights:Halibut
The proposed halibut bycatch number for both the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands for the next two years remains the same as for 2025/2026.
BSAI proposed halibut bycatch is 3,079 metric tons, or 6,788,033.05 pounds. Of that, 710mt, or 1,562,000 pounds is non-trawl halibut bycatch…