Alaska fishermen seek permit to donate discarded halibut to the hungry
Published Date: 10/1/2026
Notice
Summary
SeaShare, Inc. and Glacier Fish Co. want a special permit to keep and donate some Pacific halibut caught off Alaska instead of throwing it away. This permit would run from May 2027 to December 2028 and aims to help feed people while protecting fish populations. Fishermen, conservationists, and hunger relief groups should pay attention and can comment by mid-October 2026.
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Allow one vessel to donate halibut
If issued, NMFS could allow one trawl catcher/processor vessel to retain and donate up to 5,000 net pounds (3.0 metric tons round weight equivalent) of headed and gutted Pacific halibut to the Prohibited Species Donation (PSD) Program. The EFP would be effective from May 1, 2027 through December 31, 2028 and would exempt 50 CFR 679.21(a)(2)(ii) and 50 CFR 679.26(a)(2) to permit this donation. The experiment aims to test donating otherwise-discarded halibut to hunger relief groups while keeping existing prohibited species catch limits and deck-sorting requirements in effect.
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