# 2026-22695: Alaska Fisheries Proposal Lets Some Small Sablefish Go Free 2026-22695, Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Amendment 128 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area and Amendment 116 to the FMP for the Groundfish Fisheries of the Gulf of Alaska; Small Sablefish Release, is a Federal Register proposed rule from Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published 2026-11-06, effective Submit comments on or before January 5, 2027.; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-06). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22695 - As of: 2026-11-06 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Document number: 2026-22695 - Title: Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Amendment 128 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area and Amendment 116 to the FMP for the Groundfish Fisheries of the Gulf of Alaska; Small Sablefish Release - Type: Proposed Rule - Agencies: Commerce Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Citation: 91 FR 70041 - Published: 2026-11-06 - Effective: Submit comments on or before January 5, 2027. - Comments close: 2027-01-05 - Significant: no - Touches household money: yes - Regulation identifier numbers: 0648-BO62 - Last updated: 2026-11-06 ## In one line Alaska Fisheries Proposal Lets Some Small Sablefish Go Free ## Summary This new rule lets fishermen in Alaska’s Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska release small sablefish instead of keeping them, giving them more flexibility. It also updates how these released fish are counted in yearly catch limits to keep things fair. Fishermen using fixed gear under special quota programs will feel the change, and public comments are open until January 5, 2027. ## Abstract The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) submitted amendment 128 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI FMP) and amendment 116 to the FMP for Groundfish fisheries of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA FMP) to the Secretary of Commerce for review. If approved, these amendments would increase operational flexibility to allow vessels fishing for sablefish with fixed gear under the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program or Western Alaska Community Development (CDQ) Program to release sablefish and would revise the annual allocation process to account for sablefish discards. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the BSAI and GOA FMPs, and other applicable laws. ## Effects PRIA read - Fixed-gear catcher vessels may release small sablefish: benefit, medium. If implemented, catcher vessels (CVs) using fixed gear in the IFQ (Individual Fishing Quota) and CDQ (Community Development Quota) sablefish fisheries would be allowed to discard (release) small sablefish instead of being required to retain them. This change is intended to increase operational flex… - Catcher/processors in CDQ allowed to discard sablefish: benefit, low. If approved, catcher/processor vessels (C/Ps) participating in the fixed-gear sablefish CDQ fishery would be allowed to discard sablefish by being excluded from the revised prohibition on discarding. The rule would keep the current practice for C/Ps in the fixed-gear IFQ fishery (they would continu… - All discarded sablefish must be carefully released: cost, low. The amendments would require that all sablefish discarded by vessels in the IFQ and CDQ programs be carefully released as specified in regulation. This creates a handling and operational requirement for fishermen who discard sablefish. - Sablefish discard allowance (SDA) deducted from TAC before IFQs: cost, medium. The amendments would establish a sablefish discard allowance (SDA) for the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI) and for the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). Each year the SDA would be deducted from the fixed-gear total allowable catch (TAC) after any CDQ adjustments and before deriving sablefish IFQs; discard m… ## Related documents - [2026-14204](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-14204): Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary; Delay of Effective Date, 2026-07-15 - [2026-14195](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-14195): Rescinding the Definition of “Harm” Under the Endangered Species Act, 2026-07-14 - [2026-07536](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-07536): Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys in the Gulf of America, 2026-04-17 - [2026-05599](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-05599): Deep Seabed Mining: Notice of Receipt of Applications for Deep Seabed Mining Exploration Licenses and Announcement of Public Comment Period…, 2026-03-23 - [2026-04256](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-04256): Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Spatial Fisheries Management; Amendment 15 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fi…, 2026-03-04 - [2025-06746](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-06746): Rescinding the Definition of “Harm” Under the Endangered Species Act, 2025-04-17 ## Sources - [2026-22695 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/11/06/2026-22695/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-amendment-128-to-the-fmp-for-groundfish-of-the) - [2026-22695 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-11-06/pdf/2026-22695.pdf) ## Related - [Previous: 2026-22667, Establishment of Class E Airspace, Shelter Cove Airport, Shelter Cove, CA](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22667) - [Next: 2026-22734, Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Harlem River, Between the Boroughs of Manhatta…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22734) - [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-22695 (as of 2026-11-06).