Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Modify the Timing of Haul Designation for Trawl Catcher Processors in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Groundfish Fisheries

Document 2026-12839 is a Final Rule published by the Department of Commerce in the Federal Register on June 25, 2026, with an effective date of July 27, 2026. NMFS issues this final rule to standardize the time limit in which trawl catcher/processors (C/Ps) participating in the groundfish fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska Management Area (GOA) and the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) must assign each haul to a management program. This action is necessary to improve consistency with respect to when trawl C/Ps are required to assign a haul to a specific management program in a logbook. It allows additional time for vessel operators participating in the Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) and non-CDQ fisheries on the same trip to determine which management program to assign a haul to. This rule is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) for Groundfish of the GOA and BSAI Management Areas, and other applicable laws. View the original at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/25/2026-12839/fisheries-of-the-exclusive-economic-zone-off-alaska-modify-the-timing-of-haul-designation-for-trawl.

No. Document 2026-12839 is not classified as economically significant under Executive Order 12866. Economically significant rules require OIRA review and are estimated to have impacts of $100 million or more per year.