# Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of Pollock in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
**AGENCY:**
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
**ACTION:**
Temporary rule; reallocation.
**SUMMARY:**
NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amounts of the Aleut Corporation and the Community Development Quota (CDQ) pollock directed fishing allowances (DFA) from the Aleutian Islands subarea to the Bering Sea subarea. This action is necessary to provide the opportunity for the harvest of the 2026 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock, consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI).
**DATES:**
Effective 1200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), April 3, 2026, through 2400 hours, A.l.t., December 31, 2026.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Steve Whitney, 907-586-7228.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
NMFS manages the groundfish fishery in the BSAI exclusive economic zone according to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the BSAI Management Area (FMP) prepared and recommended by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) under authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). Regulations governing fishing by U.S. vessels in accordance with the FMP appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.
In the Aleutian Islands subarea, the portion of the 2026 pollock TAC allocated to the Aleut Corporation and CDQ DFA is 12,600 metric tons (mt) and 1,900 mt, respectively, as established by the final 2026 and 2027 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (91 FR 11750, March 10, 2026).
As of March 14, 2026, the Regional Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator) has determined that 6,300 mt of the Aleut Corporation's DFA and 1,900 mt of pollock CDQ DFA in the Aleutian Islands subarea will likely not be harvested and that there is harvesting capacity by Bering Sea sectors. The Regional Administrator made this determination based on harvest to date that indicates vessels participating in the Aleutian Islands directed pollock fishery and Aleutian Islands CDQ directed pollock fishery likely will not harvest the entire DFAs, the future harvest needs in the Aleutian Islands subarea reported by the Aleut Corporation and CDQ Program groups, and the current harvesting capacity of sectors in the Bering Sea subarea. Therefore, in accordance with § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)( *4* ), NMFS reallocates 6,300 mt of the Aleut Corporation's DFA and 1,900 mt of pollock CDQ DFA from the Aleutian Islands subarea to the Bering Sea subarea allocations. The 1,900 mt of pollock CDQ DFA is added to the 2026 Bering Sea pollock CDQ DFA. The 6,300 mt of pollock reallocated from the Aleut Corporation's DFA is apportioned to the American Fisheries Act (AFA) inshore sector (50 percent), AFA catcher/processor (C/P) sector (40 percent), and the AFA mothership sector (10 percent). The 2026 Bering Sea subarea pollock incidental catch allowance remains at 46,000 mt. As a result, the 2026 harvest specifications for pollock in the Aleutian Islands subarea included in the final 2026 and 2027 harvest specifications for groundfish in the BSAI (91 FR 11750, March 10, 2026) is revised as follows: 0 mt to CDQ DFA and 6,300 mt to the Aleut Corporation's DFA. Furthermore, pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5), table 4 is revised to make 2026 pollock allocations consistent with this reallocation. This reallocation results in an adjustment to the 2026 CDQ pollock DFAs, Aleutian Islands Aleut Corporation DFA, and Bering Sea AFA sector allocations as established at § 679.20(a)(5).
| Area and sector | 2026 | 2026 A season | A season | SCA harvest | 2026 B season | B season |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bering Sea subarea TAC | 1,383,200 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| CDQ DFA | 139,400 | 62,730 | 39,032 | 76,670 | | |
| ICA | 46,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| Total Bering Sea non-CDQ DFA | 1,197,800 | 539,010 | 335,384 | 658,790 | | |
| AFA Inshore | 598,900 | 269,505 | 167,692 | 329,395 | | |
| AFA CPs | 479,120 | 215,604 | 134,154 | 263,516 | | |
| Catch by CPs | 438,395 | 197,278 | n/a | 241,117 | | |
| Catch by CVs | 40,725 | 18,326 | n/a | 22,399 | | |
| Unlisted CP Limit | 2,396 | 1,078 | n/a | 1,318 | | |
| AFA Motherships | 119,780 | 53,901 | 33,538 | 65,879 | | |
| Excessive Harvesting Limit | 209,615 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| Excessive Processing Limit | 359,340 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| Aleutian Islands subarea ABC | 46,437 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| Aleutian Islands subarea TAC | 10,800 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| CDQ DFA | | | n/a | | | |
| ICA | 4,500 | 2,250 | n/a | 2,250 | | |
| Aleut Corporation | 6,300 | 6,300 | n/a | | | |
| Area harvest limit | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| 541 | 13,931 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| 542 | 6,966 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| 543 | 2,322 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
| Bogoslof District ICA | 250 | n/a | n/a | n/a | | |
**Classification**
NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR part 679, which was issued pursuant to section 304(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and is exempt from review under Executive Order 12866.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there is good cause to waive prior notice and an opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice and comment would be impracticable and contrary to the public interest, as it would prevent NMFS from responding to the most recent fisheries data on pollock catch in a timely fashion, and would delay the reallocation of unharvested Aleutian Islands pollock to the Bering Sea, where sectors have the current capacity to harvest this reallocated pollock. NMFS was unable to publish a notice providing time for public comment because the most recent, relevant data on pollock catch only became available as of March 14, 2026.
There is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day delay in the effective date of this action. This finding is based upon the reasons provided above for waiver of prior notice and opportunity for public comment.
**Authority:**
16 U.S.C. 1801 *et seq.*
Dated: April 1, 2026.
David R. Blankinship,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.