Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Ocean Perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska
Key claim: Federal fisheries managers have shut down directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the western Gulf of Alaska so the 2026 catch limit is not exceeded.
Abstract
(Rule · Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2026 total allowable catch of Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA.
Why this matters
Inseason closures are the primary tool NMFS uses to keep federally managed Gulf of Alaska groundfish stocks within annual catch limits set under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Tracking these routine actions over time shows which stocks are running up against their limits and how fishing effort is being redistributed across sectors and areas.