North Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory committees will meet on Monday, October 5, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION:
Notice of hybrid conference.
SUMMARY:
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and its advisory committees will meet on Monday, October 5, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
DATES:
The Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, October 5, 2026, and continue through Wednesday, October 7, 2026. The Council's Advisory Panel (AP) will begin at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 and continue through Friday, October 9, 2026. The Council will begin at 8 a.m. on Thursday, October 8, 2026, and continue through Tuesday, October 13, 2026. The Ecosystem Committee will meet Monday, October 5, 2026 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday, October 6, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. All listed times are Alaska Time.
ADDRESSES:
The meetings will be a hybrid conference. The in-person component of the meeting will be held at the William A. Egan Civic & Convention Center, 555 W 5th Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501, or join the meetings online through the links at
www.npfmc.org/upcoming-council-meetings.
Council address:
North Pacific Fishery Management Council, 1007 W 3rd Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501-2252; telephone: (907) 271-2809. Instructions for attending the meeting via video conference are given under the connection information below. For technical support, please contact our Council administrative staff, email:
support@npfmc.org.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Anna Henry, Council staff; email:
ahenry@npfmc.org
telephone: (907) 271-2809.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Agenda
Monday, October 5, 2026, Through Wednesday, October 7, 2026
The SSC agenda will include the following issues:
(1) Bering Sea Aleutian Island (BSAI) Crab Specifications—Review Ecosystem Status Report (ESR) and Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) Report, and Recommend Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) and Overfishing Level (OFL) for crab stocks.
(2) Groundfish Harvest Specifications—Review Reports and Recommend Proposed ABC and OFL for groundfish stocks. Final ABC/OFL recommendations for Gulf of Alaska (GOA) arrowtooth flounder, GOA rex sole, GOA skates, Bogoslof pollock.
The agenda is subject to change, and the latest version will be posted at
meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/7160
prior to the meeting, along with meeting materials.
In addition to providing ongoing scientific advice for fishery management decisions, the SSC functions as the Council's primary peer review panel for scientific information, as described by the Magnuson-Stevens Act section 302(g)(1)(e), and the National Standard 2 guidelines (78 FR 43066, July 19, 2013). The peer-review process is also deemed to satisfy the requirements of the Information Quality Act, including the Office of Management and Budget Peer Review Bulletin guidelines.
Monday, October 5, 2026, Through Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Ecosystem Committee Agenda
The Ecosystem Committee agenda will include: (a) Groundfish management policy revisions, (b) Communications, including related to harvest control rules, and (c) other business. The agenda is subject to change, and the latest version will be posted at
meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/7155
prior to the meeting, along with meeting materials.
Wednesday, October 7, 2026, Through Friday, October 9, 2026
The Advisory Panel agenda will include the following issues:
(1) Observer 2027 Annual Development Plan—Review Report, Committee Reports
(2) BSAI Crab Specifications—Review SAFE Report, and Recommend ABC and OFL for crab stocks
(3) Groundfish Harvest Specifications—Review Reports and Recommend Proposed ABC, OFL, and Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for Groundfish Stocks
(5) Charter Halibut Permits Data Request—Review Discussion Paper, Committee report
(6) Prohibited Species Catch (PSC) Disposition—Review Discussion Paper (tentative)
(7) Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ)/Community Quota Entity (CQE) transfer changes—Review Expanded Discussion Paper
(8) Staff Tasking
Thursday, October 8, 2026, Through Tuesday, October 13, 2026
The Council agenda will include the following issues. The Council may take appropriate action on any of the issues identified.
( printed page 56871)
(1) B Reports (Executive Director including prioritization discussion, NMFS Management, NOAA General Counsel (GC), Alaska Fishery Science Center (AFSC), Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), United States Coast Guard (USCG), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Advisory Panel, SSC report)
(2) Observer 2027 Annual Development Plan—Review Report, Committee Reports
(3) BSAI Crab Specifications—Review SAFE Report, and Recommend ABC and OFL for crab stocks
(4) Groundfish Harvest Specifications—Review Reports and Recommend Proposed ABC, OFL, and TAC for Groundfish Stocks
(5) Inseason Authority to prevent ACL Overages—Initial Review
(6) Charter Halibut Permits Data Request—Review Discussion Paper, Committee report
(7) PSC Disposition—Review Discussion Paper (tentative)
(8) IFQ/CQE transfer changes—Review Expanded Discussion Paper
(9) Staff Tasking
The agenda is subject to change, and the latest version will be posted at
meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/7159
prior to the meeting, along with meeting materials.
Connection Information
You can attend the meeting online using a computer, tablet, or smart phone; or by phone only. Connection information will be posted online at:
www.npfmc.org/upcoming-council-meetings.
For technical support, please contact our administrative staff, email:
support@npfmc.org.
Public Comment
Public comment letters will be accepted and should be submitted electronically through the links at
www.npfmc.org/upcoming-council-meetings.
The Council strongly encourages written public comment for this meeting, to avoid any potential for technical difficulties to compromise oral testimony. The written comment period is open from September 11, 2026, and closes at 12 p.m., Alaska Time on Friday, October 2, 2026.
www.npfmc.org/upcoming-council-meetings
meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/7160
16 U.S.C. 1801