National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION:
Notice of hybrid conference.
SUMMARY:
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) Joint Protocol Committee will meet October 16, 2026.
DATES:
The meeting will be held on Thursday, October 16, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Alaska Time.
ADDRESSES:
The meetings will be a hybrid conference. The in-person component of the meeting will be held at the Marriott Anchorage Downtown, 820 7th Avenue, 2nd floor Kenai/Denali Rooms, or watch online through the link at
us06web.zoom.us/j/89752081977.
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:
Diana Evans, Council Executive Director; email:
devans@npfmc.org
telephone: (907) 271-2809.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Agenda
Friday, October 16, 2026
The agenda will include staff reports on (1) Pelagic and non-pelagic trawl fisheries operating in state waters in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska, (2) Federal fishery management measures in effect to minimize adverse impacts of trawl fisheries (
e.g.,
closed areas, and gear modifications including salmon excluders), (3) Statutory requirements for assessing the impacts of Council-managed groundfish fisheries on habitat, and tools the Council uses, (4) Ongoing research on understanding pelagic trawl gear impacts (Gear Innovation Initiative), operationality of bottom contact sensors, and other innovations, (5) Council actions underway related to habitat (Essential Fish Habitat 5-year review) and bottom contact (pelagic trawl gear performance standard). The agenda is subject to change, and the latest version will be posted at
meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/6150
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
or telephone: 907-271-2809.
Public Comment
Public comment letters will be accepted and should be submitted electronically through the links at
www.npfmc.org/upcoming-council-meetings.
The comment portal will open on September 8th, and the deadline to submit written comments is Friday, October 9th, at 5 p.m. Alaska time. The Committee will hear public testimony from in-person attendees. Remote testimony will not be taken during this meeting. Please sign up to testify on the morning of the meeting on October 16th, 2026.
us06web.zoom.us/j/89752081977
meetings.npfmc.org/Meeting/Details/6150
www.npfmc.org/upcoming-council-meetings
16 U.S.C. 1801