New Council Members and Election of Officers

At this meeting, the Council re-elected Angel Drobnica as Chair and elected Rachel Baker as Vice Chair. Ms. Drobnica, from Juneau, has long participated in the Council process as an Advisory Panel member, Chair of the AP, and Chair of the Council. She serves as the Director of Fisheries and Government Affairs for the Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association. Ms. Baker is the Deputy Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and represents the State of Alaska’s interests in federal fisheries management issues, including participation on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Jon Kurland, NMFS Alaska Regional Administrator, administered the oath of office to reappointed members — Angel Drobnica, beginning her second term, and Nicole Kimball, beginning her third. Ms. Kimball is the Vice President of the Pacific Seafood Processors Association.

Upon Bill Tweit’s retirement in July, Nate Pamplin was appointed as the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) designee. Mr. Pamplin is the Director of External Affairs of the WDFW, where he represents the Director on numerous intergovernmental forums.The Council congratulates and welcomes all members and looks forward to working with them in their upcoming terms. More information and member biographies are available on the Council’s website.

Council response to EO 14276

The Council affirmed their June 2025 recommendations to the Secretary of Commerce, with some additions, for a workplan in support of Section 4(a)(i) of Executive Order (EO) 14276, Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness, in response to staff papers and public testimony.

In June 2025, the Council identified a series of actions that are directly responsive to objectives of the EO, to reduce burdens on domestic fisheries and increase production. At the October meeting, the Council also initiated actions on several new items in support of the EO (see details in the staff tasking newsletter). The Council highlighted that their priorities among that list are for actions on which the Council has already taken or is about to take final action.

The Council also indicated its ongoing support for core marine surveys in the North Pacific, survey modernization, fisheries dependent data collection and monitoring, and NOAA staff to support agency functions.

Staff contact is Diana Evans.

MRA Adjustments

The Council took final action to recommend modifying regulations that implement the maximum retainable amount (MRA) of groundfish species. MRA regulations limit a vessel’s retention of species closed to directed fishing to a percentage of catch of species open to directed fishing. At its October meeting, the Council received and reviewed an EA/RIR draft analysis for Council final action, recommendations from the AP, and public testimony before taking final action on this item.

The Council’s preferred alternatives would improve regulations that implement the MRA, clarify current MRA regulations, make MRA calculations easier, reduce regulatory discards, ease regulatory burden and address medical, mechanical, and weather issues that can impact MRA calculations. The Council’s action did not increase MRA percentages or change how MRAs assist in limiting harvest of a groundfish species within its annual TAC. This action also does not impact PSC species.

Within the preferred alternative, the Council adopted the following alternatives and options for final action:

Alternative 2, Options 1,2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 Suboption 51%: Revise MRA regulations to provide clarification and make minor modifications in how the MRA regulations are currently implemented.

Alternative 3, Method 1: Revise triggers that end a fishing trip for C/Ps and motherships.

Alternative 4, Option 2, Method 1: Add all groundfish species to an offload-to-offload MRA application in the BSAI and GOA, for all vessel sectors.

Alternative 6: Provide exemptions in regulation from MRA requirements in cases of medical emergencies, mechanical emergencies, or poor weather that end a fishing trip.

See the Council’s full motion here.

This action addresses long-standing concerns identified by both NMFS and the affected groundfish fleets. The Council noted in their rationale that there is broad support from multiple different fishing sectors in both the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska for moving this action forward, and the analytical document is clear on the overarching positive benefits this action will have for multiple fleets. The Council also highlighted that this action is aligned with Executive Order 14276 “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness”, which specifically states that it is U.S. policy to “unburden our commercial fishermen from costly and inefficient regulation”. This action directly responds to E.O. 14276’s request to recommend actions that could reduce burdens on domestic fishing and increase production.

Staff contact is Taylor Holman.

Draft 2026 Annual Deployment Plan

The Council reviewed the Draft 2026 Annual Deployment Plan (ADP) for Observers and Electronic Monitoring in the Groundfish and Halibut Fisheries off Alaska, and provided recommendations to NMFS for the Final 2026 ADP. Observer coverage rates resulting from the selected design and the final budget are expected in the final ADP that will be published in December 2025. The Council also received reports from its fishery monitoring advisory committees (FMAC & PCFMAC).

The Council supported the sampling design proposed in the draft 2026 ADP, which is largely the same as the design currently on the water for the 2025 fishing year, with a few additions. The Council recommended:

confirmation that vessels operating in partial coverage can deliver to and have their harvest observed by a full coverage observer at an AFA shoreplant. No partial coverage shoreside observers need to be stationed at full coverage AFA plants.
Continued outreach to the fleets on 1) the deadlines to opt in or opt out of the EM pool for 2026, and 2) any changes to, or potential disruptions with, the ODDS system to log trips for coverage.
Consistent with the Trawl EM Council action, the cost of housing and feeding observers was not to be directly paid for by processors and should be included in the ADP. There may be specific cases where processors can continue to house and feed observers, and these can be excluded.

The Council reiterated its support for revising the zero selection pool and removing EM systems from vessels that have not fished for multiple years. Lastly, the Council will provide written support for two proposals submitted to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) under the 2026 Electronic Monitoring and Reporting Grant Program.

See the Council’s full motion here.

Staff contact is Sara Cleaver.

BSAI Crab specifications

The Council specified overfishing limits (OFLs) and allowable biological catch (ABC) amounts for Eastern Bering Sea (EBS) snow crab, Bristol Bay red king crab (BBRKC), EBS Tanner crab, Pribilof Islands red king crab (PIRKC), and Pribilof Islands blue king crab (PIBKC), and accepted final BSAI Crab Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) report chapters. The Council also supported further development of BSAI Crab Plan Team risk tables for crab stocks, and collaborative work on aspects of the snow crab assessment.

For EBS snow crab, the Council adopted an OFL of 20.11 kt and ABC of 12.07 kt for the 2024/25 fishing year. For BBRKC, the Council adopted an OFL of 5.85 kt and an ABC of 4.68 kt. For EBS Tanner Crab, the Council adopted an OFL of 51.02 kt and an ABC of 40.81 kt. PIRKC was managed on a triennial basis, and will now be managed on a quadrennial basis to match the assessment frequency timing of PIBKC. For PIRKC, the Council adopted an OFL of 0.4899 and ABC of 0.3674 kt for 2025/26, 2026/27, 2027/28, and 2028/29. PIBKC was managed on a biennial basis, and will now be managed on a quadrennial basis. For PIBKC, the Council adopted an OFL of 0.00116 kt and ABC of 0.00087 kt for 2025/26, 2026/27, 2027/28, and 2028/29.

The final 2025 SAFE report indicates that BBRKC, PIRKC, NSRKC, and EBS Tanner crab stocks are all above BMSY, and the AIGKC stock is below BMSY but above ½ BMSY. EBS snow crab, Pribilof Islands blue king crab, and St Matthew blue king crab stocks are below ½ BMSY, and are therefore considered overfished. EBS snow crab, St. Matthew blue king crab, and Pribilof Islands blue king crab stocks are all under rebuilding plans and will remain in rebuilding until the mature male biomass (MMB) reaches BMSY.

The SSC also received a presentation on information from the eastern Bering Sea Ecosystem Status Report (ESR) relevant to recommending crab harvest specifications, and reviewed summer survey trawl results (including hybrid abundance), and several other topics from the September 2025 BSAI Crab Plan Team Report.

Staff contact is Anita Kroska.

BSAI Crab Crew Quota Shares

The Council is considering modifications to the BSAI Crab Rationalization (CR) Program that would apply to crew share (C share) regulations and provisions. The action alternatives selected by the Council would modify the eligibility requirements to receive C shares through transfer, and increase the use caps for C shares for certain CR Program fishery stocks. Both action alternatives were selected as ways to increase flexibility around C-share requirements and encourage new entrants.

The Council received a draft RIR analysis for initial review at this meeting. This analytical document provided information on the expected effects of the action alternatives, notably the effects on C share markets. After receiving staff presentations, AP recommendations, and public testimony, the Council moved the analysis forward for final action. The Council did not select a preliminary preferred alternative in their motion.

The next review of the RIR is scheduled for the December 2025 Council meeting.

Staff contact is Taylor Holman.

Groundfish Harvest Specifications

Under this agenda item, the Council received reports from the recent Groundfish Plan Team meetings and recommended 2026 and 2027 GOA and BSAI groundfish harvest specifications and prohibited species catch (PSC) limit apportionments for proposed rulemaking. Proposed rulemaking notifies the public of expected Council action to recommend final groundfish harvest specifications for 2026 and 2027 at the December meeting. Additionally, the Council provided direction on spatial apportionment and initiated an analysis of accountability measures for BSAI Blackspotted rougheye rockfish, described below.

Proposed groundfish harvest specifications for both 2026 and 2027 were set to match the harvest specifications for 2026 (through March) that were previously approved and published in the Federal Register in March 2025, with one exception. The proposed TAC for GOA octopus has been adjusted to account for the state waters fishery in Prince William Sound. NMFS is currently evaluating if such adjustments to TACs are required and will clarify this for the final groundfish harvest specifications.

The final harvest specifications that the Council recommends in December are based on stock assessments that incorporate the most recent survey data. When the final rule implementing those recommendations is published in early 2026, the updated specifications will replace the 2026 specifications that were approved last year. The assessments compiled in the Groundfish SAFE reports for the BSAI and GOA are scheduled to be released in late November 2025. However, the Director of the NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) reported to the SSC at the meeting that a lapse in Congressional appropriations may impact the AFSC’s ability to complete assessments this year as planned. Depending upon the duration of the government shutdown, the AFSC staff would provide abbreviated assessment products and/or data summaries, as time allows, to assist in informing the 2026 final harvest specifications. More information will be posted on the Council website and the November Groundfish Plan Team Meeting eAgenda, as it becomes available.

The SSC reviewed the Joint Groundfish Plan Team Report, the BSAI Groundfish Plan Team Report, and the GOA Groundfish Plan Team Report that summarized the issues discussed and actions taken by the Plan Teams at their September meetings. The SSC received a preview of ecosystem status reports (ESRs), which provided an Alaska climate update and a preliminary assessment of ecosystem indicators for the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska under their C1 Crab Specifications agenda item. Full presentations of these reports are expected to be provided to the Council in December.

The Council received condensed presentations of the Groundfish Plan Team reports that focused on issues most relevant to proposed specifications and some of the highlights coming out of the Plan Team meetings such as preliminary survey results. The Council approved the proposed specifications for both GOA and BSAI.

Staff contacts are Sara Cleaver (GOA) and Diana Stram (BSAI).

Spatial Apportionment

The Council supported a process outlined by staff for spatial apportionment of groundfish. The proposed process was in response to a December 2024 Council request for communication between SSC leadership, Council leadership, and staff on possible approaches for subarea/spatial apportionments of ABC within the groundfish harvest specifications process. These communications have provided clarity regarding the purpose of spatial apportionments, the role of Council advisory bodies in recommending these apportionments, and timing within the process.

The Council’s motion clarifies several points which do not depart from the status quo, and describes a path forward with regard to terminology and process. Apportionment of ABCs will be renamed BRDs (biologically-informed recommended distributions) instead of subarea ABCs, to indicate that the spatial apportionment is based on SSC recommendations to spatially distribute harvest based on survey or catch data. The SSC recommendations for BRDs inform the Council’s TAC recommendations. While there may be stocks for which the Council recommends a TAC that exceeds a BRD, per the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) the Council cannot recommend a TAC greater than the SSC’s recommended ABC (ACL) for a stock or stock complex. The Council intends to seek Plan Team and SSC input regarding biological impacts in such cases.

The staff presentation reiterated that there are no MSA requirements for the specifications of spatial apportionments, and that spatial apportionments are not ACLs and are therefore not tied to accountability measures (AMs). Additionally, the Groundfish FMPs do not define subarea apportionments of ABC nor describe the process by which they should be recommended. Full Council motion here.

The Council is interested in SSC advice in December 2025 as to whether there is flexibility in the survey-based spatial apportionments recommended by the SSC for the following stocks:

GOA shortraker rockfish
GOA rougheye and blackspotted rockfish complex
GOA thornyhead rockfish
GOA skates (big and longnose)
BSAI Blackspotted and Rougheye rockfish
BSAI Pacific ocean perch
BSAI Atka mackerel
Sablefish in the BS and AI.

Useful information from the SSC could include whether the previous year’s BRDs, or small changes from the current SSC-recommended BRDs, would be likely to result in biological impacts to the stock or stock complex.

Staff contact is Sara Cleaver.

Blackspotted Rougheye Rockfish Accountability Measures

The stock-wide annual catch limit (ACL), which is equal to the acceptable biological catch (ABC), for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) blackspotted (Sebastes melanostictus) and rougheye rockfish (S. aleutinus) (BSRE) complex has been exceeded for three of the past four years. The overfishing limit (OFL) has not been exceeded in any of these years. While accountability measures (AMs) are specified in the BSAI Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish, they have not prevented catch from exceeding the ACL. The National Standard 1 guidelines require that the system of ACLs and AMs be reevaluated and modified if necessary, when an ACL is exceeded more than once in a four-year period. In accordance with the National Standard 1 guidelines, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) requested that staff develop a discussion paper to evaluate the effectiveness of the current AMs for the BSAI BSRE complex and explore additional or modified AMs to prevent catch from exceeding the ACL.

In June 2025, a portion of that larger request was fulfilled by reviewing a suite of potential AMs that could be explored for this stock, and the Council requested that the 2025/2026 specifications cycle focus on two specific BSRE AMs (Reducing Total Allowable Catch (TAC) in the Pacific ocean perch directed fishery; and modifying inseason management authority to allow NMFS the flexibility to close areas or directed fisheries where blackspotted and rougheye are caught when the annual catch limit (ACL) is reached, similar to the authority NMFS has when an overfishing limit is reached). Discussion by the Council at this meeting focussed on the remaining items in the discussion paper (stock status, spatial catch by target fisheries and these two accountability measures). The Council moved to initiate an analysis for increasing accountability measures by adding inseason management authority for NMFS to better control harvest of groundfish stocks to prevent catch from exceeding the ACL.

Staff contact is Diana Stram.

Economic Data Reports Removal

At this meeting, the Council took Initial/ Final action to recommend removing the reporting requirements associated with the Economic Data Reports (EDR).

There are currently three EDR collection programs in place in the North Pacific under Federal regulations. These programs represent mandatory annual data reporting requirements for regulated entities participating in the Bering Sea Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Crab Rationalization fisheries, the BSAI American Fisheries Act pollock fishery, and the BSAI Amendment 80 fisheries.

Broadly, the purpose of the EDR programs are to gather data and information to improve the Council’s ability to analyze the social and economic effects of the catch share or rationalization programs, to understand the economic performance of participants in these programs, and to help estimate impacts of bycatch avoidance efforts. However, each program is designed around a more specific set of goals and collects different components.

In recommending the removal of these data collections, Council members cited the direct cost savings for industry with the elimination of this reporting burden and reduction in associated cost recovery fees. They described these cost savings as consistent with E.O. 14276 and E.O. 14192. Members stated they felt these data generated limited and nuanced utility in informing management decisions, relative to their costs. While some Council members spoke to support for considering a holistic effort to collect economic data across fisheries, this was not proposed by the Council at this time. In a second motion, the Council requested staff provide an update on remaining work and available capacity for the Social Science Plan Team (SSPT) to finalize its Data Gap Analysis for review by the Council. The Council will consider tasking the SSPT to complete this work after receiving an update.

Staff contact is Sarah Marrinan.

BSAI Pacific Cod Pot Gear Limited Access Privilege Program (LAPP)

After reviewing a second discussion paper with information and data to support the development of a cooperative limited access privilege program (LAPP) for the BSAI pot catcher vessel ≥ 60 ft. (CV) and pot catcher/processor (CP) Pacific cod fisheries, the Council took no further action on this issue. The Council noted that this was not a statement on the merits of the action but rather reflects a shift in priorities at NMFS and severely limited capacity to develop a new LAPP. Additionally, the Council was compelled by public testimony from active fishery participants who are not supportive of a LAPP.

Staff contact is Anna Henry.

IFQ/CQE Transfer, Beneficiary Changes

The Council reviewed a discussion paper that considered changes to the Halibut and Sablefish Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program including potential changes to in season transfers of IFQ derived from Quota Share (QS) held by Community Quota Entities (CQEs) and potential changes to IFQ/QS transfer eligibility criteria. The Council requested an expanded discussion paper that retains specific elements from the initial discussion paper as well as four additional issues to create a comprehensive package that includes the following topics:

Ability of CQE to assign and manage quota in-season (e.g., explore processes similar to CDQ permitting for halibut or hired masters permits)
Allow time tendering in any federal or state commercial fishery off Alaska to count toward the 150-day transfer eligibility certificate (TEC) requirement to receive annual IFQ
Consider waiving the TEC requirement for individuals fishing annual IFQ derived from CQE-held quota share
Replace the existing NMFS interim policy with a regulation to establish a minimum age to be eligible to receive IFQ or QS by transfer (e.g., 12, 16, 18)
Potential to increase or remove the 50,000 lb sablefish vessel use cap for the Aleutian Islands CQE Program
Expansion of the designated unload areas for tenders receiving IFQ or CQE halibut or sablefish
Potential to waive the prior notice of landing requirement and restricted unload hours for small IFQ/CQE deliveries (e.g., ≤2,000 lbs)
Potential to increase the amount of quota an individual Gulf of Alaska CQE can hold. (No change to the overall cap for the entire program: 21% of the total halibut QS and 21% of the total sablefish QS in each IFQ regulatory area in which CQEs are eligible to hold QS)

The expanded discussion paper should also provide background and clarification on whether current regulations allow CQEs in the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands to hold federal processing permits.

The Council did not request any additional information or action related to QS held by beneficiaries beyond the 3-year period during which the NMFS Regional Administrator will approve an application for transfer of IFQ, noting that no public testimony was received requesting any changes from status quo.

Staff contact is Anna Henry.

Programmatic Evaluation

The Council received a presentation on the Programmatic Evaluation, which was last discussed at the April 2025 meeting. At that time, the Council recommended pausing staff work to reassess the availability of resources as well as the need, vehicle, and process for updating FMP goals and objectives. The purpose of the Programmatic Evaluation was to revisit the management policies, goals, and objectives for the Council’s federally managed fisheries (excluding the Arctic FMP) to ensure the Council’s policy guidance is comprehensive, can meet current and forthcoming challenges, and improves the Council’s ecosystem-based approach.

The Council has since received from NMFS the full $2.5 million in Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding it applied for to support climate readiness planning, whether through continuing the Programmatic Evaluation or through other processes. Staff presented two possible pathways for the Council’s consideration: resuming staff work on the Programmatic Evaluation, or taking no further action at this time. The latter would require the Council to reinstitute the triennial process of reviewing Groundish FMP Objectives. These reviews are a long standing, self-imposed requirement established in the Groundfish FMPs.

The Council recommended taking no further action on the Programmatic Evaluation, and expressed support for reinstituting the triennial comprehensive review of Groundfish FMP Objectives as a means for adaptive management. This process, like the Programmatic Evaluation, will provide an opportunity for the Council to consider making changes to FMP policy guidance, but will focus on the Groundfish FMPs.

The Council will also need to make adjustments to its IRA workplan, which originally envisioned the Programmatic Evaluation as a vehicle for supporting two of the three funding

objectives: Objective 1: Develop a climate-resilient management policy and Objective 2:

Continue work to incorporate Local Knowledge and Traditional Knowledge. Staff will propose adjustments for continuing to advance the Council’s climate readiness planning within the scope of the Council’s IRA grant. An update will be provided under B reports at the December 2025 meeting.

Staff contact is Katie Latanich.

Staff Tasking / B reports

The Council discussed the relative priority and scheduling of previously-tasked projects, and identified new tasking. The revised 3 meeting outlook reflects this guidance.
Following review of the reports and staff tasking materials, the Council took the following actions:

Advisory Groups

Adopted Terms of Reference for the Executive/Finance Committee
Noticed the public of upcoming Council advisory group meetings and approved draft agendas
Made appointments for a reconstituted Ecosystem Committee, which will be co-chaired by Council members Nate Pamplin and Nicole Kimball.

Letters / Recommendations

Requested staff submit supplemental recommendations to the NMFS Assistant Administrator regarding Council recommendations that are consistent with Executive Order 14276 (see separate newsletter article)
Request to NMFS to allow the Council Chair and Executive Director to review the BSAI FMP Biological Opinion and provide comments to NMFS before it is finalized

Discussions/ New Actions

The Council initiated a discussion paper to evaluate participation in the North Sound red king crab fishery to facilitate consideration of a recency action for license limitation.
The Council will schedule Cook Inlet salmon harvest specifications for SSC and Council action in February 2026.

The Council also initiated several actions consistent with the Executive Order 14276:

An analysis to increase the Bering Sea herring prohibited species catch (PSC) limit, to address concerns about the current closures leading to higher salmon encounter rates.
An analysis of revisions to Lead Level 2 observer endorsement criteria with the intent to increase the pool of qualified observers while maintaining high standards.
An analysis to eliminate the 2% IFQ deduction for sablefish delivered as “bled”, to remove a potential disincentive to fishermen delivering a higher quality product.

An omnibus analysis of recordkeeping and reporting revisions in the groundfish FMPs.