    [Federal Register Volume 91, Number 58 (Thursday, March 26, 2026)]
    [Rules and Regulations]
    [Pages 14652-14653]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 2026-05858]

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    DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    50 CFR Part 679

    [Docket No. 260305-0066 and 260305-0067]
    RTID 0648-XF542

    Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Sablefish
    Managed Under the Individual Fishing Quota Program

    AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
    Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

    ACTION: Temporary rule; opening.

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    SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed fishing for sablefish with fixed gear
    managed under the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program and the
    Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program. The season will open at 1200
    hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 26, 2026, and will close at
    1200 hours, A.l.t., December 7, 2026. These dates are the same as the
    2026 commercial halibut fishery dates adopted by the International
    Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), except the hours are not the same.
    The IFQ and CDQ halibut season dates are specified by a separate
    publication in the Federal Register of annual management measures,
    which should be referenced for the halibut-specific opening and closure
    times.

    DATES: Effective 1200 hours, A.l.t., March 26, 2026, until 1200 hours,
    A.l.t., December 7, 2026.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Olson, 907-586-7228.

    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Beginning in 1995, fishing for Pacific
    halibut and sablefish with fixed gear in the IFQ regulatory areas
    defined in 50 CFR 679.2 has been managed under the IFQ Program. The IFQ
    Program is a regulatory regime designed to promote the conservation and
    management of these fisheries and to further the objectives of the
    Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
    Stevens Act) and the Northern Pacific Halibut Act. Persons holding
    quota share receive an annual allocation of IFQ. Persons receiving an
    annual allocation of IFQ are authorized to harvest IFQ species within
    specified limitations. Further information on the implementation of the
    IFQ Program, and the rationale supporting it, are contained in the
    preamble to the final rule implementing the IFQ Program published in
    the Federal Register, November 9, 1993 (58 FR 59375) and subsequent
    amendments.
        Directed fishing for sablefish using fixed gear in any IFQ
    regulatory area is authorized only during the period specified by the
    Regional Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional Administrator),
    who must take into account the opening date of the halibut season when
    determining the opening date for sablefish for the purposes of reducing
    bycatch and regulatory discards between the two fisheries (50 CFR
    679.23(g)(1)). This announcement is consistent with and required by
    Sec.  679.23(g)(1), which requires that the directed fishing season for
    sablefish managed under the IFQ Program be specified by the Regional
    Administrator and announced by publication in the Federal Register.
    Fishing for CDQ sablefish with fixed gear under an approved CDQ
    allocation may occur only during the IFQ fishing season specified
    pursuant to Sec.  679.23(e)(4)(ii) and (g)(1).
        These season dates for sablefish IFQ and CDQ fishing facilitate
    coordination between the sablefish season, chosen by the Regional
    Administrator, and the halibut season, adopted by the IPHC. The
    directed fishing season for sablefish with fixed gear managed under the
    IFQ Program will open 1200 hours, A.l.t., March 26, 2026, and will
    close 1200 hours, A.l.t., December 7, 2026. This period runs
    concurrently with the IFQ season for Pacific halibut announced by the
    IPHC, except the hours are not the same. The IFQ and CDQ halibut season
    will be specified by a separate publication in the Federal Register of
    annual management measures pursuant to 50 CFR 300.62.
        There is a difference in the time of day for opening and closing
    the halibut IFQ and CDQ commercial fishery and the Alaska sablefish IFQ
    and CDQ commercial fishery. IPHC regulations open the halibut IFQ and
    CDQ fishery at 0600 hours, A.l.t., on March 26, 2026, and NMFS will
    open the Alaska sablefish IFQ and CDQ fishery at 1200 hours, A.l.t., on
    March 26, 2026, pursuant to regulations that require that the time of
    all openings and closures of fishing seasons, other than the beginning
    and end of the calendar fishing year, is 1200 hours, A.l.t. (Sec.
    679.23(b)). Therefore, if gear is deployed to fish for halibut in the
    commercial fishery off Alaska before 1200 hours, A.l.t., on March 26,
    2026, then IFQ or CDQ sablefish caught from that deployment may not be
    retained. If a vessel operator holds both halibut IFQ or CDQ and
    sablefish IFQ or CDQ, and the operator intends to retain sablefish on
    March 26, then the vessel should deploy its commercial fishing gear
    after 1200 hours, A.l.t.
        IPHC regulations close the halibut IFQ and CDQ fishery at 2359
    hours, A.l.t., on December 7, 2026, and NMFS will close the Alaska
    sablefish IFQ and CDQ fishery at 1200 hours, A.l.t., on December 7,
    2026 (Sec.  679.23(b)). Therefore, if gear is deployed to fish for
    halibut in the commercial fishery off Alaska after 1200 hours, A.l.t.,
    on December 7, 2026, then IFQ and CDQ sablefish caught from that
    deployment may only be retained up to the Maximum Retainable Amount
    (MRA), except for catch of sablefish with longline pot gear in the Gulf
    of Alaska (Sec.  679.23(g)(2)) which must be treated as a prohibited
    species. If an individual aboard a vessel holds both unused halibut IFQ
    or CDQ and sablefish IFQ or CDQ, and the operator intends to retain
    sablefish on December 7, 2026, after 1200 hours, A.l.t., then the
    vessel may only retain IFQ or CDQ sablefish in accordance with the MRA
    regulations at 50 CFR 679.20(e).

    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 delay the opening of the sablefish fishery thereby
    preventing holders of sablefish IFQ and CDQ from participating in the
    Alaska sablefish IFQ and CDQ fishery, increasing bycatch and regulatory
    discards between the sablefish fishery and the halibut fishery, and
    preventing the accomplishment of the management objective for
    simultaneous opening of these two fisheries that are managed under the
    same IFQ Program. NMFS was unable to publish a notice providing time
    for public comment

    [[Page 14653]]

    because the relevant information for opening the Alaska sablefish IFQ
    and CDQ fishery only became available as of March 23, 2026. In
    addition, NMFS developed this action to open the Alaska sablefish IFQ
    and CDQ fishery concurrently with the halibut IFQ and CDQ fishery as
    quickly as possible given the other rulemakings necessary to provide
    notice of the harvest limits, allocations, and halibut season dates for
    the fisheries.
        There is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to establish an
    effective date less than 30 days after date of publication. 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: March 23, 2026.
    David R. Blankinship,
    Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
    Fisheries Service.
    [FR Doc. 2026-05858 Filed 3-25-26; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 3510-22-P