October 2026 Council Recap
At its October 5-13, 2026, meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) addressed several issues affecting Alaska’s fisheries. Alaska Marine Community Coalition (AMCC) primarily focused on two agenda items: (1) C3 – Groundfish Harvest Specifications and (2) E – Staff Tasking.
C3 - Groundfish Harvest Specifications
The Council annually considers groundfish harvest specifications for the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) and Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI), including Overfishing Limits (OFLs), Acceptable Biological Catches (ABCs), and Total Allowable Catch (TAC). The process begins with the Groundfish Plan Teams (GPT), which develop and review stock assessments and management information. In October, the GPTs proposed specifications come before the Council for review. In December, the Council adopts the annual harvest specifications.
What AMCC asked for: At this meeting, AMCC encouraged the Council to (a) set precautionary groundfish TACs in December and (b) continue developing climate-robust, forecast-informed alternative harvest control rules (HCRs) directly connected to management decisions. Currently, harvest specifications rely largely on single-species stock assessment models. An individual stock can appear healthy while the broader ecosystem experiences significant stress. Therefore, AMCC advocated for an ecosystem-based management (EBM) approach to setting the following year’s harvest levels.
AMCC’s public comment letter for Agenda Item C3 can be found here.
The C3 Motions: Ultimately, the Council adopted two C3 motions: one for Proposed GOA Groundfish Specifications and one for BSAI Proposed Groundfish Harvest Specifications. These motions primarily addressed the Council’s adoption of the Science and Statistical Committee’s (SSC) proposed 2027 and 2028 groundfish specifications for OFLs, ABCs, and TACs in the GOA and BSAI.
For certain stocks, TACs were adjusted to account for state waters Guideline Harvest Level (GHL) fisheries—this included GOA and BSAI Pacific cod, GOA pollock, GOA octopus, and Bering Sea sablefish. Final harvest specifications for the GOA and BSAI will be approved in December 2026, following completion of the stock assessments.
E - Staff Tasking
At each Council meeting, the “Staff Tasking” portion of the meeting provides an opportunity for the public to bring forward topics not already on the agenda. These topics may lead the Council to initiate new management actions.
What AMCC asked for: During Staff Tasking, AMCC requested that the Council evaluate halibut bycatch limits in the GOA and direct staff to develop a discussion paper on abundance-based management (ABM) of halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) limits. Under an ABM approach, PSC limits would increase or decrease based on halibut’s measured or forecasted abundance. Evaluating ABM in the GOA is important because the halibut stock has continued to decline. ABM for halibut has already been implemented in the BSAI.
AMCC’s public comment letter for Agenda Item E can be found here.
The E Motion: The Council passed an E Motion. In the motion, the Council ultimately discontinued several previously tasked actions to prioritize four matters: (1) pelagic trawl gear performance standards; (2) GOA Tanner crab protection measures; (3) Bering Sea herring PSC limit changes; and (4) Lead Level 2 Endorsement criteria. The discontinued actions included electronic monitoring for the GOA Rockfish Program, pot gear regulatory consistency, NMFS-approved motion scales in the sablefish fishery, and streamlined charter halibut timing.
The Council also limited staff tasking for potential new actions to two of its four annual meetings. The Council will revisit this twice-yearly limitation after one year.
One concern with the motion is that limiting staff tasking to two meetings per year could reduce opportunities for the public, fishing communities, and stakeholders to bring emerging fisheries management concerns to the Council’s attention. Issues that arise outside these windows may face delays before the Council can consider initiating action, even when they warrant timely attention.
What’s Next?
AMCC will continue to stay engaged, as the Council will continue evaluating these topics in future Council meetings. If you are interested in participating in the Council process, the next Council meeting will be held at the Egan Center in Anchorage, Alaska, from November 30 to December 9, 2026. More information about the currently scheduled topics is available on the Council’s website here. You can review upcoming agenda items, submit written public comments, or provide oral testimony at Council meetings.
Also, check out AMCC’s Guidebook for Engaging with the NPFMC here. Public participation helps ensure that the experiences and priorities of Alaska’s fishing communities are represented in fisheries management decisions.
Photo Credit: ASMI
