Directed Pacific ocean perch fishing closes in the western Gulf of Alaska

Directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch is closed in the western Gulf of Alaska. National Marine Fisheries Service information bulletin IB 26-39, issued Sept. 30, 2026, prohibits directed fishing in the Western Regulatory Area — Statistical Area 610, between 159° and 170° W. longitude — effective noon Alaska time on Oct. 1, 2026.

The closure runs through midnight Alaska time on Dec. 31, 2026. The Federal Register notice of the action says the 2026 total allowable catch in that area is 1,688 metric tons. The regional administrator set a directed fishing allowance of 1,508 metric tons and held back 180 metric tons as incidental catch for other groundfish fisheries. Both the allowance and the TAC were treated as reached, so directed fishing stops to keep the area from going over the TAC.

While the closure is in effect, the maximum retainable amounts in the groundfish rules still apply on a trip. The bulletin says the action does not replace the Federal Register text. This western Gulf closure is separate from the Bering Sea pollock herring-savings closure already on the desk.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: NMFS IB 26-39 (Sept. 30, 2026). Also: Federal Register — Pacific ocean perch in the western Gulf of Alaska.