NMFS Prohibits Trawl Gear Retention of Sablefish in Gulf of Alaska

Summary

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has prohibited the retention of sablefish by vessels using trawl gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska, requiring them to discard the catch at sea with minimal injury, due to the allocation of the 1997 total allowable catch (TAC) assigned to trawl gear in this area.