National Marine Fisheries Service
09/23/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/23/2025 16:21
Reapportionment of Tribal Pacific Whiting Allocation for 2025
Regulations at 50 CFR 660.131 (h) provide for the reapportionment of Pacific whiting Tribal allocations that the Regional Administrator determines will not be used by the end of the fishing year.
The best available information in September 2025 indicated that at least 21,716 metric tons (mt) of the Tribal allocation of 51,716 mt for the 2025 Tribal Pacific whiting fishery would not be used by December 31, 2025. Reapportioning this amount to the non-Tribal fishery is expected to allow for greater attainment of the U.S. Total Allowable Catch. In addition, recent conversations between the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) and Tribal fishery managers indicated that reapportioning 21,716 mt, leaving a Tribal allocation of 30,000 mt, would not limit tribal harvest opportunities for the remainder of the year.
As required under the 2017 Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7(a)(2) biological opinion on the effects of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan on listed salmonids and regulations at 50 CFR 660.131(h)(5), NOAA Fisheries considered the number and bycatch rate of Chinook salmon taken in the Pacific whiting fishery. Based on the best available information in September 2025, NOAA Fisheries determined there is low risk that the reapportionment will cause the Pacific whiting sector fisheries to exceed both the guideline limit of 11,000 and reserve of 3,500 Chinook salmon under current regulations and practices. At the time of action, incidental take of Chinook salmon by the non-Tribal sector was less than 5% of the guideline limit. NOAA Fisheries will continue to monitor Chinook salmon bycatch as part of in-season management.
NOAA Fisheries took action on September 16, 2025 to reapportion 21,716 mt of Pacific whiting. Reapportionments are disbursed to the other Pacific whiting fishery sectors in the same proportion as each sector's allotted portion of the fishery harvest guideline specified in the regulations. All non-Tribal commercial sectors have expressed an interest in this potential for additional 2025 harvest of Pacific whiting. In the Shorebased IFQ program, whiting quota pounds were allocated to quota share accounts effective 2:45 pm (14:45) PST, on September 16, 2025.
The revised Pacific whiting allocations by sector for 2025 are listed below:
| Allocation (share) | Reapportionment (mt) | Revised 2025 Sector Allocations (mt) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| C/P Coop Program | 34% | 7,383.44 | 90,021.80 |
| MS Coop Program | 24% | 5,211.84 | 63,544.80 |
| Shorebased IFQ Program | 42% | 9,120.72 | 111,203.40 |
| Total reapportioned | 21,716 |
The initial 2025 whiting allocations are detailed in the June 26, 2025 Final Rule for 2025 Pacific Whiting U.S. Total Allowable Catch, 2025 Tribal Allocation, 2025 Incidental Set-Aside, and Annual Specifications for 2025 Non-Tribal Fisheries (90 FR 27261)
National Marine Fisheries Service published this content on September 23, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 23, 2025 at 22:21 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]