WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
NOAA's October 22 bulletin announced a prohibition on directed Pacific cod fishing by pot gear in the western Gulf of Alaska effective noon local time October 23, to prevent exceeding the 2026 gear-specific allowable-catch allocation.
WHY IT MATTERS / OUR READ
A fishery opening or closure has an administrative denominator. Evaluate stock status from population assessments and catch accounting separately from quota triggers.
CAVEATS / UNCERTAINTY
Official notice, not an ecological stock assessment. The Federal Register text is legally controlling and should be checked for operational compliance.
SOURCE
NOAA Fisheries · Information Bulletin IB 26-50
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