Aleutian groundfish boats barred from selling 'other rockfish' for the rest of 2026

Commercial groundfish boats in the Aleutian Islands can no longer sell "other rockfish" this year after the fleet reached its 2026 limit, federal fisheries managers say.

The National Marine Fisheries Service closed the category at noon Sept. 21, and the closure runs through Dec. 31. The Aleutian limit this year is 415 metric tons, or about 915,000 pounds. The agency said the fleet had reached it or soon would.

"Other rockfish" is a catch-all for the many rockfish and thornyhead species that don't have their own catch limits. Five kinds are managed separately and aren't covered: Pacific ocean perch, northern, dark, shortraker, and blackspotted and rougheye rockfish.

What the closure means depends on the gear. Trawlers now have to throw these rockfish back. Boats fishing with hooks, pots or jigs must still bring every rockfish they catch to the dock. That rule has been in place since 2020 because most rockfish don't survive being hauled up, and the agency wanted to cut down on waste. Those boats can usually sell a small share of their catch as rockfish. For the rest of the year they can't sell any "other rockfish," but they can keep it for their own use, give it away or have it turned into fish meal.

The closure is an annual event. The agency has shut the category down in the Aleutians every year since at least 2017, often much earlier than this. It closed July 28 in 2020, Aug. 12 in 2023 and Sept. 26 last year.

This year's limit is the same as last year's and was set in March along with the rest of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands catch limits. Those limits were based on the most recent stock assessment report, from 2024.

Questions about the closure go to Andrew Olson at the agency's Alaska regional office, 907-586-7228.