INFORMATION BULLETIN (02-83)         September 27, 2002     
  Sustainable Fisheries Division       1:15 p.m.              
              907-586-7228                           
                                
                                
        NMFS REALLOCATES PACIFIC COD FROM VESSELS USING
               TRAWL AND JIG GEAR TO VESSELS USING
                   HOOK-AND-LINE OR POT GEAR
             IN THE BERING SEA AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS

The National Marine Fisheries service (NMFS) is reallocating
4,000 metric tons (mt) of Pacific cod from vessels using trawl
gear and 3,400 mt of Pacific cod from vessels using jig gear
to vessels using hook-and-line or pot gear in the Bering Sea
and Aleutian Islands management area according to James W.
Balsiger, Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS.

The following table summarizes the reallocation in metric
tons:
______________________________________________________________
                  CURRENT SHARE   THESE ACTIONS  REVISED SHARE

Pacific cod
  Jig gear               3,700          - 3,400           300
  Hook and Line gear
     Catcher Processor  75,080          + 6,840        81,920
     Catcher Vessel        282          +   200           482
  Pot gear              17,175          +   360        17,535

Trawl gear
  catcher/processors    43,475          - 3,000        40,475
  catcher vessels       43,475          - 1,000        42,475

This action is necessary to allow the 2002 TAC of Pacific cod
to be harvested and is issued pursuant to 50 CFR
679.20(a)(7)(ii).  This action does not imply any change in
the status of the fisheries.

This information bulletin only provides notice of a regulatory
change.  For the purposes of complying with the regulatory
change, you are advised to see the actual text of the
regulation in the Code of Federal Regulations.