INFORMATION BULLETIN (03-93)                                                            October 10, 2003   
 Sustainable Fisheries Division                                                          2:15 p.m.               
            907-586-7228                           
                                
                                
        NMFS REALLOCATES PACIFIC COD FROM VESSELS USING
            TRAWL, JIG AND POT GEAR TO VESSELS USING
                       HOOK-AND-LINE GEAR
             IN THE BERING SEA AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS

The National Marine Fisheries service (NMFS) is reallocating 17,000 metric tons (mt) of Pacific
cod from vessels using trawl gear, 3,600 mt of Pacific cod from vessels using jig gear, and 500
mt from vessels using pot gear to vessels using hook-and-line 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
Hook and Line gear 
     Catcher Processor                                77,911          +20,900           98,811
     Catcher Vessel                                      292          +   200              492
Pot gear                                              17,822          -   500           17,322
Jig gear                                               3,893          - 3,600              293
Trawl gear
     Catcher Processor                                45,105          -11,000           34,105
     Catcher Vessel                                   45,105          - 6,000           39,105

This action is necessary to allow the 2003 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.