Alaska Regional Office

The Habitat Conservation Division works in coordination with industries, stakeholder groups, government agencies, and private citizens to avoid, minimize, or offset the adverse effects of human activities on Essential Fish Habitat and living marine resources in Alaska. This work includes conducting and/or reviewing environmental analyses for a large variety of activities ranging from commercial fishing to coastal development to large transportation and energy projects. We identify technically and economically feasible alternatives and offer realistic recommendations for the conservation of valuable living marine resources. We focus on activities in habitats used by federally managed fish species located offshore, nearshore, in estuaries, and in freshwater areas important to anadromous salmon.

Information Services Division

The Information Services Division manages the Region's information technology needs. This includes network services, computers, software installation, print and copy hardware, email and network file storage, meeting and audio/video resources, database programming and management, and records management.

Operations and Management Division

The Operations and Management Division oversees the Region’s budget, external programs, acquisitions, facilities, logistics, and provides a liaison role to NOAA for human resources, grants, and contracts. Division personnel enable the Region’s programs and staff to accomplish the NOAA Fisheries mission in Alaska.

Protected Resources Division

The Protected Resources Division works to recover and conserve protected species--like whales and seals--while supporting responsible fishing and resource development. We provide management and oversight for the conservation and recovery of marine mammal species in Alaska under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, and Fur Seal Act. We provide guidance on the mitigation of fishery-marine mammal interactions and adaptive management measures to reduce impacts from disturbance, harassment, and takes. The division also implements agreements with Alaska Native groups to co-manage the subsistence harvest of nine marine mammal species.

Restricted Access Management Program

The Restricted Access Management Program (RAM)  is responsible for managing Alaska Region permit programs, including those that limit access to the Federally-managed fisheries of the North Pacific. RAM responsibilities include: providing program information to the public, determining eligibility and issuing permits, processing transfers, collecting landing fees and related activities. RAM also prepares and distributes reports on landings in the Pacific halibut and sablefish Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program and halibut landings in the Community Development Quota (CDQ) program, and on the BSAI Crab Rationalization Program.

Sustainable Fisheries Division 

The Sustainable Fisheries Division works to maximize fishing opportunities while ensuring the sustainability of fisheries and fishing communities in Alaska. We authorize federal fisheries in Alaska waters annually, and implement fishery management programs developed by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Act and associated laws. We administer fisheries, collect and manage catch data, and direct a unique Community Development Quota program.

We also coordinate with the State of Alaska on fishery management and data collection programs, and with the International Pacific Halibut Commission on regulations governing the recreational, commercial, and subsistence Pacific halibut fisheries off Alaska. Our work sustains healthy fish stocks important to commercial and recreational fisheries with the goal of deriving the most benefit from our fisheries for food and economic well-being, while conserving ecosystem health and fish stocks for continued productivity to benefit future generations of fishing families and Alaska’s coastal communities.

International Coordination