This action would amend Federal regulations to allow fishermen to use longline pot gear to harvest sablefish in the Gulf of Alaska Individual Fishing Quota fishery. Hook-and-line gear is currently the only authorized gear type in the sablefish Individual Fishing Quota fishery. The action would authorize Individual Fishing Quota fishermen to use either longline pot gear or hook-and-line gear in the sablefish Individual Fishing Quota fishery. Some fishermen would like to use longline pot gear because it is less prone to whale interactions than hook-and-line gear. Whales can remove sablefish from hook-and-line gear, which reduces fishing efficiency and increases costs for sablefish Individual Fishing Quota fishermen because the whale interactions damage hook-and-line gear and reduce sablefish catch rates. However, whales cannot remove sablefish from longline pot gear, and the action to authorize longline pot gear in the sablefish Individual Fishing Quota fishery is intended to reduce fishery interactions with whales and reduce the negative impacts of whale interactions on the sablefish Individual Fishing Quota fleet. The action would establish management measures to minimize conflicts between hook-and-line and longline pot gear on the fishing grounds and to prevent significant consolidation of sablefish Individual Fishing Quota onto fewer vessels.