🎣New Fishing Restrictions for Tropical Tuna
NMFS is issuing regulations under the Tuna Conventions Act (TCA) of 1950, as amended, to implement Resolution C-24-01 (Conservation Measures For Tropical Tunas In The Eastern Pacific Ocean During 2025-2026) adopted at the 102nd Meeting of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) in September 2024. This final rule maintains and extends management measures for fishing vessels targeting tropical tuna (i.e., bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), and skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)) in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO). The fishing restrictions will apply to large purse seine vessels of class sizes 4-6 (i.e., vessels with a carrying capacity of 182 metric tons (mt) or greater) and longline vessels greater than 24 meters in overall length that fish for tropical tuna in the EPO. This rule is necessary for the conservation of tropical tuna stocks in the EPO and for the United States to satisfy its obligations as a member of the IATTC.
Learn More🎣Proposed Hunting and Fishing Regulations for 2025-2026
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to open or expand hunting or sport fishing opportunities on 16 National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) stations and 1 National Fish Hatchery System (NFHS) station. This includes inaugural hunting opportunities at Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), the newest addition to the NWRS, and the formal opening of hunting opportunities at Grasslands Wildlife Management Area (WMA), as well as inaugural sport fishing at North Attleboro National Fish Hatchery (NFH). These actions will open or expand 42 opportunities for hunting and fishing across more than 87,000 acres of Service lands and waters. In addition, at the request of the State of Minnesota and the White Earth Nation, Tamarac NWR proposes to end an experimental 5-day early teal hunt where the refuge overlaps with Tribal land to ensure safety for wild rice harvesting and to align with State regulations. We also propose to make administrative changes to existing station-specific regulations to improve the clarity and accuracy of regulations, reduce the regulatory burden on the public, and comply with a Presidential mandate for plain- language standards.
Learn More🐬Proposed Regulations for Marine Mammals in Military Readiness Activities
NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Department of the Navy (including the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps (Navy)) and on behalf of the U.S. Coast Guard (Coast Guard; hereafter, Navy and Coast Guard are collectively referred to as Action Proponents) for Incidental Take Regulations (ITR) and three associated Letters of Authorization (LOAs) pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The requested regulations would govern the authorization of take of marine mammals incidental to training and testing activities conducted in the Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT) Study Area over the course of seven years from November 2025 through November 2032. NMFS requests comments on this proposed rule. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the promulgation of the requested ITR and issuance of the LOAs; agency responses to public comments will be summarized in the final rule, if issued. The Action Proponents' activities are considered military readiness activities pursuant to the MMPA, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (2004 NDAA).
Learn More🎣Commercial Fishing Regulations for Pacific Bluefin Tuna (2025-2026)
NMFS is issuing regulations under the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950, as amended, to implement Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) Resolution C-24-02 (Measures for the Conservation and Management of Bluefin Tuna in the Eastern Pacific Ocean) adopted by the IATTC in September 2024. This rule implements annual catch and trip limits on United States commercial catch of Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis; PBF) in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) for 2025- 2026. This action is necessary to conserve PBF and for the United States to satisfy its obligations as a member of the IATTC. NMFS prepared an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for this action.
Learn More🎣2025 Management Measures for Pacific Halibut Fishery Regulations
NMFS is proposing annual management measures for the 2025 non- Tribal directed commercial Pacific halibut fishery that operates south of Point Chehalis, WA, (lat. 46[deg]53.30' N) in the International Pacific Halibut Commission's (IPHC) regulatory Area 2A off Washington, Oregon, and California. Annual management measures include fishing periods and fishing period limits. NMFS is also proposing to modify permit deadlines for all Area 2A non-Tribal commercial fisheries and modify inseason action announcement procedures for the Area 2A non- Tribal directed commercial fishery. These actions are intended to conserve Pacific halibut and provide fishing opportunity where available.
Learn More🎣2025 Regulatory Changes for Pacific Halibut Fisheries Impacting Businesses
This final rule approves changes to the Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan (CSP) for the International Pacific Halibut Commission's (IPHC) regulatory Area 2A off Washington, Oregon, and California. In addition, the rule implements new management measures for the 2025 recreational fisheries in Area 2A, including the recreational fishery season open dates and subarea allocations for Area 2A. This action also adds a new inseason management provision that explicitly allows for the inseason transfer of anticipated uncaught recreational fishery allocation from the Northern California subarea to the South of Point Arena subarea. These actions are intended to conserve Pacific halibut, while providing additional angler opportunity to achieve the Area 2A allocation set by the IPHC.
Learn More🌊Proposed Incidental Take Regulations for Marine Mammals in California & Oregon
NMFS has received a request from University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) for Incidental Take Regulations (ITR) and an associated Letter of Authorization (LOA) pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The requested regulations would govern the authorization of take of marine mammals over 5 years (2025-2030) incidental to the Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network (MARINe) rocky intertidal monitoring surveys along the Oregon and California coasts. NMFS requests public comments on this proposed rule. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the promulgation of the requested ITR and issuance of the LOA.
Learn More🦌Implications of Alaska's Subsistence Management Regulations 2026
This proposed rule would establish regulations for hunting and trapping seasons, harvest limits, and methods and means related to taking of wildlife for subsistence uses during the 2026-27 and 2027-28 regulatory years. The Federal Subsistence Board (hereafter referred to as "the Board") is on a schedule of completing the process of revising subsistence taking of wildlife regulations in even-numbered years and subsistence taking of fish and shellfish regulations in odd- numbered years; public proposal and review processes take place during the preceding year. The Board also addresses customary and traditional use determinations during the applicable cycle. When final, the resulting rulemaking will replace the existing subsistence wildlife taking regulations. This proposed rule could also amend the general regulations on subsistence taking of fish and wildlife.
Learn More🌊New Regulations for Navy Activities and Marine Mammal Protections
NMFS, upon request from the U.S. Navy (Navy), issues these regulations pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to the training and testing activities conducted in the Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing (HSTT) Study Area between 2018 and 2025. In 2021, two separate U.S. Navy vessels struck unidentified large whales on two separate occasions, one whale in June 2021 and one whale in July 2021, in waters off Southern California. The takes by vessel strike of the two whales by the U.S. Navy were covered by the existing regulations and Letters of Authorization (LOAs), which authorize the U.S. Navy to take up to three large whales by serious injury or mortality by vessel strike between 2018 and 2025. The Navy reanalyzed the potential of vessel strike in the HSTT Study Area, including the recent strikes, and as a result, requested two additional takes of large whales by serious injury or mortality by vessel strike for the remainder of the current regulatory period. In May 2023, a U.S. Navy vessel struck a large whale in waters off Southern California. NMFS reanalyzed the potential for vessel strike based on new information, including the three strikes, and authorizes two additional takes of large whales by serious injury or mortality by vessel strike for the remainder of the current regulatory period (two takes in addition to the three takes authorized in the current regulations). The Navy's activities qualify as military readiness activities pursuant to the MMPA, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (2004 NDAA).
Learn More🐠Proposed Rule on Injurious Wildlife Affecting Trade and Business
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) proposes to add all species of freshwater mussels from two genera, Asian pond mussels (Sinanodonta species) and golden mussels (Limnoperna species), to the list of injurious mollusks. Additionally, the Service proposes to add marbled crayfish (Procambarus virginalis) to the list of injurious crustaceans. Listing these taxa as injurious will prohibit the importation of any live animal, larvae, viable egg, or hybrid of these taxa into the United States, except as specifically authorized. These listings would also prohibit shipment of any live animal, larvae, viable egg, or hybrid of these species between the continental United States, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or possession of the United States, except as specifically authorized. The action is necessary to protect wildlife and wildlife resources by preventing the introduction and subsequent establishment of these foreign aquatic invertebrates into ecosystems of the United States.
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