🐟2025 Fisheries Regulation
NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific cod from American Fisheries Act (AFA) catcher/processor vessels to amendment 80 vessels in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) management area. This action is necessary to allow the 2025 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod to be harvested.
Learn More🐟Public Meeting on Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Regulations
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Ecosystem and Ocean Planning Committee and Advisory Panel will hold a public meeting.
Learn More🐟Notice on Hatchery Management Plans and Environmental Determination
NMFS has evaluated hatchery and genetic management plans (HGMPs) for 12 hatchery programs rearing and releasing Chinook, coho, and chum salmon in the Nooksack River basin and Strait of Georgia submitted by the Lummi Nation and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) in collaboration with the Nooksack Indian Tribe as co- managers pursuant to the limitation on take prohibitions for actions conducted under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The plans describe hatchery programs operated by the co-managers. This document serves to notify the public of the availability of an Evaluation and Recommended Determination Document (ERD) in which NMFS, by delegated authority from the Secretary of Commerce, has determined that implementing and enforcing these HGMPs will not appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery nor modify or destroy critical habitat of Puget Sound Chinook salmon or Puget Sound steelhead. In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), NMFS also announces the availability of its Finding of No Significant Impact for the hatchery operations under the HGMPs.
Learn More🎣Pacific Mackerel Harvest Specifications for 2025-2027
NMFS proposes to implement annual harvest specifications and management measures for Pacific mackerel in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the West Coast for the fishing year July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, and the fishing year July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. These specifications include overfishing limits (OFL), allowable biological catch (ABC), annual catch limits (ACL), harvest guidelines (HG), and annual catch targets (ACT) for each respective fishing year. If the fishery attains the ACT for either fishing year, 8,143 metric tons (mt) for 2025-2026 or 9,448 mt for 2026-2027, the directed fishery will close, reserving the 1,000-mt difference between the HG and ACT as a set-aside for incidental landings in other coastal pelagic species (CPS) fisheries and other sources of mortality. The HG is 9,143 mt for 2025-2026 and 10,448 mt for 2026-2027. This rulemaking is made pursuant to the CPS Fishery Management Plan (FMP), and is intended to conserve and manage the Pacific mackerel stock off the U.S. West Coast.
Learn More🎣Notice on Control Date for Northeastern Recreational Fisheries
This advance notice of proposed rulemaking seeks comment on the benefits or disadvantages of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) potentially recommending future restrictions for the federally permitted recreational for-hire fisheries for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish. The Council requested NMFS establish a control date while managers consider if, and how, participation may be affected through the ongoing Recreational Sector Separation and Data Collection Amendment. NMFS is informing the public of the new control date to promote awareness of the potential changes to eligibility criteria for future access and to discourage speculative entry into the Federal for-hire fisheries.
Learn More🎣New Fishing Regulations for Scamp and Yellowmouth Grouper
NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 55 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic (FMP), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). This proposed rule would remove yellowmouth grouper from the other South Atlantic shallow water grouper (other SASWG) complex and establish a new scamp and yellowmouth grouper complex. This proposed rule would establish catch levels, sector management measures, and accountability measures (AM) for the new scamp and yellowmouth grouper complex and establish catch levels for the revised other SASWG complex. In addition, Amendment 55 would establish a rebuilding plan, sector allocations, and status determination criteria (SDC) for the scamp and yellowmouth grouper complex. The purpose of this proposed rule and Amendment 55 is to rebuild the scamp and yellowmouth grouper stock, and achieve optimum yield (OY) while minimizing, to the extent practicable, adverse social and economic effects.
Learn More🐟SEDAR 98 Assessment Webinar IV
The SEDAR 98 assessment process for Gulf red snapper will consist of a Data Workshop, a series of assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
Learn More🎣Correction to 2025-2026 Fisheries Harvest Specifications in Alaska
On March 18, 2025, NMFS published the final rule to implement the 2025 and 2026 harvest specifications, apportionments, and prohibited species catch (PSC) allowances for the groundfish fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). Following publication, errors were identified in table 21, which provides notice of allocations of groundfish and apportionments of PSC limits for the Community Development Quota (CDQ) groups. This rule corrects the errors in table 21.
Learn More🐟Proposed Regulation
NMFS is proposing changes to regulations to implement the binding International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) Recommendation 24-12 on mobulid rays of the family Mobulidae, which was adopted in 2024. Specifically, NMFS is proposing to prohibit retention of mobulid rays in fisheries for Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS), to require mobulid rays to be released unharmed in HMS fisheries, and to implement mobulid ray handling practices for vessels fishing with pelagic longline gear.
Learn More🐟Upcoming Public Meetings on Western Pacific Fishery Management
The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its 157th Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), Executive and Budget Standing Committee (SC), and its 204th Council meeting to take actions on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region.
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