🎣Fisheries Regulation
NMFS is prohibiting retention of "other rockfish" in the Aleutian Islands subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary because the 2025 "other rockfish" total allowable catch (TAC) in the Aleutian Islands subarea of the BSAI will soon be or has been reached.
Learn More🐟2025-2026 Fisheries Management Specifications for Northeastern U.S.
NMFS approves and implements 2025-2026 specifications for the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), as recommended by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). This action sets 2025 and projected 2026 butterfish fishery specifications and reaffirms 2025 chub mackerel, Illex squid, longfin squid, and Atlantic mackerel fishery specifications. These final specifications are intended to establish allowable harvest levels that will prevent overfishing, consistent with the most recent scientific information. This action also adjusts the minimum square mesh size for directed butterfish trawl trips and corrects existing regulations.
Learn More🐟Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council Public Meeting Notice
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold public meetings of the Council and its Executive Committee.
Learn More🎣Notice of Public Meeting for Pacific Fishery Management Council
The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad- hoc Sacramento River Fall Chinook (SRFC) Workgroup will hold an online meeting in October 2025.
Learn More🦀Fee Adjustment in Bering Sea Crab Fisheries
NMFS issues this notice to decrease the fee rate to 1 percent for the Bristol Bay red king crab reduction endorsement fishery to repay the $17,129,957.23 subloan of the $97,399,357.11 reduction loan to finance the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands (BSAI) King and Tanner crab fishing capacity reduction program. The fee rates for the other reduction endorsement fisheries within the BSAI King and Tanner crab fishing capacity reduction program remain unchanged at 5 percent.
Learn More🎣Public Meeting Notice for South Atlantic Red Snapper Assessment
The SEDAR 90 assessment process of South Atlantic red snapper will consist of a Data Workshop, a series of assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
Learn More🎣2025 Commercial Atlantic Mackerel Fishery Closure and Regulations
NMFS is closing the commercial Atlantic mackerel fishery through December 31, 2025. This closure is required by regulation because NMFS projects that 80 percent of the mackerel domestic annual harvest has been harvested. This action is necessary to comply with the regulations implementing the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan and is intended to prevent overharvest of Atlantic mackerel.
Learn More🐟Pacific Sardine Fishing Regulations
NMFS is implementing annual harvest specifications and management measures for the northern subpopulation of Pacific sardine (hereafter, Pacific sardine), for the fishing year from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. This rule prohibits most directed commercial fishing for Pacific sardine off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. Pacific sardine harvest is allowed for use only as live bait, in minor directed fisheries, as incidental catch in other fisheries, or as authorized under exempted fishing permits. The incidental harvest of Pacific sardine will be limited to 20 percent by weight of all fish per trip when caught with other stocks managed under the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP), or up to 2 metric tons (mt) per trip when caught with non-coastal pelagic species stocks. The harvest specifications for 2025-2026 include an overfishing limit (OFL) of 4,645 mt, an acceptable biological catch (ABC) of 3,957, an annual catch limit (ACL) of 2,200 mt, and an annual catch target (ACT) of 2,100 mt. This final rule is intended to conserve, manage, and rebuild the Pacific sardine stock off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California.
Learn More🐟Management Track Assessment Review Meeting for Fish Stocks
NMFS will convene the Management Track Assessment Peer Review Meeting for the purpose of reviewing Acadian redfish, white hake, Georges Bank winter flounder, Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder, and Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder stocks. The Management Track Assessment Peer Review is a formal scientific peer-review process for evaluating and presenting stock assessment results to managers for fish stocks in the offshore U.S. waters of the northwest Atlantic. Assessments are prepared by the lead stock assessment scientist and reviewed by an independent panel of stock assessment experts. The public is invited to attend the presentations and discussions between the review panel and the scientists who have participated in the stock assessment process.
Learn More🎣NMFS Prohibits Fishing for Pacific Ocean Perch in Gulf of Alaska
NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2025 total allowable catch of Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA.
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