🎣NMFS Opens Fishing for Pacific Cod in Alaska's BSAI Management Area
NMFS is opening directed fishing for Pacific cod by American Fisheries Act (AFA) trawl catcher/processors (CPs) in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). This action is necessary to fully use the 2025 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod allocated to AFA trawl CPs in the BSAI.
Learn More🎣Overview of Exempted Fishing Permit Applications in Domestic Fisheries
The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The EFP would allow a federally permitted fishing vessel to fish outside fishery regulations in support of exempted fishing activities proposed by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI). Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed EFPs.
Learn More🐟Reallocation of Pacific Cod TAC in Bering Sea Management Area
NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific cod total allowable catch (TAC) from vessels using jig gear to catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 meters (m)) length overall (LOA) using hook-and-line or pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) management area. This action is necessary to allow the A season apportionment of the 2025 total allowable catch of Pacific cod to be harvested.
Learn More🐟Quota Transfer Announcement for Summer Flounder Fishery in 2025
NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2025 commercial summer flounder quota to the Commonwealth of Virginia. This adjustment to the 2025 fishing year quota is necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised 2025 commercial quotas for North Carolina and Virginia.
Learn More🐚Exempted Fishing Permits
The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The EFP would allow federally permitted fishing vessels to fish outside fishery regulations in support of exempted fishing activities proposed by the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed EFPs.
Learn More🐟Pacific Cod Fishing Closure Regulations in the Gulf of Alaska
NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels using trawl gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2025 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod by catcher vessels using trawl gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA.
Learn More🐟Temporary Fishing Closure for Pacific Cod in Gulf of Alaska
NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by vessels using pot gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2025 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod by vessels using pot gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA.
Learn More🎣Inseason Adjustments for Pacific Coast Groundfish Management 2025
This final rule announces routine inseason adjustments to management measures in commercial groundfish fisheries. This action is intended to allow commercial fishing vessels to access more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting overfished and depleted stocks.
Learn More🎣Closure of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna General Category Fishery for 2025
NMFS closes the General category fishery for Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) for the remainder of the January through March time period. The General category may only retain, possess, or land large medium and giant (i.e., measuring 73 inches (185 centimeters (cm) curved fork length (CFL) or greater) BFT when the fishery is open. This action applies to Atlantic Tunas General category (commercial) permitted vessels and Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) Charter/Headboat permitted vessels with a commercial sale endorsement when fishing commercially for BFT. During the closure, fishermen aboard General category permitted vessels and HMS Charter/Headboat permitted vessels may tag and release BFT of all sizes, subject to the requirements of catch-and-release and tag-and-release programs. On June 1, 2025, the fishery will reopen automatically.
Learn More⚓Withdrawal of Proposed Rule on IUU Fishing Enforcement Impacts Businesses
NMFS formally withdraws a proposed rule on the Implementation of Provisions of the Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015 and the Ensuring Access to Pacific Fisheries Act, which was published in the Federal Register on July 8, 2022. This proposed rule would have implemented certain provisions of the two acts and amended the definition of illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) fishing in the regulations that implement the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (Moratorium Protection Act). After the proposed rule was issued, Congress amended the Moratorium Protection Act by the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (NDAA). NMFS has been developing a revised proposed rule in light of the NDAA to conform to the statutory changes, but does not have sufficient time to finalize the rule in this Administration.
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