🍏Proposed Rule to Revoke Food Standards
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is proposing to revoke 23 standards of identity for food. FDA is taking this action because we tentatively conclude that these standards are no longer necessary to promote honesty and fair dealing in the interest of consumers. This proposed action would reduce redundant regulatory requirements.
Learn More🎣New England Fishery Management Council Meeting Notice
The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its On-Demand Fishing Gear Conflict Working Group via webinar to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.
Learn More🎣Closure of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Harpoon Fishery for 2025
NMFS closes the Harpoon category fishery for large medium and giant (i.e., measuring 73 inches (185 cm) curved fork length (CFL) or greater) Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) for the remainder of the 2025 fishing year. This closure applies to Atlantic Tunas Harpoon category permitted vessels.
Learn More🎣Analysis of Exempted Fishing Permits for Snapper-Grouper Fishery
NMFS announces the receipt of two applications for exempted fishing permits (EFPs) from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). If granted, the EFPs would authorize limited recreational harvest of red snapper outside of any Federal recreational season in South Atlantic Federal waters and exempt that harvest from the red snapper recreational bag and possession limits, recreational annual catch limits (ACLs), general reporting requirements for charter vessels and headboats, and accountability measures (AMs). FWC's projects are intended to test alternative recreational management strategies that could be used by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) to reduce the number of discards of red snapper and other federally managed snapper-grouper species, create additional opportunities to participate in sustainable recreational harvest, and improve angler satisfaction.
Learn More🐟Gulf Fishery Management Council to Host Virtual Webinars on Fisheries
The Gulf Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) will hold 4 virtual webinars of the Reef Fish, Coastal Migratory Pelagics, Red Drum, Shrimp, Spiny Lobster and Ad Hoc Individual Fishing Quota Advisory Panels to advise on Executive Order 14276 "Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness" and Executive Order 14192 "Unleashing Prosperity through Deregulation"; and, one Public Engagement webinar.
Learn More📜Proposed Removal of Non-Binding Interpretive Rules for Labor Regulations
The Department of Labor (Department) proposes to remove parts located in Title 29, Chapter V, Subchapter B of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) that were not originally issued, or subsequently amended, through notice-and-comment rulemaking. Because these parts consist of interpretive rules and policy statements regarding the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) which do not carry the force and effect of law, the Department believes that these parts, to the extent that they have not benefitted from public comment, should be repurposed as sub- regulatory guidance. The Department seeks comment on what provisions in Subchapter B should be retained in the CFR, as well as what kind of sub-regulatory guidance the Department should use to preserve interpretive rules and policy statements that are removed from the CFR. This summary can be found at https://www.regulations.gov by searching by the RIN: 1235-AA52.
Learn More🍗USDA Updates State Meat and Poultry Inspection Program Lists
FSIS is amending the Federal meat and poultry products inspection regulations to remove its lists of states that do not operate their own meat or poultry inspection (MPI) programs that are "at least equal to" FSIS' Federal inspection programs and have therefore been designated for FSIS' Federal inspection. FSIS is also amending the regulations to remove or revise related cross references to the lists. Going forward, FSIS will maintain lists of states with and without MPI programs on its website to ensure that the public has accurate and timely access to information about State and Federal inspection programs.
Learn More🐟2025-2026 Pacific Sardine Fishing Regulation Specifications
NMFS proposes to implement 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 proposed rule would prohibit most directed commercial fishing for Pacific sardine off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. Pacific sardine harvest would be allowed only for use as live bait, in minor directed fisheries, as incidental catch in other fisheries, or as authorized under exempted fishing permits. The proposed harvest specifications for 2025-2026 include an overfishing limit of 4,645 metric tons (mt), an acceptable biological catch of 3,957 mt, an annual catch limit of 2,200 mt, and an annual catch target of 2,100 mt. This proposed rule is intended to conserve, manage, and rebuild the Pacific sardine stock off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California.
Learn More🐬NOAA Issues Regulations for Incidental Taking of Marine Mammals
NMFS, upon request from the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC), hereby issues regulations to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to rocky intertidal monitoring surveys along the Oregon and California coasts over the course of 5 years (2025-2030). These regulations, which allow for the issuance of a Letter of Authorization (LOA) for the incidental take of marine mammals during the described activities and specified timeframes, prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat, as well as requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking.
Learn More🦐FDA Issues 5-Year Debarment Order Against Quality Poultry & Seafood
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing an order under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) debarring Quality Poultry and Seafood, Incorporated (QPS) for a period of 5 years from importing articles of food or offering such articles for importation into the United States. FDA bases this order on a finding that QPS was convicted of a felony count under Federal law for conduct relating to the importation into the United States of an article of food. QPS was given notice of the proposed debarment and an opportunity to request a hearing within the timeframe prescribed by regulation. As of March 15, 2025 (30 days after receipt of the notice), QPS has not responded. QPS' failure to respond and request a hearing constitutes a waiver of its right to a hearing concerning this matter.
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