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Browse 263 rules and proposed rules from the Federal Register.
263
Total Regulations
Showing 61–90 of 263
Page 3 / 9
NMFS is adjusting the 2026 total allowable catch (TAC) amounts for the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Pacific cod fisheries. This action is necessary because NMFS has determined that these TACs are incorrectly specified and that the adjustments are necessary to ensure that harvest of Pacific cod does not exceed biological limits for the stock, as established by the best scientific information available for Pacific cod in the GOA. This action is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (FMP).
NMFS is finalizing the 2026 Atlantic herring specifications and river herring and shad catch caps for the Atlantic herring fishery. This action is necessary to implement previously projected 2026 Atlantic herring specifications, including the river herring and shad catch caps. This action is intended to achieve the objectives of the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan, including preventing overfishing, helping rebuild an overfished stock, and achieving optimum yield on a continuing basis.
NMFS announces five inseason actions for the 2025 portion of the 2025-2026 ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modify the commercial salmon fisheries in the area from the United States/Canada border to Cape Falcon, Oregon.
NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amounts of Pacific cod from catcher vessels using trawl gear to catcher vessels using hook-and-line gear and vessels using pot gear in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to allow the 2025 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod to be harvested.
NMFS proposes 2026 and 2027 harvest specifications, apportionments, and prohibited species catch limits for the groundfish fisheries of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) management area. This action is necessary to establish harvest limits for groundfish during the 2026 and 2027 fishing years and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP). The 2026 harvest specifications supersede those previously set in the final 2025 and 2026 harvest specifications, and the 2027 harvest specifications will be superseded in early 2027 when the final 2027 and 2028 harvest specifications are published. The intended effect of this action is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the BSAI in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).
NMFS proposes 2026 and 2027 harvest specifications, apportionments, and Pacific halibut prohibited species catch limits for the groundfish fishery of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to establish harvest limits for groundfish during the 2026 and 2027 fishing years and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (FMP). The final 2026 harvest specifications will supersede those previously set in the final 2025 and 2026 harvest specifications, and the 2027 harvest specifications will be superseded in early 2027 when the final 2027 and 2028 harvest specifications are published. The final 2026 and 2027 harvest specifications will be effective for one year from the publication of the final rule implementing those specifications, which is anticipated to publish in March 2026. The intended effect of this action is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the GOA in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).
NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) submitted amendment 36 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (Groundfish FMP) to the Secretary of Commerce for review. If approved, amendment 36 would add flexibility to gear endorsements for limited entry fixed gear (LEFG) permit owners and remove the base permit designation of LEFG permits. Amendment 36 would also update language regarding LEFG and open access (OA) allocations related to amendment 6 to the Groundfish FMP. Amendment 36 is part of a larger proposed rulemaking action for the LEFG fishery, which includes two additional action items, the removal of the start and end times (i.e., hours of the day) for the open dates of the primary tier season and the development of a cost recovery program for the LEFG fishery. Those action items do not require a plan amendment and, therefore, are not discussed in detail in this Notice of Availability (NOA).
NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific cod from catcher vessels using trawl gear to catcher/processors using trawl gear and vessels using pot gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to allow the 2025 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod to be harvested.
This final rule announces routine inseason adjustments to management measures in recreational groundfish fisheries. This action is intended to allow recreational fishing vessels to access more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting overfished and depleted stocks.
This final rule implements regulations for amendment 34 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (Groundfish FMP). The regulations include a closure to commercial groundfish bottom contact gear in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). Specifically, NMFS is implementing a new groundfish exclusion area (GEA) for the purposes of coral research and restoration within MBNMS at the site of Sur Ridge. This action closes the Sur Ridge site within the MBNMS off California to commercial groundfish bottom contact gear in order to protect future deep-sea coral research and restoration projects from the impact of fishing gear. The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) conducts scientific research in National Marine Sanctuaries, including on deep sea coral survival, growth and reproduction, under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).
NMFS is reopening the recreational fishing season for the Federal charter vessel/headboat (for-hire) component for red snapper in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of America (Gulf) through this temporary rule. The most recent landings data for the red snapper for-hire component in the Gulf indicate the component annual catch target (ACT) for the 2025 fishing year has not yet been reached. Therefore, the red snapper recreational for-hire component in the Gulf EEZ will reopen to allow harvest of the remaining for-hire component ACT. NMFS intends this action to increase benefits to for-hire fishermen while protecting the Gulf red snapper resource by continuing to constrain harvest to the component quota.
NMFS approves and implements 2025-2027 specifications and river herring and shad catch caps for the Atlantic herring fishery, as recommended by the New England Fishery Management Council. This action also updates the target rebuilding date for Atlantic herring. This action is necessary to respond to updated scientific information from a 2024 Atlantic herring management track assessment and to achieve the objectives of the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan, including preventing overfishing, helping rebuild an overfished stock, and achieving optimum yield on a continuing basis.
NMFS proposes 2026 and projects 2027 specifications for the summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish fisheries. The implementing regulations for the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and the Bluefish FMP require us to publish specifications for the upcoming fishing year for each of these species and to provide an opportunity for public comment. The proposed specifications establish allowable harvest levels for these species that will prevent overfishing, consistent with the most recent scientific information.
NMFS closes the General category fishery for Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) for the remainder of the December 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 the catch- and-release and tag-and-release programs. On January 1, 2026, the fishery will reopen automatically.
NMFS proposes regulations to implement specifications and management measures in Framework Adjustment 69 to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan, except for measures specific to Atlantic cod; approve Northeast multispecies (groundfish) sectors and allocations; establish recreational measures for several stocks; update common pool possession limits; and clarify and correct existing regulations. This action is necessary to respond to updated scientific information and achieve the goals and objectives of the fishery management plan. The proposed measures are intended to help prevent overfishing, rebuild overfished stocks, achieve optimum yield, and ensure that management measures are based on the best scientific information available.
NMFS is prohibiting retention of demersal shelf rockfish in the Western, Central, and West Yakutat Regulatory Areas of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary because the 2025 total allowable catch (TAC) of demersal shelf rockfish in the Western, Central, and West Yakutat Regulatory Areas of the GOA has been or will be reached.
NMFS is reapportioning the unused amounts of Pacific cod Trawl Cooperative (PCTC) Program halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) limits to the Pacific cod limited access trawl catcher vessel sector C season in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI).
NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific Ocean perch in the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2025 Pacific Ocean perch total allowable catch (TAC) in the Bering Sea subarea of the BSAI.
NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific cod from catcher vessels greater than or equal to 60 feet (18.3 meters (m)) length overall (LOA) using pot gear to catcher/processors using pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to allow the 2025 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod to be harvested.
NMFS is implementing a 2,000-pound (lb; 907.2-kilogram (kg)) possession limit for Atlantic herring for Management Area 1A. This adjustment is required because NMFS projects that herring catch from Area 1A has reached 92 percent of the Area's sub-annual catch limit before the end of the fishing year. This action is intended to prevent overharvest of herring in Area 1A, which would result in additional catch limit reductions in a subsequent year.
NMFS announces that the State of Rhode Island is transferring a portion of their 2025 commercial bluefish quota to the State of North Carolina. This quota adjustment is necessary to comply with the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised 2025 commercial bluefish quotas for Rhode Island and North Carolina.
NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2025 commercial summer flounder quota to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 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 Massachusetts.
NMFS implements an accountability measure for the commercial harvest of gag in South Atlantic Federal waters. NMFS projects that commercial landings of gag will reach the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) for 2025. Therefore, NMFS closes the commercial sector of gag in South Atlantic Federal waters to protect the gag resource from overfishing.
NMFS is prohibiting retention of big skates in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary because the 2025 total allowable catch (TAC) of big skates in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA has been reached.
Two regional fishery management councils have submitted to NMFS for review, and consideration of approval and implementation by NMFS, amendments to four fishery management plans (FMPs) in the Gulf of America (Gulf), South Atlantic, and Atlantic, referenced here as the Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendments. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) and implemented by NMFS, the Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendments would require submission of certain commercial fishing logbooks in an electronic format rather than the current paper format. These FMP amendments also propose minor changes to some of the required data fields in the logbooks determined to be necessary to successfully transition from paper to electronic reporting. The purpose of the Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendments is to increase the accuracy and efficiency of fisheries data that NMFS receives from federally permitted fishermen participating in the applicable commercial fisheries that occur in the Gulf, South Atlantic, and Atlantic.
NMFS corrects the final rule published on July 7, 2025, to implement the Pacific Halibut Recreational Quota Entity Program Fee Collection. The final rule inadvertently omitted an amendatory instruction to add the definition for "Charter halibut permit holder". This correction fixes that omission.
NMFS increases the 2025 Atlantic herring annual catch limit and Area 1A sub-annual catch limit by 1,000 metric tons (mt) for the remainder of 2025. This action is required by the herring regulations when, based on data through October 1, 2025, NMFS determines that the New Brunswick weir fishery has landed less than 2,722 mt of herring. This notification informs the public of these catch limit changes.
NMFS announces three inseason actions for the 2025 portion of the 2025-2026 ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modify the commercial salmon fisheries in the area from the United States/Canada border to Cape Falcon, Oregon and the recreational salmon fisheries in the area from the Oregon/California border to the U.S./Mexico border.
Effective at 0001 hours on November 10, 2025, Federal commercial tilefish permit holders are prohibited from fishing for, catching, possessing, transferring or landing blueline tilefish in the Tilefish Management Unit for the remainder of the 2025 fishing year. This action is required because NMFS has projected that 100 percent of the 2025 total allowable landings will have been caught. This action is intended to prevent over-harvest of blueline tilefish for the fishing year.
NMFS announces that the 2025 summer flounder commercial quota allocated to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been harvested. Vessels issued a commercial Federal fisheries permit for the summer flounder fishery may not land summer flounder in Massachusetts for the remainder of calendar year 2025, unless additional quota becomes available through a transfer from another state. Regulations governing the summer flounder fishery require publication of this notification to advise Massachusetts that the quota has been harvested, and to advise vessel permit holders and dealer permit holders that no Federal commercial quota is available for landing summer flounder in Massachusetts.