Fisheries Commercial Season Management

Current understanding

To be populated as evidence accumulates.

Evidence log

• 2026-11-06 — Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Amendment 128 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area and Amendment 116 to the FMP for the Groundfish Fisheries of the Gulf of Alaska; Small Sablefish Release: NOAA/NMFS proposes Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands FMP Amendment 128 and Gulf of Alaska FMP Amendment 116 to allow commercial fixed-gear sablefish vessels to carefully release small fish and account for discards in annual quota allocations, providing operational flexibility if adopted rather than an immediate change to fishing requirements. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-10-08 — Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by Vessels Using Pot Gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska: 2026 — NMFS in-season action prohibits directed Pacific cod fishing by pot-gear vessels in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska to prevent exceeding the sector’s 2026 catch limit; routine quota-driven closure with no change to underlying FMP structure. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-10-13 — Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Summer Flounder Fishery; 2026 Commercial Quota Harvested for the State of Maine: 2026 — NMFS in-season action prohibits landings of summer flounder in Maine for the remainder of 2026 after the state’s federal commercial quota was projected to be reached, unless additional quota is transferred from another state; routine quota-driven state closure with no change to underlying FMP structure. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-10-13 — Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Framework Adjustment 7 to the Atlantic Spiny Dogfish Fishery Management Plan: 2026 — NMFS proposed Framework Adjustment 7 to the Atlantic Spiny Dogfish FMP would set 2026 and projected 2027 commercial catch limits and eliminate the requirement for the commercial fleet to fully repay catch-limit overages when the stock is considered healthy; routine specification-setting with modest easing of overage-payback accountability measures. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-10-21 — Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Modify Groundfish Season Timing in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Fisheries: 2026 — NMFS proposed rule would let managers align Alaska sablefish season start/end hours with the Pacific halibut season and close groundfish fisheries at non-fixed clock times in the BSAI and GOA, aimed at reducing regulatory discards and enabling more precise harvest control; routine timing-flexibility tweak with no change to who may fish or overall catch limits. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-10-21 — Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of Pacific Cod in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska: 2026 — NMFS reallocates projected unused 2026 Pacific cod total allowable catch in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska from trawl catcher vessels to pot-gear catcher vessels to allow full harvest of the sector’s catch limit; routine in-season gear-sector reallocation with no change to overall TAC. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-10-23 — Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by Catcher Vessels Using Trawl Gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska: 2026 — NMFS in-season action prohibits directed Pacific cod fishing by catcher vessels using trawl gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska to prevent exceeding the sector’s 2026 catch limit; routine quota-driven closure with no change to underlying FMP structure. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-10-26 — Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Reallocation of Pacific Cod in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area: 2026 — NMFS reallocates projected unused 2026 Pacific cod total allowable catch in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands from trawl catcher vessels to hook-and-line and pot catcher vessels and AFA trawl catcher-processors to allow full harvest of the catch limit; routine in-season sector reallocation with no change to overall TAC. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-09-25 — Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fisheries; Closure of the General Category September Fishery for 2026: 2026 — NMFS final rule closes the General category Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery for the remainder of September 2026 while waiving remaining restricted-fishing days to allow continued catch-and-release tagging; automatic reopening on October 1, 2026 preserves the October subquota, a routine in-season quota action affecting Atlantic BFT handgear commercial permit holders. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-10-01 — Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock Fishing in the Winter Herring Savings Area of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area: 2026 — NMFS in-season action closes directed pollock trawling (including by CDQ vessels) in the Winter Herring Savings Area of the Bering Sea to prevent exceeding the herring bycatch limit; routine bycatch-driven area closure with no change to underlying FMP structure. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-09-11 — Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Blackspotted and Rougheye Rockfish in the Central Aleutian and Western Aleutian Districts of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area: 2026 — NMFS in-season action prohibits retention of blackspotted and rougheye rockfish in the Central and Western Aleutian districts of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area after the 2026 total allowable catch is reached; routine quota-driven retention closure with no change to underlying FMP structure. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-08-28 — Pacific Halibut Fisheries of the West Coast; Inseason Action for the 2026 Area 2A Pacific Halibut Directed Commercial Fishery: 2026 — NMFS inseason action opens three additional directed commercial fishing days (September 1–3, 2026) with a 5,000-pound per-vessel catch limit for the Area 2A West Coast Pacific halibut directed commercial fishery to enable fuller harvest of the 2026 quota; routine quota-driven season adjustment with no change to underlying FMP structure. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-09-01 — Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod by Catcher Vessels Greater Than or Equal to 50 Feet Length Overall Using Hook-and-Line Gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska: 2026 — NMFS in-season action prohibits directed Pacific cod fishing by catcher vessels ≥50 feet LOA using hook-and-line gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska to prevent exceeding the sector’s 2026 catch quota; routine quota-driven closure with no change to underlying FMP structure. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-08-21 — Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of America, and South Atlantic; 2026 Commercial Closure for the Scamp and Yellowmouth Grouper Complex in the South Atlantic: 2026 — NMFS in-season closure of the South Atlantic commercial scamp and yellowmouth grouper complex based on projected attainment of the 2026 annual catch limit; routine quota-driven closure operationalizing the new complex established by Amendment 55 to the South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper FMP. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-08-21 — Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish; 2026 Illex Squid Quota Harvested: 2026 — NMFS in-season action closes directed Illex squid fishing in federal waters from Aug 23 through Dec 31, 2026, after nearly all of the annual catch quota was harvested; routine quota-driven closure affecting Mid-Atlantic commercial squid harvesters with no change to underlying FMP structure. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-08-24 — Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf and Atlantic Region; Commercial Closure for Atlantic Spanish Mackerel in the Northern Zone: 2026 — NMFS in-season action closes commercial fishing for Atlantic Spanish mackerel in the northern zone because the 2026–2027 quota is projected to be reached; routine quota-driven closure affecting Mid-Atlantic/northern Atlantic commercial harvesters with no change to underlying FMP structure. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-08-13 — Fisheries Off West Coast States; Modification of the West Coast Salmon Fisheries; Inseason Action #23-#24: 2026 — NMFS Inseason Actions #23–#24 modified 2026 commercial and recreational ocean salmon fisheries from Cape Falcon, Oregon to the U.S./Mexico border, a routine inseason adjustment affecting West Coast salmon harvesters within existing season structure. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-04-16 — 6PPD Task Force Act: 2026 — 6PPD Task Force Act (S4325) introduced and referred to Senate Environment and Public Works to study 6PPD and its tire-derived quinone transformation product, a known driver of coho salmon mortality; no direct catch-limit or season effect, but relevant as an environmental-contaminant input that could affect salmon stock health underlying commercial season management. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-08-06 — Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Commercial Salmon Fishing in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area: 2026 — NMFS in-season action prohibits commercial salmon fishing in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area to prevent exceeding the 2026 total allowable catch for the aggregate coho salmon stock complex; routine catch-limit-driven closure affecting Cook Inlet EEZ commercial salmon harvesters. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-29 — FISH Act of 2026: 2026 — FISH Act of 2026 (HR9507) introduced in the 119th Congress and referred to House Committees on Natural Resources, Judiciary, Foreign Affairs, and Transportation and Infrastructure; multi-committee referral suggests scope touching fisheries, foreign affairs, and enforcement, but no substantive mechanism or commercial season/catch effects are specified at introduction. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-07-27 — Bycatch Reduction Act: 2026 — Bycatch Reduction Act (HR9953) introduced in the 119th Congress and referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources; no substantive mechanism or catch/season effects specified at introduction, but relevant as a fisheries-management legislative input that could affect bycatch requirements in commercial fisheries. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-07-22 — Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources in the Gulf of America and Atlantic Region; Framework Amendment 14: 2026 — NMFS proposed Framework Amendment 14 (Coastal Migratory Pelagics) would replace the Gulf Spanish mackerel in-season closure accountability measure with a post-season AM and revise the ACL, effectively eliminating within-season commercial closures for that stock in favor of after-the-fact adjustments; expected to reduce mid-season disruption for Gulf Spanish mackerel commercial harvesters. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-07-09 — Protecting Columbia River Salmon Act of 2026: 2026 — Protecting Columbia River Salmon Act of 2026 (HR9637) introduced and referred to House Natural Resources Committee to advance protection of Columbia River salmon; no substantive mechanism specified at introduction, but relevant as a Pacific salmon policy input that could indirectly shape commercial and tribal salmon fisheries downstream. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-07-09 — Northwest Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act of 2026: 2026 — Northwest Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act of 2026 (HR9621) (citation removed): introduced and referred to House Natural Resources Committee to address predation threats to endangered Northwest salmon; no substantive mechanism or catch-management effects specified at introduction, but relevant as a Pacific salmon ESA-adjacent policy input that could indirectly shape commercial and tribal salmon fisheries. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-07-09 — Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; 2026 Chub Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Specifications: 2026 — NMFS final rule sets 2026 harvest specifications and projects 2027–2028 limits for chub mackerel, Illex squid, longfin squid, and butterfish fisheries in the Northeastern United States to prevent overfishing; establishes annual catch limits and related management measures for Mid-Atlantic commercial fleets with no major departure from prior specification structure. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-05-26 — Electronic Logbook Reporting in Commercial Fisheries of the Gulf of America and Atlantic: 2026 — NMFS proposed rule would require federally permitted commercial fishermen in the Gulf of America, South Atlantic, and Atlantic to submit fishing logbooks electronically instead of on paper, an administrative modernization aimed at improving catch data accuracy and timeliness underlying season and quota management; expected to shift a reporting compliance burden onto permit holders with no direct change to catch limits or seasons. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-02 — Fisheries Off West Coast States; the Highly Migratory Species Fishery; Pacific Loggerhead Conservation Area Closure: 2026 — NMFS final rule closes the Pacific Loggerhead Conservation Area to large-mesh drift gillnet fishing off southern California from June–August 2026, triggered by elevated sea surface temperatures and an 82% probability of El Niño conditions, to protect endangered North Pacific loggerhead sea turtles; expected to constrain the southern California swordfish/thresher shark drift gillnet fleet during the closure window. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-04 — Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of America, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic; Amendment 55: 2026 — NMFS final rule (Amendment 55 to South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper FMP) separates yellowmouth grouper from the shallow water grouper complex and establishes a new scamp and yellowmouth grouper complex with updated catch levels, sector allocations, and a stock rebuilding plan; expected to tighten near-term harvest for these species in the South Atlantic while rebuilding proceeds. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-05 — Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of America, and South Atlantic; Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of America; Amendment 19: 2026 — NMFS proposed Amendment 19 to extend the existing 10-year moratorium on new commercial shrimp permits in the Gulf of America for an additional 10 years, aiming to maintain fleet stability and prevent overcapacity; continues status quo access limits for Gulf shrimpers with no new entrants. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-15 — Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast Skate Complex; 2026 and Projected 2027 and 2028 Specifications: 2026 — NMFS final rule sets 2026 catch limits and projects 2027–2028 specifications for the Northeast skate complex, increasing trip possession limits for both wing and bait fisheries based on updated scientific information; expected to expand near-term commercial harvest opportunity in the Northeast skate fishery. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-16 — Fisheries Off West Coast States; Extension of Emergency Action To Temporarily Increase 2026 Harvest Specifications and Sector Allocations for Shortspine Thornyhead, Canary Rockfish, and Petrale Sole: 2026 — NMFS extended emergency action temporarily increasing 2026 harvest specifications and sector allocations for shortspine thornyhead, canary rockfish, and petrale sole in the West Coast groundfish fishery, based on catch-only projections indicating higher available biomass than prior stock assessments; expected to expand near-term commercial harvest opportunity while formal reassessments proceed. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-17 — Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of America; Shallow-Water Grouper Management Measures: 2026 — NMFS final rule reduces catch limits and establishes a recreational fixed-closed season for Gulf of America shallow-water grouper (scamp and yellowmouth grouper) as an interim measure while Amendment 58A is developed; expected to tighten commercial and recreational harvest opportunities in the Gulf reef fish fishery. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-17 — Restoring American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific: 2025 — Presidential executive action directs restoration and expansion of American commercial fishing activities in the Pacific, signaling a policy shift toward broader access; specific catch-limit or season effects depend on subsequent NMFS implementation. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-23 — Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Cordell Bank Groundfish Conservation Area Revisions: 2026 — NMFS final rule replaces the Cordell Bank Groundfish Conservation Area off central California with a redrawn Groundfish Exclusion Area, consolidating overlapping closures to expand groundfish fishing opportunities while maintaining habitat protection for sensitive seafloor features. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-23 — Definition of Shellfish; Inclusion of Cephalopods: 2026 — USFWS final rule amends the regulatory definition of ‘shellfish’ to explicitly include cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish, octopus), aligning terminology with biological and commercial usage; a definitional clarification distinct from NMFS commercial catch-limit management but relevant to cross-agency seafood regulatory scope. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-26 — Process for Authorizing Seasonal Migratory Game Bird Hunting: 2026 — USFWS proposed replacing annual rulemaking for migratory game bird hunting seasons with a triennial memorandum process while retaining annual harvest-level decisions; noted here as a parallel wildlife-season management model distinct from NMFS commercial fisheries seasons. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-29 — Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; Annual Specifications; 2026-2027 Annual Specifications and Management Measures for Pacific Sardine: 2025 — NMFS proposed 2026–2027 Pacific sardine specifications prohibiting most directed commercial fishing off the U.S. West Coast with a 2,200 metric ton annual catch limit to conserve and rebuild the stock; incidental, tribal, and live-bait uses continue under sub-allocations. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-15 — A bill to support nutrition, farmers, the seafood industry, agricultural research, wood energy and innovation, and indigenous self-determination, and for other purposes.: 2026 — S4779 omnibus names the seafood industry among its support targets and was referred to Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee; specific effects on commercial season management or catch limits are not identifiable from the introduced framing. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-03-20 — Land Grant Research Prioritization Act of 2026: 2026 — Land Grant Research Prioritization Act (HR7734) (citation removed): would elevate aquaculture as a USDA high-priority research and extension grant area at land-grant colleges, a separate funding channel from NOAA/NMFS wild-capture fisheries management. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)

Open questions

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