Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan; Amendment 38; 2027-28 Biennial Specifications and Management Measures
Key claim: NOAA proposes 2027–28 catch limits and fishing rules for West Coast groundfish, would drop rebuilding-plan requirements for yelloweye and California quillback rockfish, and would change some closures that also apply to Pacific halibut.
Abstract
(Proposed Rule · Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) This rule proposes 2027-28 harvest specifications and management measures for groundfish caught in the U.S. exclusive economic zone seaward of Washington, Oregon, and California, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act or MSA) and the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (Groundfish FMP). This rule also includes proposed regulations to implement amendment 38 to the Groundfish FMP, which would remove rebuilding plan requirements for yelloweye rockfish and California quillback rockfish. Lastly, this rule includes proposed regulations to modify select fishery closures that apply to both groundfish and Pacific halibut.
Why this matters
Biennial groundfish specifications set the catch limits and in-season rules that determine how much commercial, tribal, and recreational fishermen on the West Coast can land over a two-year cycle, directly affecting fleet revenue and seafood supply. Ending rebuilding plans for yelloweye and California quillback rockfish signals those stocks have recovered and could ease long-standing depth and area restrictions that have constrained nearshore fisheries, while coordinated changes to halibut-overlapping closures tie the rule to a second regional fishery.