November 6, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region has finalized a new rule for the groundfish fishery that gives fishing crews new options to reduce the risk of whale entanglements. Fishermen say it will also help them save time and money hauling and buying line.
This rule now allows commercial fishing vessels to deploy strings of groundfish gear on the sea floor with just one line to a buoy at the surface. Previously each string required two buoy lines—one at each end. The Pacific Fishery Management Council sought the changes to reduce the number of vertical lines in the water. These lines can entangle whales and other marine life in fishing gear along the West Coast.