Saving Seafood

Council Actions

ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Board Approves Addendum III for Public Comment Draft Addendum Considers Further Fishery Reductions

August 7, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board approved for public comment Draft Addendum III to Amendment 7 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Striped Bass. The Draft Addendum considers management measures to support rebuilding the stock by 2029. The Draft Addendum will also address requirements for commercial tagging programs, a coastwide definition of total length for size limit regulations, and changes to the Maryland recreational season baseline.

The Board initiated the Draft Addendum in response to stock projections indicating a low probability of meeting the 2029 stock rebuilding deadline. The most recent stock projections estimate an increase in fishing mortality in 2025 due to the above average 2018 year-class entering the current recreational ocean slot limit. There is also concern about the lack of strong year-classes behind the 2018 year-class.
 
This proposed action is intended to increase the probability of rebuilding the stock by reducing fishery removals by 12% with management measures implemented in 2026. For the commercial fishery, the Draft Addendum proposes a commercial quota reduction. For the recreational fishery, the Draft Addendum considers season closures and/or size limit changes. For Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay recreational fishery, the Draft Addendum also proposes changing the recreational baseline season to simplify Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay regulations, which could improve compliance and enforcement, and to re-align fishing access based on stakeholder input and release mortality rates.
 
For commercial tagging, the FMP currently allows states to choose whether to tag commercially harvested fish at the point of harvest or point of sale. To address concerns that waiting to tag harvested fish until the point of sale could increase the risk of illegal harvest, the Draft Addendum considers requiring commercial tagging at the point of harvest or first point of landing intended to improve enforcement and compliance.

There is also concern that inconsistent methods of measuring the total length of striped bass for compliance with size limits undermines the intended conservation, consistency, and enforceability of the coastwide size limits. To address this, the Draft Addendum considers coastwide requirements for defining total length for both sectors.

 
The Draft Addendum will be posted to the website in late August at https://asmfc.org/actions/atlantic-striped-bass-draft-addendum-iii-2026-measures-to-support-rebuilding/. A subsequent press release will provide the details on the public hearing schedule and how to submit written comments. The Board will meet to review submitted comments and consider final action on the addendum in October 2025 at the Commission’s Annual Meeting in Dewey Beach, DE.
 
For more information, please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at efranke@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

ASMFC Sciaenids Board Approves Red Drum Draft Addendum II for Public Comment Draft Addendum Considers Modifications to Red Drum Management

August 7, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Commission’s Sciaenids Management Board approved Draft Addendum II to Amendment 2 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Red Drum for public comment. The Draft Addendum considers several changes to the management programs in the southern (South Carolina to Florida) and northern (New Jersey to North Carolina) regions in response to the findings of the 2024 Red Drum Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review Report.

 
Specifically, the assessment found the southern stock to be overfished and experiencing overfishing. As a result, the Draft Addendum considers two fishing mortality options states may not exceed in order to end overfishing. Although the northern stock is not overfished nor experiencing overfishing, the Board is concerned with an increasing trend in fishing mortality observed in the northern region. To address this trend, the Draft Addendum considers changes to the recreational bag and slot limits of states in the northern region, as well as provide states the opportunity to align their differing regulations, particularly in Chesapeake Bay.
 
The Draft Addendum also includes a process for states to propose management measures in response to the 2024 benchmark stock assessment, as well as future assessment advice. Further, the Draft Addendum proposes a process to allow states to submit stock status analyses conducted outside the Commission’s stock assessment process to be considered for management use. Lastly, the Draft Addendum proposes updates to the management program’s de minimis provisions. The Commission includes de minimis provisions in its FMPs to reduce the management burden for states whose measures would have a negligible effect on the conservation of the species.
 
A subsequent press release will provide the details of upcoming state public hearings and how to submit written comments. The Board will meet to review submitted comments and consider final action on the Addendum in October. For more information, please contact Tracey Bauer, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at  tbauer@asmfc.org or 703.842.0723.

ASMFC 2025 Summer Meeting Final Supplemental Materials Now Available

August 1, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Final supplemental materials for the Commission’s 2025 Summer Meeting are now available at https://asmfc.org/events/2025-summer-meeting/ for the following Boards. Links can be found under Supplemental 2 (following the respective Board’s agenda).

 
American Lobster Management Board – Public Comment   
 
Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – Public Comment
 
Webinar Information
Meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Tuesday, August 5 at 10 AM and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 11:45 AM on Thursday, August 7). To register for the webinar, please go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8127397986650630485 (Webinar ID: 230-697-115). If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you may also call in at +1 (914) 614-3221, access code 949-913-944. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN.
 
Each day, the webinar will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the first meeting so that people can troubleshoot any connectivity or audio issues they may encounter.  If you are having issues with the webinar (connecting to or audio related issues), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790.
 
Meeting Process
Board chairs will ask both in-person and virtual board members if they wish to speak. In-person members can simply raise their hands at the meeting without logging on to the webinar, while virtual members will raise their hands on the webinar. The chair will work with staff to compile the list of speakers, balancing the flow of questions/comments between in-person and virtual attendees. The same process will be used for public comment. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.
 
We look forward to seeing you at the Summer Meeting.

ASMFC 2025 Summer Meeting Supplemental Materials Now Available

July 30, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental materials for the Commission’s 2025 Summer Meeting are now available athttps://asmfc.org/events/2025-summer-meeting/ for the following Boards. The combined file of all supplemental materials is available at https://asmfc.org/resources/management-meeting-materials/2025-summer-meeting-supplemental-materials/

 
American Lobster Management Board – Public Comment   
 
American Eel Management Board – Review of Maine Aquaculture Plan and TC Recommendations  
 
Sciaenids Management Board – Red Drum Technical Committee and Stock Assessment Subcommittee Memo: Considerations for New Fishing Mortality Methods Pathway Proposed in Addendum II to Amendment 2 of the Red Drum Interstate Fishery Management Plan; Red Drum Fishery Management Plan Review for FY2024  
 
Executive Committee – Discussion Paper on Establishing and Reviewing Declared Interests  
 
Weakfish Management Board – 2025 Weakfish Stock Assessment Update
 
Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board – Fishery Management Plan Review for FY2024; Staff Memo: State Overviews of Striped Bass Commercial Tagging Program; Advisory Panel Memo: Member Comments on Draft Addendum III for Board Review; Public Comment
Atlantic Menhaden Management Board – Public Comment
 
ISFMP Policy Board – Discussion Paper on Establishing and Reviewing Declared Interests  
 
Webinar Information
Meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Tuesday, August 5 at 10 AM and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 11:45 AM on Thursday, August 7). To register for the webinar, please go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8127397986650630485 (Webinar ID: 230-697-115). If you are joining the webinar but will not be using VoIP, you may also call in at +1 (914) 614-3221, access code 949-913-944. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN.
 
Each day, the webinar will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the first meeting so that people can troubleshoot any connectivity or audio issues they may encounter.  If you are having issues with the webinar (connecting to or audio related issues), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790.
 
Meeting Process
Board chairs will ask both in-person and virtual board members if they wish to speak. In-person members can simply raise their hands at the meeting without logging on to the webinar, while virtual members will raise their hands on the webinar. The chair will work with staff to compile the list of speakers, balancing the flow of questions/comments between in-person and virtual attendees. The same process will be used for public comment. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.
 
Public Comment Guidelines
To provide a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board has approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings: 
 
For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide opportunities to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.
 
For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comments will not provide additional insight to the board.
 
For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.
 
In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comments for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action).
 
1.    Comments received three weeks prior to the start of a meeting week (July 14) will be included in the briefing materials.
2.    Comments received by 5 PM on Tuesday, July 29, will be included in supplemental materials.
3.    Comments received by 10 AM on Friday, August 1, will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting.
 
The submitted comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.  As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail and email.


We look forward to seeing you at the Summer Meeting.

American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment Review Workshop Scheduled for September 2 – 5, 2025, in Woods Hole, MA

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s American Lobster Benchmark Stock Assessment Review Workshop is scheduled for September 2 – 5, 2025 at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, 384 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA.  The assessment will evaluate the status of American lobster stocks along the US Atlantic coast and inform the management of this species. The peer review is open to the public, except for discussion of confidential commercial landings data* and the Peer Review Panel’s final deliberations, when the public and all other workshop participants will be asked to exit the workshop.
 
Please note the draft assessment report and the peer review report will not be made publicly available until mid-October as part of the American Lobster Management Board’s Annual Meeting materials. The peer review agenda can be found at https://asmfc.org/events/american-lobster-benchmark-stock-assessment-review-workshop/.  For more information about the assessment or attending the peer review, please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org.
 
* Each state and federal agency is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of its data and deciding who has access to its confidential data. In the case of our stock assessments and peer reviews, all analysts and, if necessary, reviewers, have been granted permission by the appropriate agency to use and view confidential data. When the assessment team needs to show and discuss these data, observers to our stock assessment process are asked to leave the room to preserve confidentiality.

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to Meet August 11-14, 2025, in Annapolis, Maryland

July 25, 2025 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet August 11-14, 2025, at the Westin Annapolis (100 Westgate Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401, 410-972-4300). A webinar option will be available for those who wish to participate virtually.

Meeting Materials: A detailed agenda is available on the August 2025 Council Meeting Page. Briefing materials and presentations will be posted as they become available.

Public Comment: The Council welcomes public comment from in-person and remote participants. Instructions and deadlines for submitting comments are available on the meeting page.

Webinar and Live Stream: The webinar will be hosted via Webex. No pre-registration is required. Connection details will be posted on the meeting page. The meeting will also be live streamed on the Council’s YouTube channel.

Agenda Highlights: Key topics and actions for consideration include:

  • Executive Order on Seafood Competitiveness – Develop recommendations to reduce burdens and increase U.S. fishery production.
  • Blueline Tilefish – Review correspondence from the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and consider next steps.
  • Illex Squid – Adopt 2026–2028 specifications and management measures.
  • Longfin Squid (SQUIBS Project) – Review outcomes from the longfin squid biological sampling program.
  • Atlantic Sea Scallops – Review results of the research track assessment and peer review.
  • Recreational Sector Separation Amendment – Review preliminary conceptual alternatives and discuss plans for addressing recreational data collection issues.
  • Bluefish – Adopt 2026–2027 specifications and recreational management measures.
  • Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass – Adopt 2026–2027 specifications and review commercial management measures.
  • Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) White Paper – Review white paper on separate OFLs and ABCs for summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass and discuss next steps.
  • Council Membership and Officer Elections – Swear in new members and elect officers.

Portions of the meeting will be conducted jointly with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program (ISFMP) Policy Board, Bluefish Board, and Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board.

Questions? Contact Mary Sabo at msabo@mafmc.org or (302) 526-5261.

Quota Update to Area 1A 2025 Effort Controls – July 2025

July 23, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Management Board members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts met on May 13, 2025 to set the effort control measures for the 2025 Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) fishery for June 1 – September 30.

Quota levels for Area 1A have been updated to reflect the lower quotas that are still in place. Higher revised quotas were expected to be implemented by NOAA Fisheries in July, however, they have not yet been implemented and there is no estimated implementation date.

The Area 1A sub-annual catch limit (ACL) is 692 metric tons (mt) after adjusting for the 30 mt fixed gear set-aside and the fact that Area 1A closes at 92% of the sub-ACL. In October 2024, the Board established the following seasonal allocations for the 2025 Area 1A sub-ACL: 72.8% available for season 1 (June 1 – September 30) and 27.2% available for season 2 (October 1 – December 31).

2025 Atlantic Herring 1A Quota Allocation by Season:

Season Current Area 1A Quota Revised Area 1A Quota yet to be Implemented by NOAA Fisheries
1. June 1-September 30 504 mt 862 mt
2. October 1-December 31 188 mt 322 mt

When landings are projected to reach the current Season 1 quota of 504 mt, the fishery will be adjusted to zero landing days. If NOAA Fisheries implements the revised quota before the fishery moves to zero landing days, then the fishery can operate to the revised 862 mt for Season 1. If the revised quota is implemented after the fishery moves to zero landing days, a days out call will be scheduled as soon as possible to discuss potential re-opening of the Season 1 fishery and/or possible rollover to the Season 2 fishery.

The following Area 1A measures remain the same for June 1-September 30:

Days Out of the Fishery

  • Landing days will be set at zero (0) from June 1 until the start of the fishery on July 27 at 6:00 p.m.
  • Landing days begin on Sunday of each week at 6:00 p.m. starting July 27.
  • Vessels with an Atlantic herring Limited Access Category A permit that have declared into the Area 1A fishery may land herring five (5) consecutive days a week. The week shall begin at 6:00 p.m. on Sundays and conclude at 6:00 p.m. on Fridays. One landing per 24 hour period. Vessels are prohibited from landing or possessing herring caught from Area 1A during a day out of the fishery.
  • Small mesh bottom trawl vessels with an Atlantic herring Limited Access Category C or Open Access D permit that have declared into the fishery may land herring six (6) consecutive days a week. The week shall begin at 6:00 p.m. on Sundays and conclude at 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

Weekly Landing Limit

  • Vessels with an Atlantic herring Category A permit may harvest up to 240,000 lbs. (6 trucks) per harvester vessel, per week starting July 27.

At-Sea Transfer and Carrier Restrictions

The following applies to harvester vessels with an Atlantic herring Category A permit and carrier vessels landing herring caught in Area 1A to a Maine, New Hampshire, or Massachusetts port.

  • A harvester vessel may transfer herring at-sea to another harvester vessel.
  • A harvester vessel may not make any at-sea transfers to a carrier vessel.
  • Carrier vessels may not receive at-sea transfers from a harvester vessel.

Harvesters are prohibited from landing more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip from Area 1A until July 27, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. Landings will be closely monitored and the fishery will be adjusted to zero landing days when the season 1 quota is projected to be reached.

Please contact Emilie Franke, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at efranke@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740 for more information.

Motions

Move to implement for the 2025 Area 1A herring fishery in Season 1:

  • Zero landing days before Sunday, July 27 at 6:00 pm;
  • For Category A vessels, 5 landing days per week;
  • For Category A vessels, a 6 truck (240,000 lbs.) weekly landing limit;
  • Allow harvester-to-harvester transfers but not allow transfers to carriers;
  • For Category C/D SMBT vessels, 6 landing days per week.

Motion made by Ms. Ware and seconded by Mr. Abbott. Motion passes by unanimous consent.

June 2025 Council Meeting Recap

July 11, 2025 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

June Council Meeting Recap

The New England Fishery Management Council met in Freeport, ME, from June 24-26, 2025. Notable outcomes are summarized below.

Sea Scallop

Research Track Stock Assessment:

The Council received a presentation on the Scallop Research Track Stock Assessment, which underwent peer review in April 2025. Several Council members expressed concerns with the assessment’s findings, particularly regarding the fishing mortality reference points (FMSY). The Scallop Plan Development Team will develop methods to determine catch advice that consider a range of options. These will be reviewed by the Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) in August.

2025 Scallop Surveys:

Council staff provided an overview of the 2025 Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) survey efforts, including coverage areas and progress. The 2025 survey used towed camera, drop camera, dredge, and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) gear, covering all scallop resource areas from the Gulf of Maine to the Delmarva region of the Mid-Atlantic Bight.

The Council also received an update on the status of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) HabCam survey. On June 9, while conducting transit lines on Georges Bank aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow, the HabCam system struck an uncharted shipwreck. Recovery efforts have been hampered by strong currents and potential hazards near the wreck. A private salvage company has been contracted to attempt recovery of the HabCam unit. NEFSC HabCam operations are suspended for the remainder of the 2025 survey season. The NEFSC’s long-range AUV survey completed partial coverage of the planned area, and RSA survey partners are collaborating to provide coverage of the areas missed due to the HabCam incident.

Framework Adjustment 40 (FW 40):

The Council initiated FW 40, which will set specifications for the 2026 fishing year (FY) and default measures for FY 2027. Final action is scheduled for December 2025.

Limited Access General Category (LAGC) IFQ Program Review:

The Council received an update on the LAGC Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program review, which covers the period from 2016 to 2023. The review includes analyses of fleet characteristics, quota and leasing activity, fishing effort, economic performance, crew income, and other metrics. The draft report is currently in progress, with additional analyses to be completed over the summer. The Council is scheduled to approve the final report in September.

ASMFC Seeks Contractor to Facilitate a Stakeholder Workshop and Engagement Process

July 9, 2025 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a contractor to design and conduct a stakeholder engagement process to inform revisions to the Delaware Bay Horseshoe Crab Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Framework using structured decision making methods. The contractor would facilitate educational meetings, design and facilitate a stakeholder workshop, meet with the Commission’s horseshoe crab technical committees to develop potential modifications to the ARM Framework based on stakeholder input, and develop a report of workshop conclusions and recommendations to the Commission’s Delaware Bay Ecosystem Technical Committee and Horseshoe Crab Management Board (Board).

Since 2013, the Board has used the Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Framework to determine harvest levels for the bait fishery in the Delaware Bay states of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia based on the abundance levels of horseshoe crabs and shorebirds. In 2021, a revision to the ARM Framework was completed to address feedback from the previous peer review panel, incorporate newly available data, and transition to new modeling software. The adoption of the 2021 ARM Framework Revision resulted in extensive public concern, focused in large part on the potential for female horseshoe crab harvest under the revised ARM Framework and its impact on the rufa red knot, a migratory shorebird listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act that depends on horseshoe crab eggs as a major food source in the Delaware Bay region during its migration. However, stakeholder groups in the Delaware Bay region hold diverging values and perspectives on management of the horseshoe crab resource. Commercial industry participants indicate they still value the harvest of female horseshoe crabs. Conversely, environmental groups have advocated for zero female horseshoe crab harvest from the Delaware Bay population.

Given these conflicting stakeholder goals and values, in July 2024, the Board convened a Horseshoe Crab Management Objectives Workshop to explore potential future objectives and management approaches for the Delaware Bay-origin horseshoe crab fishery. The workshop included a small group of stakeholders representing environmental NGO, fishing, biomedical, bird and horseshoe crab scientists, and management perspectives, and produced several recommended actions to address stakeholder concerns and values. A consensus recommendation from the workshop was that the Utility, Reward, and Harvest Policy (U/R/H) Functions of the ARM Framework (i.e., mathematical functions within the ARM Framework that reflect values placed on horseshoe crabs and red knots) be reevaluated and refined with stakeholder input. The structure of these functions is the key mechanism by which stakeholder values are translated into horseshoe crab harvest levels. Thus, increased stakeholder understanding, engagement, and input into these functions is the key mechanism by which ASMFC seeks to increase acceptance of the ARM across disparate groups and interests.

Proposals must be submitted, as a single file, an electronic proposal by email no later than 11:59 PM on August 8, 2025, to Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator. Please see the RFP for more details, qualifying requirements, and submission instructions. The RFP is available athttps://asmfc.org/resources/rfp-for-horseshoe-crab-workshop/.

Please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org for questions regarding the request for proposals.

NEFMC votes to pause work on multiple existing groundfish priorities and resubmit Amendment 25 to the Northeast Multispecies Plan

July 2, 2025 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

After extensive deliberation at the June meeting, the New England Council voted to resubmit Amendment 25 (A25), which would replace the current Atlantic cod stocks in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank with the newly identified cod stocks in Eastern Gulf of Maine, Western Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and Southern New England. The resubmission will include the Council’s previously recommended cod measures from Framework 69 (FW69).

The Council’s decision was based on NOAA’s disapproval of A25 in May due to procedural issues. NOAA’s disapproval letter detailed that A25 lacked critical management elements including reference points, accountability measures, and catch limits, but noted that the revised stock structure, with four cod stock units, is the best scientific information available. The “missing management elements” noted in the disapproval letter were included in the parallel action, Framework 69 (FW69), which is currently under NOAA review.

FW69 was intended to work in tandem with A25, but upon publication it will only replace the current Emergency Action specifications for the non-cod, groundfish stocks. The emergency measures for cod are anticipated to be extended for the entirety of Fishing Year (FY) 2025.

The Council will pause work on several 2025 groundfish priorities to complete the resubmission of A25 later this fall, including:

•Redfish sector exemption

•Evaluation of the monitoring system, per Amendment 23

•Revise ABC control rules for Northeast Multispecies stocks

Many Council members voiced frustration over NOAA’s disapproval of A25 and the recommended guidance for the Council to resubmit the action, citing unforeseen “procedural issues”. However, the Council supported continued engagement to ensure the 2026 groundfish season opens on May 1, 2026, and voted with no opposition to “finish the job”. The revised A25 is scheduled for final action at the September Council meeting.

Framework 72

The Council also initiated groundfish Framework Adjustment 72 with anticipated final action scheduled for December 2025. This action will set specifications for groundfish stocks for FY2026-2028, US/Canada Total Allowable Catch for FY2026, and other measures:

• FY2026-FY2027 specifications for Georges Band cod and haddock; FY2026-FY2028 specifications for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder, Cape Cod/Gulf of Maine yellowtail flounder, Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic yellowtail flounder, Georges Bank winter flounder, Gulf of Maine winter flounder, Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic winter flounder, white hake, Acadian redfish, ocean pout, and Atlantic wolffish

• Establish Regional Administrator authority to adjust recreational measures for haddock and cod on a permanent basis