February 3, 2026 — The West Coast groundfish fleet will benefit from a new emergency rule increasing catch limits for three key species that have proved more abundant than previously thought. West Coast groundfish make up the largest fishery by volume on the West Coast. The decision provides greater opportunity for the fishery, supplying more domestic seafood for the country.
The rule change improves the competitiveness of the groundfish fleet by increasing catch limits for each of the three species by about 10 percent. The fishery has rebounded from a collapse about 25 years ago to reclaim their place in the nation’s seafood counters.
NOAA Fisheries issued the emergency rule issued this week. It raises the catch limits for shortspine thornyhead, canary rockfish and petrale sole to reflect updated projections showing that larger volumes of the species are available. The higher limits will give the fleet greater flexibility to continue fishing for these and other important species such as Pacific hake or whiting, while ensuring the catch remains sustainable.
“We are undertaking this emergency action to change our regulations based on this new information,” said Ryan Wulff, assistant regional administrator in NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region. “We looked at the science and it told us the picture had changed, so we are acting as quickly as possible to provide more opportunities for our fleet.”