Saving Seafood

CALIFORNIA: Marine Protected Area Proposals Advance as California Commission Takes Up Fishing Rules

November 6, 2026 — Proposed changes to California’s network of marine protected areas are moving into the next stage of consideration following an October vote by the California Fish and Game Commission, with several of the actions carrying potential implications for Southern California boaters and anglers.

The Commission granted seven marine protected area petition actions for consideration through future rulemaking. Among them are two tribally led proposals that would create new MPAs at Point Sal and Carpinteria Reef, both along the Santa Barbara County coast.

The Carpinteria Reef proposal places part of the continuing statewide MPA review directly along the Southern California coast and could eventually affect how portions of those waters are managed. For local sportfishing operators, however, the potential effects extend beyond the boundaries of another protected area.

Jaime Diamond, owner of Stardust Sportfishing in Santa Barbara, said the Point Sal proposal is outside the geographic range of the company’s operations, but the Carpinteria proposal is a different matter.

“The closure off of Carpinteria will virtually eliminate our most affordable and accessible trip, the 1/2 day,” Diamond told The Log. “This will also eliminate our ability to offer introductory fishing trips for first timers, families, the elderly, or safe trips close to harbor for special needs children and severely disabled veterans.”

Diamond said the area also provides access to longstanding fishing grounds for species including calico bass, sand bass, white seabass, barracuda and halibut. In her view, losing access to those grounds would be particularly significant because other areas traditionally used for those fisheries are already within MPAs.

Her concerns extend beyond the sportfishing fleet. Diamond described the Carpinteria area as an important entry point for people learning to fish, dive and participate in other forms of ocean recreation.

“The addition of an MPA off of Carpinteria will be the end of the local learning fishing grounds,” Diamond said. “Carp Reef, Horseshoe Rock, Horseshoe Kelp and the surrounding sandy bottom are located just off of Santa Claus Beach, where Carpinteria and Goleta-Ventura kids learn to fish, dive and hunt on or in the water.”

Read the full article at the Log

ALASKA: Fishing proposals would reshape access around Homer Spit waters

November 3, 2026 — Commercial fishing could be prohibited as far as a mile from the Homer Spit under a series of proposals headed to the Alaska Board of Fisheries in December, while charter boats could be barred from fishing derbies.

The proposed changes are among 50 regulatory measures scheduled for consideration during the board’s Lower Cook Inlet meeting Dec. 1-4 in Seward. They address longstanding disputes over fishing access near Homer Small Boat Harbor and raise new questions about how charter businesses should participate in fishing competitions and report their activities.

Three proposals target commercial fishing near the Spit, with supporters citing concerns about nets interfering with recreational boats and other harbor traffic, while two others would impose restrictions on charter vessels, potentially affecting local tournaments and requiring monitoring equipment or onboard observers.

Read the full article at Homer News

NOAA seeks public input on Gulf of Mexico fish spawning research permit

November 2, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries is seeking public input on a proposed cooperative research project that would study fish spawning aggregations throughout the Gulf of Mexico, including identifying key spawning locations and monitoring when and where commercially and recreationally important species gather to reproduce.

The agency is accepting comments through Nov. 12 on an application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) that would allow participating commercial fishermen and recreational charter captains to conduct targeted sampling trips as part of the four-year research effort.

The project aims to verify, characterize, monitor and model multi-species fish spawning aggregations. Researchers hope the findings will help improve scientific understanding of spawning activity and provide information to support fisheries management decisions.

The proposed study would involve up to 120 sampling trips over four years, or approximately 30 trips annually. Trained professional captains would conduct the trips without scientists aboard, working as part of a designated study fleet.

The project also would establish advisory groups and work with fishermen to identify priority spawning locations for research. An initial group of potential sites was identified during a workshop funded through the Restore Science Program. Additional locations would be identified through meetings with small groups of fishermen in 2026 and 2027, as well as throughout the project using information from monitoring databases, bathymetric data, published and unpublished research, seasonal patterns and fishermen’s knowledge.

Read the full story at Gulf Coast Media

NEW JERSEY: ‘Please, not again.’ Nor’easter forcing fleets to stay docked — another hit to fishing industry.

September 28, 2026 — The massive coastal storm rocking the New Jersey coastline this weekend has caused major flooding, transportation issues, and a headache for fishermen all along the Jersey Shore. The storm sank the hopes of fishermen casting lines to catch a few more Fluke and Sea Bass.

Rough seas all week long forced charter captains in New Jersey to cancel or limit fishing trips as the coastal storm whipped into a Nor’easter by the weekend. The storm has forced the fishing industry to remain docked, keeping them from reeling in sorely needed profits at a time when fuel costs have doubled.

Charter fleets from Long Branch to Cape May have been docked as the storm kicks up offshore waves near 20 feet high and thrashes the coast with sustained winds up to 40 mph. In many cases the rough weather is keeping New Jersey captains from earning money to offset the cost of fuel. Since September 2025, diesel prices have risen by more than 70%, fueled in part the war in Iran that began in April.

Read the full article at NJ.com

CALIFORNIA: Salmon fishing resumes off California coast for first time since 2022. Here’s what that means

July 14, 2026 — Commercial and recreational salmon fishing has resumed off the North Coast after a three-year statewide closure, marking a long-awaited milestone for a troubled industry that has endured historic losses in revenue and resources.

Charter captains are reporting abundant catches out of Bodega Bay, and commercial boats up and down the coast are again unloading hauls of the prized West Coast staple for the first time since 2022.

Still, the reopening is far from a return to normal, industry veterans say.

This year’s season is heavily restricted with staggered openings and closings designed to limit the take on rebounding Chinook salmon returns. And fewer boats may be around to cash in, as some fishermen say years of lost income from curtailed and closed fisheries have driven some away from the water for good.

“We’re at a little less than half throttle right now,” said Capt. Mike Harbarth of Sonoma Coast Adventures. “There is strict management and they’re being conservative this year. We’ve all respected that.”

From his charter boat “Shauna Lee” berthed at the Porto Bodega Marina, Harbarth said sport anglers have managed to reel in their two-fish limits on most trips out. Some of those fish have weighed up to 30 pounds and Harbarth said they are finding “miles and miles of salmon” off the Sonoma Coast.

Harbarth, who has spent most of his life chasing salmon, remembers when California’s season stretched from late winter into the next fall – a far cry from the current reality. But, after three consecutive years of closures, the carefully managed reopening is a welcome start.

Read the full article at the Sacramento Bee

Court rules against feds in charterboat case

December 4, 2023 — There are enough federally permitted charterboat operations in Louisiana to warrant attention from the latest ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

The ruling turns aside a U.S. Department of Commerce regulation which demanded these charterboat operators install a constant (24-hour) GPS tracking device on their vessels and report what opponents considered to be “confidential economic data” to the National Marine Fisheries Service.

The New Civil Liberties Alliance took up the cause for the Mexican Gulf Fishing Company, et al. (meaning more than 1,300 federally permitted charterboat operations) in a plea to the courts to have the requirement declared unconstitutional on a violation of the Fourth Amendment in the Bill of Rights.

Read the full story at The Advocate

Request for Comments: Proposed Charter Vessel Electronic Reporting Requirements and Modifications to Current Headboat Electronic Reporting

April 6, 2018 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

KEY MESSAGE:

NOAA Fisheries requests comments on a For-Hire Reporting Amendmentand proposed rule, which if implemented, would establish electronic reporting requirements for charter vessels with federal permits and would modify the reporting deadline for headboats. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved the For-Hire Reporting Amendment in an effort to improve data collection and fisheries management.

Comments are due by May 13, 2018 

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES

  • Charter vessels with a federal charter vessel/headboat permit for Atlantic Coastal Migratory Pelagics, Atlantic dolphin and wahoo, or South Atlantic snapper-grouper species would be required to report weekly using electronic reporting.
  • Reports would be due by Tuesday following the end of each reporting week, which runs from Monday through Sunday, and would include information such as fishing dates, fishing location, depth fished, species kept and discarded, and charter fee.
  • Reporting would be through NOAA Fisheries-approved hardware and software, which would be specified at a later date.
  • Headboat vessels with a federal charter vessel/headboat permit for Atlantic Coastal Migratory Pelagics, Atlantic dolphin and wahoo, or South Atlantic snapper-grouper species would continue to submit reports to the Southeast Headboat Survey but would be required to submit electronic fishing reports by Tuesday following a reporting week, rather than by Sunday.

HOW TO COMMENT ON THE AMENDMENT AND PROPOSED RULE:

The comment period is open through May 03, 2018. You may submit comments by electronic submission or by postal mail. Comments sent by any other method (such as e-mail), to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered by NOAA Fisheries.

FORMAL FEDERAL REGISTER NAME/NUMBER: 83 FR 11164, published March 14, 2018.

Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal.

  1. Go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NOAA-NMFS-2017-0152.
  2. Click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields.
  3. Enter or attach your comments.

Mail: Submit written comments to Karla Gore, Southeast Regional Office, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.

This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

What would the For-Hire Reporting Amendment and proposed rule do?

The For-Hire Reporting Amendment and proposed rule would require charter vessels with a federal charter vessel/headboat permit for Atlantic Coastal Migratory Pelagics, Atlantic dolphin and wahoo, or South Atlantic snapper-grouper speciesto submit electronic reports by Tuesday following the end of each reporting week, which runs from Monday through Sunday, using NOAA Fisheries approved hardware and software applications.

The For-Hire Reporting Amendment would also change the day that headboats are required to submit an electronic fishing record from Sunday to Tuesday following the end of a reporting week, reducing the time when reports are due from seven to two days.

Why are the proposed actions needed?

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic Council) is working to enhance data collection for better fisheries management. Accurate and reliable fisheries information about catch, effort, and discards is critical to population assessments and management evaluations. The South Atlantic Council believes that weekly electronic reporting for federally permitted charter vessels could provide more timely information than the current Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) survey, and more accurate and reliable information for many species with low catches, low annual catch limits, or for species that are only rarely encountered by fishery participants. This proposed action is intended to improve information collected from federally permitted for-hire vessels in the Atlantic. The proposed change to the reporting day for headboat vessels would make the reporting day for the headboat sector consistent with the proposed reporting day for charter vessels.

How would the electronic reporting for charter vessels work? Do I need to have a computer?

NOAA Fisheries is currently evaluating potential software applications for the electronic reporting program, and is considering the use of software applications that are already being used by partners in the region, including “e-trips online” and “e-trips mobile,” which are products of the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program.

These programs would require the use of a computer or tablet with access to the internet. We are looking into the possibility of using smartphones for reporting in the future. If the rule is implemented, outreach sessions will be held to explain the reporting program software and requirements.

What type of information would be collected?

Charter vessels would be required to submit information such as: start and end dates, start and end time, start and end fishing location, vessel and captain identification, number of crew, method of fishing, hours fished, depth fished, species kept, species discarded, charter fee, fuel used, and fuel price per gallon. These core data elements may be modified through coordination with the South Atlantic Council. This information would be required to be reported regardless of where fishing occurs or what species are harvested. If no fishing occurs in a particular week, an electronic no-fishing report would be required.

Does this electronic reporting program replace MRIP?

Even if the new electronic reporting program is implemented, charter vessels with a federal permit would still need to report to MRIP. Currently, landings and discards from federally permitted charter vessels in Atlantic coastal migratory pelagics, Atlantic dolphin wahoo, and South Atlantic snapper-grouper fisheries are monitored through a MRIP survey of charter vessels. Fishing effort is calculated based on a monthly sample of federally permitted charter vessels through a phone survey, which is transitioning to a new mail survey. Catch rate observations and catch sampling are provided through dockside monitoring. If NOAA Fisheries implements the electronic reporting requirements described in the For-hire Reporting Amendment, the MRIP survey of charter vessels would continue until the proposed electronic reporting program described in the For-hire Reporting Amendment is certified by NOAA Fisheries, and then the electronic reporting program would replace the MRIP survey of charter vessels.

What if I also have federal for-hire permits for fisheries in other regions such as the Gulf of Mexico or Mid-Atlantic? Do I have to submit multiple reports?

To reduce duplicative reporting by charter vessels, fishermen with federal charter vessel/headboat permits subject to electronic reporting requirements in other regions would not be required to report to multiple times. Instead, federal permit holders would be required to comply with the electronic reporting program that is more restrictive, regardless of where fishermen are fishing.

For example, the NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) has implemented an electronic reporting requirement for owners and operators of a charter vessel or party boat (headboat) issued a federal for-hire permit for species managed by Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to submit an electronic vessel trip report using NOAA Fisheries-approved software within 48 hours of completing a for-hire fishing trip (82 FR 42610, September 11, 2017). Because NOAA Fisheries GARFO requires more restrictive reporting than what is proposed in the For-hire Reporting Amendment, owners and operators of a vessel issued a federal for-hire permit for species in both the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic would be required to report under the electronic reporting program managed by GARFO, regardless of where fishing occurs or what species are caught.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) has recommended for-hire electronic reporting for charter vessels that is more stringent than those reporting requirements contained in the South Atlantic For-hire Reporting Amendment. The proposed Gulf of Mexico for-hire electronic reporting program would require trip-level reporting, a pre-trip notification to NOAA Fisheries, and location information monitored by a vessel monitoring system, among other requirements. Therefore, an owner or operator of a charter vessel that has been issued federal charter vessel/headboat permits for applicable fisheries in both the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico would be required to comply with the Gulf Council’s more stringent for-hire electronic reporting program requirements, if the Gulf Council’s amendments to address for-hire electronic reporting are approved and implemented.

Does the For-Hire Reporting Amendment and proposed rule make any changes to the headboat sector?

Currently, headboats submit an electronic fishing report to NOAA Fisheries via the internet by the Sunday following the end of each reporting week, which runs from Monday through Sunday. The For-Hire Amendment and proposed rule would shorten the time to report and proposes that headboats submit electronic reports to NOAA Fisheries by the Tuesday following the end of a reporting week. This is a change in the grace period to prepare and submit reports from seven days to two days.

Does the For-Hire Reporting Amendment and proposed rule implement a video monitoring requirement for charter vessels?

No. In 2008, through Amendment 15B to the Fishery Management Plan for Snapper-Grouper of the South Atlantic Region, a provision was implemented that requires those with a charter vessel/headboat permit for South Atlantic snapper-grouper to use video monitoring technology if landing snapper-grouper species and selected by the Science Research Director. Since then, no vessels have been selected to use video monitoring and the Southeast Fisheries Science Center is not actively pursuing a video monitoring program. The For-Hire Reporting Amendment does not change the requirement specified through Amendment 15B.

Where can I find more information on the environmental assessment and proposed rule?

  • Contact NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office

By Mail: Karla Gore

NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office

Sustainable Fisheries Division

263 13th Avenue South

St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505

By Phone: (727) 824-5305

By FAX: (727) 824-5308

The For-Hire Reporting Amendment and proposed rule may be found online at the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office Web site at: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/gulf_sa/generic/2017/for_hire_reporting/index.html.

NORTH CAROLINA: Tighter cobia regs may hit charter boats

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (March 28, 2016) — Local recreational fishing experts say recent federal and state regulation changes for cobia may deal a blow to charter fishing this year.

The National Marine Fisheries Service announced March 11 that the cobia fishery will close on Monday, June 20, for the Atlantic migratory group, which includes North Carolina.

In addition, late this February, the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries announced the Marine Fisheries Commission reduced the recreational creel limit for cobia from two per person, per day to one.

According to a Feb. 24 DMF press release, the reduction in the creel limit was to try to extend the recreational cobia season by a few days and avoid a closure next summer.

Read the full story at the Carteret County News-Times