Saving Seafood

Council Focuses on Timely Implementation of Fishery Specifications; Recommends Changes to Habitat Research Area

June 29, 2026 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council met from June 23–25, 2026, in Mystic, Connecticut. The following is a summary of actions taken and issues considered affecting several Fishery Management Plans (FMPs). Meeting materials, motions, and the meeting audio recordings are available on the Council’s June 2026 meeting page.

HERRING INDUSTRY-FUNDED MONITORING TO BE REVISITED

The Council decided to consider rescinding the Atlantic herring Industry Funded Monitoring (IFM) program as a possible 2027 priority, to be further discussed at its December 2026 meeting. The discussion was sparked by a letter from NOAA requesting the Council rescind the Herring IFM program in response to Executive Order 14276 and ongoing litigation.

Multiple Council members spoke about the importance of completing current Herring priorities as planned. The Council and NOAA partners noted that other existing IFM programs for scallops and groundfish would not be affected. The Council plans to respond to NOAA in a letter following the June meeting.

More information can be found here.

HERRING SPECIFICATIONS PRIORITIZED; SEPARATED FROM OTHER MANAGEMENT MEASURES

The Council voted unanimously to separate Atlantic herring specifications for fishing years (FY) 2027–2031 into a standalone action distinct from ongoing work to modify river herring and shad (RHS) management measures. The Council plans to take final action on the specifications at its September 2026 meeting.

In a separate action, the Council directed the Plan Development Team (PDT) to continue working on:

  1. Time-area closures for RHS with and without existing catch cap methodology;
  2. An updated specifications process; and
  3. Carryover provision modifications,

with final action targeted for April 2027.

The full herring report can be found here.

Fleet caught between cod management systems as federal review drags on

June 23, 2026 — New England groundfishermen are once again finding themselves caught between the fishery they are operating under today and the management system regulators expect them to use tomorrow.

More than a year after the New England Fishery Management Council submitted Amendment 25 and Framework 72 to NOAA Fisheries, both actions remain under federal review, leaving fishermen and sector managers trying to plan for a four-stock cod management system that has not yet been approved.

The situation has become increasingly frustrating because quota leasing decisions, catch accounting and fishing plans are already being influenced by a management structure that technically does not exist.

“It’s difficult because we’re managing both to the real allocation and the phantom upcoming allocation that doesn’t actually exist yet,” said sector manager Hank Soule.

For fishermen, the issue is not whether the transition to four cod stocks will happen. Most industry leaders support the change and expect it to move forward. The problem is the uncertainty surrounding when federal regulators will finally act.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Council Will Mark 50 Years of Regional Fisheries Management at June Meeting

June 15, 2026 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council will mark the 50th anniversary of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) at its June Council Meeting in Mystic, Connecticut on June 23-25, 2026.

SUSTAINING FISHERIES AND FISHING COMMUNITIES SINCE 1976

The Council system was established by Congress through the MSA on April 13,1976. Since their creation, the eight regional Councils have promoted sustainable management of U.S. Fisheries, in partnership with NOAA Fisheries, states, tribes, and communities. The Councils have rebuilt fish stocks, reduced bycatch, and protected essential fish habitat all while supporting sustained harvest with the goal of maximizing benefits to fishing communities and consumers.

To mark the anniversary, the Councils developed an interactive timeline highlighting major milestones in U.S. fisheries management over the past five decades and an online photo slide gallery. The anniversary was also featured by NOAA in a recent story.

JUNE MEETING

The Council will begin its June meeting in Mystic, CT at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. On top of a full, threeday agenda, the Council invites the public to a reception celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Magnuson-Stevens Act on Tuesday, June 23rd at 6:00 p.m. at the Mystic Hilton Hotel lounge.

For more meeting information including webinar registration, submitting public comment, or directions please visit the June meeting webpage.

NEFMC: CORRECTION – SSC Workshop will be Webinar Only, No In-person Attendance

May 29, 2026 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

In-person participation for this workshop is limited to Scientific and Statistical Committee members, Council staff, and invited presenters.

All workshop sessions will be broadcast via webinar and are open to the public. This meeting will be broadcast online via Zoom, preregistration is required. Please note that the webinar is listen-only and no public comment will be accepted.

Register here: https://nefmcorg.zoom.us/meeting/register/gwvUOpavRDCC2gAPv-UoVQ

For more information visit the workshop webpage.

U.S. Regional Fisheries Management Councils Mark 50 Years of Sustaining Fisheries and Fishing Communities Since 1976

May 20, 2026 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The nation’s eight Regional Fishery Management Councils commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Council system this week during the Council Coordinating Committee meeting in Homer, Alaska. The Council system was established by Congress through the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act signed on April 13, 1976. For five decades, the Councils have played a central role in conserving marine resources while supporting fishing communities and a vibrant U.S. seafood economy.

Since their creation, the Councils have promoted sustainable management of U.S Fisheries, in partnership with NOAA Fisheries, states, tribes, and communities. The Councils have rebuilt fish stocks, reduced bycatch, and protected essential fish habitat all while supporting sustained harvest with the goal of maximizing benefits to fishing communities and consumers. The Councils are proud to celebrate 50 years dedicated to:

Supporting Economies and Coastal Communities

Commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries are vital to coastal communities and the nation’s economy. U.S. fisheries support millions of jobs, generate billions of dollars in economic activity, and provide seafood to domestic and global markets. Recreational fishing contributes to tourism and outdoor leisure, while subsistence fisheries remain critical to food security and cultural traditions in many regions. Fisheries are more than

Scientists share work to understand struggling sea scallop populations

May 15, 2026 — The Coonamessett Farm Foundation hosted Scallop Research Share Day, on Tuesday, in cooperation with the New England Fishery Management Council.

Melissa Sanderson, chief operating officer of the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, was one of the presenters. Sanderson said the annual event is a chance to share research progress and results between scientists, fishermen, and fishery managers.

“And it really makes sure that we’re all on the same page,” Sanderson said. “That we’re aware of other projects that we might be able to build upon or learn from. And sometimes it provides new opportunities to collaborate.”

Read the full article at Connecticut Public

Trump administration asks NEFMC to kill rule forcing herring fishers to pay for at-sea monitors

May 14, 2026 — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has asked the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) to abandon a rule forcing commercial herring fishers to pay for at-sea monitors out of pocket.

“After careful consideration, we have determined that an action removing Atlantic herring monitoring requirements […] may be warranted to remove unused provisions that are not achieving their intended goals and, thereby, reduce regulatory burdens on Atlantic herring fishery participants,” NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Eugenio Piñeiro Soler said in a 1 May letter to the council. “Because the herring [industry-funded monitor] program imposes costs on [NOAA Fisheries] as well as the herring industry itself in order to be effectively implemented, in the face of declining resources and the need to prioritize our activities to support the Administration’s goals and objectives of Executive Order 14276, it is unlikely that [NOAA Fisheries] will have the resources necessary to support this program.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

April 2026 Council Meeting Summary

April 22, 2026 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:

The New England Fishery Management Council met from April 14-16, 2026, in Portland, Maine. The following is a summary of actions taken and issues considered during the meeting. Presentations, meeting materials, motions, and meeting audio recordings are available on the Council’s April 2026 meeting page.

ACROSS THE STOCKS

Monkfish and Skates: The Council considered input from the Joint Advisory Panels and Committees and voted to discontinue the 2026 priority related to IFQ Scoping for monkfish and/or skate wing fisheries. The Council approved a series of listening sessions for monkfish and skate fishermen across New England and the Mid-Atlantic to solicit input and ideas for fisheries and management improvements. Read the full press release here.

Herring: The Council received an update on the 2026 herring action that will:

• Set Atlantic herring specifications for fishing years 2027-2031.

• Enhance river herring and shad (American shad and hickory shad) avoidance and other catch reduction measures to support ongoing coastwide restoration efforts.

• Address other management measures such as the carryover of unharvested catch. This action will be initiated in June with Council final action planned for the September 2026 meeting.

Redfish Sector Exemption Review: The Council received a report evaluating the performance of the Redfish Sector Exemption program. This program allows commercial trawl vessels enrolled in sectors to target redfish with smaller mesh gear in designated areas. It was established as a universal sector exemption in the Northeast Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) in Framework 61. The review found generally strong sector compliance with catch thresholds and stable participation. It also examined bycatch of other groundfish, vessellevel performance, and program goals and objectives. The review was a regulatory requirement and a 2026 Council Priority. Based on information from the review, the Council may consider modifications to the redfish sector exemption program in the future.

Groundfish Action Update: Framework 69, which set specifications for several groundfish stocks for fishing years 2025-2027, was implemented on March 8, 2026. Amendment 25 (A25), which incorporates the four Atlantic cod stocks (Eastern Gulf of Maine; Western Gulf of Maine; Georges Bank; and Southern New England) into the Northeast Multispecies FMP and sets status determination criteria and management measures for these stocks, including accountability measures, recreational provisions, and catch limits for fishing years 2026 and 2027, was approved by NMFS on April 6, 2026. The action received broad public support, with over 250 comments largely favoring timely approval and implementation. Final implementing regulations are forthcoming, with interim default allocations expected to be in place until the rule is finalized. Framework 72, which will set specifications for several groundfish stocks for FY2026-2028, is currently in review with anticipated implementation in the coming months.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Sets Management Measures for Northeast Multispecies Fishery

March 5, 2026 — The following was released by the NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA Fisheries is approving updated management measures for the Northeast multispecies fishery (Framework 69). These measures, developed by the New England Fishery Management Council, establish catch limits for several multispecies stocks for fishing years 2025–2027, modify the accountability measure implementation catch threshold for the scallop fishery and several flatfish stocks, and remove certain reporting requirements for sectors. Allocations for two stocks of Atlantic cod were established in an emergency rule that went into effect on May 1, 2025, and are not changed by this action. Framework 69 also approves sector provisions and catch allocations for 2025 and 2026 fishing years, sets recreational measures for haddock, updates common pool possession limits, and clarifies and corrects regulations.

Read the final rule and the permit holder bulletin available at our website.