Federal Register #2026-06776

2026 Summer Flounder Quota Transfers and Pacific Cod Fishery Closure Announced by NOAA

This regulatory notice from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) under NOAA outlines quota transfers and fishery management actions for 2026: - Government Buyer: - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Office of Sustainable Fisheries - OEMs and Vendors: - NMFS (regulatory agency; no commercial OEMs or vendors involved) - Products/Services Requested: - Transfer of 100,000 pounds of summer flounder commercial quota from North Carolina to New Jersey - Transfer of 894 pounds of summer flounder commercial quota from Virginia to Massachusetts - Prohibition of directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels using trawl gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska - Unique or Notable Requirements: - Actions are taken to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan - The Pacific cod closure is implemented to prevent exceeding the 2026 A season total allowable catch - Locations: - North Carolina, New Jersey, Virginia, Massachusetts (state quota adjustments) - Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (fishing closure) - No commercial procurement or acquisition of goods/services; this is a regulatory action affecting state fishing quotas and fishery management.

Description

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces a transfer of a portion of the 2026 commercial summer flounder quota from the State of North Carolina to the State of New Jersey. This quota adjustment is made to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) provisions. The transfer involves 100,000 pounds of summer flounder and aims to prevent New Jersey from exceeding its quota. The revised quotas for 2026 are 2,920,221 pounds for North Carolina and 2,096,380 pounds for New Jersey.

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