Federal Register #2026-09293

NOAA Finalizes 2026 Pacific Whiting Harvest Allocations for West Coast Fisheries

This final rule from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sets the 2026 Pacific whiting harvest specifications for West Coast fisheries: - Government Buyer: - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Department of Commerce - Products/Allocations: - Pacific whiting (Merluccius productus) harvest allocations for 2026 - Coastwide Total Allowable Catch (TAC): 380,000 metric tons - U.S. TAC: 280,744 metric tons (73.88% of coastwide TAC) - Tribal allocation: 49,130.20 metric tons (17.5% of U.S. TAC) for four Washington coastal treaty Indian Tribes, primarily the Makah Tribe - Non-Tribal harvest guideline: 230,863.80 metric tons - Catcher/Processor (C/P) Co-op Program: 78,493.69 mt (34% of non-Tribal HG) - Mothership (MS) Co-op Program: 55,407.31 mt (24% of non-Tribal HG) - Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program: 96,962.8 mt (42% of non-Tribal HG) - Research and incidental mortality set-aside: 750 metric tons - Notable Requirements: - Allocations are based on best available science and uphold Tribal treaty fishing rights - Set-aside for research and incidental mortality in non-groundfish fisheries - Applies to fisheries off the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington - No OEMs or commercial vendors are involved, as this is a regulatory action, not a procurement - Places of performance include federal waters off Washington, Oregon, and California, with administrative activities centered in Seattle, Washington

Description

This final rule announces the 2026 U.S. total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific whiting and implements the domestic 2026 harvest specifications for Pacific whiting fisheries off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. It includes the 2026 Tribal allocation for the Pacific whiting fishery, the non-Tribal fishery Harvest Guideline and sector allocations, and a set-aside for research activities and incidental mortality in non-groundfish fisheries. The measures aim to prevent overfishing, achieve optimum yield, ensure management is based on the best scientific information, and provide for the implementation of Tribal treaty fishing rights.

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