Federal Register #2026-14697

NOAA Announces Summer Flounder Quota Transfer and Pacific Cod Fishing Closure for 2026

This notice from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), part of NOAA under the Department of Commerce, details regulatory adjustments for commercial fisheries management: - Government Buyer: - National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Office of Sustainable Fisheries, Department of Commerce, NOAA - Quota Transfer: - Temporary transfer of 5,000 pounds of commercial summer flounder quota from North Carolina to Massachusetts for the 2026 fishing year - Adjusts state quotas to 2,902,006 pounds for North Carolina and 1,046,297 pounds for Massachusetts - Transfer is to repay landings made by an out-of-state vessel under a safe harbor agreement - Fishing Closure: - Prohibits directed fishing for Pacific cod by American Fisheries Act trawl catcher/processors in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands - Closure is to prevent exceeding the 2026 total allowable catch allocation of 2,712 metric tons for this sector - No OEMs, vendors, or commercial products/services are involved; this is a regulatory action affecting fishery quotas and access - Notable Requirements: - Actions are mandated by the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan and federal catch allocation rules - Applies only to specified states and fishing sectors for the 2026 season

Description

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces a temporary transfer of a portion of the 2026 commercial summer flounder quota from the State of North Carolina to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This quota adjustment is necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) provisions. The transfer involves 5,000 pounds of summer flounder and is effective from July 20, 2026, through December 31, 2026. The revised quotas are 2,902,006 pounds for North Carolina and 1,046,297 pounds for Massachusetts.

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