Federal Register #260813-0186

NOAA Final Rule: 2026 Atlantic Swordfish and Tuna Quota Allocations

This final rule from NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) implements ICCAT recommendations for Atlantic swordfish and tuna quotas for the 2026 fishing year. - Government Buyer: - National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), under NOAA, Department of Commerce - Quotas and Allocations: - North Atlantic Swordfish: 3,378.2 metric tons (mt) dressed weight, including underharvest carryover - South Atlantic Swordfish: 75.2 mt dressed weight (no change from prior year) - Northern Albacore: 1,111.8 mt whole weight, including underharvest carryover - Atlantic Bluefin Tuna: Baseline quota increased to 1,509.98 mt whole weight - Subquotas for General (815.4 mt), Harpoon (67.9 mt), Longline (240.1 mt), Trap (1.5 mt), and Reserve (43.8 mt) categories - Pelagic Longline Bycatch Set-Aside: 62.5 mt allocated to IBQ shareholders - Reserve category adjusted to 112.2 mt with underharvest and quota transfers - 30.8 mt of bluefin tuna quota transferred from Longline to Reserve category - Unique Requirements: - Quotas are adjusted annually based on underharvests and international quota transfers - Management procedures finalized for North Atlantic swordfish and northern albacore - Inseason quota transfers allowed to optimize fishing opportunities - No OEMs or commercial vendors are involved; this is a regulatory action affecting fishery participants - No products or services are being procured; only quota allocations and management procedures are specified

Description

This final rule by NMFS implements binding recommendations from the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) regarding quotas for North Atlantic swordfish, South Atlantic swordfish, North Atlantic albacore tuna, and Atlantic bluefin tuna. It includes management procedures for North Atlantic swordfish and northern albacore, increases the U.S. baseline quota for bluefin tuna, and adjusts quotas based on underharvests and international quota transfers. The rule also transfers a portion of the bluefin tuna quota from the Longline category to the Reserve category and temporarily adjusts baseline quotas for 2026.

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