Federal Register #260702-0161

Temporary Closure of Illex Squid Fishery Due to Quota Limit

NOAA, part of the Department of Commerce, has issued a temporary regulatory closure for the directed Illex squid fishery in Federal waters. - Government Buyer: - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - Department of Commerce - Regulatory Action (Not a Procurement): - No OEMs or vendors involved - No products or services requested - Key Details: - Closure triggered as 96% of the annual Illex squid quota is projected to be harvested - Vessels and federally permitted dealers are restricted from fishing for, possessing, or landing more than 10,000 pounds of Illex squid per trip - Landing Illex squid more than once per calendar day is prohibited during the closure - Action is required to comply with the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) - Applies to all commercial fishing vessels and dealers operating under relevant permits - Unique Requirements: - Designed to prevent exceeding the annual catch limit - No procurement or acquisition activity involved

Description

NMFS is closing the directed Illex squid fishery in Federal waters based on a projection that 96 percent of the 2026 domestic annual harvest (DAH) will be harvested. This closure is effective from 0001 hour local time on August 23, 2026, through 2400 hour local time on December 31, 2026. The action is necessary to comply with the regulations implementing the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and is intended to prevent the 2026 Illex squid annual catch limit from being exceeded. During the closure, vessels are limited in possession and landing of Illex squid, and federally permitted dealers have restrictions on purchasing and possessing Illex squid.

View original listing