# Federal Register #2026-20330

NOAA Rule Reclassifies Rainbow Runner Under Puerto Rico Fishery Management Plan

**Buyer:** U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
**Posted:** October 05, 2026
**Identifier:** 2026-20330

NOAA issued a final rule changing how rainbow runner is managed under the Puerto Rico Fishery Management Plan.
- **Government buyer and responsible organizations:** U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), through the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The Caribbean Fishery Management Council prepared and submitted the amendment.
- **Regulatory change:** Amendment 4 reclassifies rainbow runner from a reef fish to a pelagic fish and applies pelagic-fish accountability measures.
- **Catch limits and allocations:** Commercial and recreational annual catch limits remain 913 lb and 8,091 lb, respectively. Existing allocations remain 10.14% commercial and 89.86% recreational. The total annual catch limit is removed from the regulations.
- **Other effects:** Rainbow runner is no longer subject to certain reef-fish-specific restrictions, including seasonal closures, anchoring restrictions, and aggregate recreational bag and possession limits.
- **Procurement relevance:** This is a regulatory action, not a purchase; no products, services, quantities, vendors, or OEMs are identified.

### Description

NMFS issues regulations implementing Amendment 4 to the Puerto Rico Fishery Management Plan, prepared and submitted by the Caribbean Fishery Management Council. The rule reclassifies rainbow runner from a reef fish to a pelagic fish and establishes sector annual catch targets and accountability measures, while retaining existing sector-specific annual catch limits. It also removes certain reef fish-specific restrictions that applied to rainbow runner. The final rule is effective October 5, 2026.

[View original listing](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/05/2026-20330/fisheries-of-the-caribbean-gulf-of-america-and-south-atlantic-puerto-rico-fishery-management-plan)