Rule2025-23796
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; 2026 Atlantic Herring Fishery Specifications
Primary source
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Published
December 23, 2025
Effective
December 31, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS is finalizing the 2026 Atlantic herring specifications and river herring and shad catch caps for the Atlantic herring fishery. This action is necessary to implement previously projected 2026 Atlantic herring specifications, including the river herring and shad catch caps. This action is intended to achieve the objectives of the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan, including preventing overfishing, helping rebuild an overfished stock, and achieving optimum yield on a continuing basis.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 244 (Tuesday, December 23, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 244 (Tuesday, December 23, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 60021-60022]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23796]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 251208-0181; RTID 0648-XF413]
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; 2026 Atlantic
Herring Fishery Specifications
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; inseason.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is finalizing the 2026 Atlantic herring specifications
and river herring and shad catch caps for the Atlantic herring fishery.
This action is necessary to implement previously projected 2026
Atlantic herring specifications, including the river herring and shad
catch caps. This action is intended to achieve the objectives of the
Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan, including preventing
overfishing, helping rebuild an overfished stock, and achieving optimum
yield on a continuing basis.
DATES: The 2026 specifications for the Atlantic herring fishery are
effective from January 1 through December 31, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carrie Nordeen, Fishery Policy
Analyst, 978-281-9272.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS and the New England Fishery Management
Council (Council) manage the Atlantic herring fishery pursuant to the
Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan. Regulations at 50 CFR 648.200
require the Council to recommend herring specifications for NMFS's
approval and provide the Council with the discretion to recommend river
herring and shad catch caps as part of the specifications. Prior to the
start of 2026, the Council recommended herring specifications and river
herring and shad catch caps for 2026. On December 11, 2025, NMFS
published a final rule (90 FR 57376) setting the Council-recommended
2025 herring specifications and projecting the 2026-2027 herring
specifications.
At the end of each fishing year, NMFS evaluates catch information
to determine if there were catch overages or unharvested catch compared
to the annual catch limit (ACL) or the sub-ACLs for the herring
management areas. If catch exceeds a sub-ACL or the ACL, regulations at
Sec. 648.201(a)(3) may require a sub-ACL or ACL deduction in a
subsequent year. Additionally, regulations at Sec. 648.201(g)(2)
prohibit the carryover of unharvested catch to 2026.
NMFS reviewed 2024 fishery information against the projected 2026
herring specifications. There were no catch overages, nor is there any
new biological information that would require altering the projected
2026 specifications published in December 2025. Based on this
information, NMFS is finalizing the 2026 herring specifications,
including the river herring and shad catch caps, as projected in the
December 2025 final rule and outlined below in tables 1 and 2. These
2026 herring fishery specifications are expected to prevent
overfishing, help rebuild an overfished stock, and achieve optimum
yield on a continuing basis. NMFS will provide notice of the final 2027
herring fishery specifications, and any necessary adjustments, prior to
the start of 2027.
[[Page 60022]]
Table 1--2026 Atlantic Herring Specifications
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Amount in metric tons
Specifications (mt)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overfishing Limit............................. 23,491
Acceptable Biological Catch................... 13,165
Management Uncertainty........................ 4,031
Annual Catch Limit/Optimum Yield.............. 9,134
Domestic Annual Harvest....................... 9,134
Border Transfer............................... 0
Domestic Annual Processing.................... 9,134
US At-Sea Processing.......................... 0
Area 1A Sub-ACL (28.9%)....................... 2,640
Area 1B Sub-ACL (4.3%)........................ 393
Area 2 Sub-ACL (27.8%)........................ 2,539
Area 3 Sub-ACL (39%).......................... 3,562
Fixed Gear Set-Aside.......................... 30
Research Set-Aside............................ 0%
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If New Brunswick weir landings are less than 2,600 mt through October 1,
then 1,000 mt will be subtracted from the management uncertainty and
reallocated to the Area 1A sub-ACL and the ACL.
Table 2--2026 River Herring and Shad Catch Caps
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amount in metric tons
Catch cap (mt)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gulf of Maine Midwater Trawl.................. 76.7
Cape Cod Midwater Trawl....................... 32.4
Southern New England Midwater Trawl........... 129.6
Southern New England Bottom Trawl............. 122.3
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Classification
NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. This action is required by 50 CFR part 648, which was
issued pursuant to section 304(b), and is exempt from review under
Executive Order 12866.
The Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, finds good cause
under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) to waive prior notice and the opportunity for
public comment on this notice because it would be unnecessary and
contrary to the public interest. The proposed rule for the 2025-2027
herring specifications (90 FR 26955; June 25, 2025), pursuant to the
process described in the herring regulations (Sec. 648.200), provided
the public with the opportunity to comment on the specifications,
including the projected 2026 specifications and river herring and shad
catch caps. None of the comments on the proposed 2025-2027 herring
specifications resulted in any substantive changes in the final rule
setting the 2025 specifications and projecting the 2026-2027
specifications. This action simply finalizes the projected 2026
specifications, as described in both the proposed and final rules,
without changes as the proposed and final rules for the 2025-2027
herring specifications provided a full opportunity for the public to
comment on the projected 2026 specifications and the substance and
process of this action. Additionally, the 2026 ACL (9,134 mt) is 64
percent higher than the current, adjusted 2025 ACL (5,556 mt),
providing additional economic opportunity for the vessels participating
in the herring fishery. If implementation of this action is delayed
beyond the start of the fishing year on January 1, 2026, to solicit
public comment, it may result in a negative economic impact on the
herring fishing industry. Based on these considerations, NMFS further
finds, pursuant to 5 U.S.C 553(d)(3), good cause to waive the 30-day
delayed effectiveness period for the reasons stated above.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 19, 2025.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-23796 Filed 12-22-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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