Notice2026-03059
Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings and Hearings
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 17, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has begun its annual preseason process to develop regulations to manage the 2026 ocean salmon fisheries off the U.S. West Coast. This notice informs the public of opportunities to provide oral and written comments on the development of the regulations.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 31 (Tuesday, February 17, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 17, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7263-7264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-03059]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XF478]
Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings and Hearings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of opportunities to provide public comments.
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SUMMARY: The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has begun its
annual preseason process to develop regulations to manage the 2026
ocean salmon fisheries off the U.S. West Coast. This notice informs the
public of opportunities to provide oral and written comments on the
development of the regulations.
DATES: Comments received electronically or in hard copy by 5 p.m.
Pacific Time, April 6, 2026, or orally no later than April 8, 2026, at
a Council meeting or public hearing will be considered in the Council's
final recommendation for the 2026 regulations and in NMFS consideration
of the Council's final recommendation. Dates when comments may be made
at public hearings are provided under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
ADDRESSES: Documents will be available from the Pacific Fishery
Management Council, 7700 NE Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland, OR
97220-1384, and will be posted on the Council's website at <a href="https://www.pcouncil.org">https://www.pcouncil.org</a>. You may submit written comments by any one of the
following methods:
<bullet> Council e-Portal: Written comments must be submitted
electronically through the Council's e-portal by visiting <a href="http://www.pcouncil.org">http://www.pcouncil.org</a>.
<bullet> Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: Electronic public comments
via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>
and enter NOAA-NMFS-2026-0001 in the Search box. Click on the
``Comment'' tab, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your
comments. All personal identifying information (e.g., name, address,
etc.), confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive
information submitted voluntarily by the sender will be publicly
accessible. NMFS and the Council will accept anonymous comments (enter
``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Angela Forristall, Pacific Fishery
[[Page 7264]]
Management Council, telephone: 503-820-2419 (ext. 419); email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5839363f3d3439763e372a2a312b2c39343418283b372d363b313476372a3f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e6878881838a87c8808994948f9592878a8aa69685899388858f8ac8899481">[email protected]</span></a>. For information on submitting comments
via the Federal e-Rulemaking portal, contact Shannon Penna, NMFS West
Coast Region, telephone: 562-980-4239; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9eedf6fff0f0f1f0b0eefbf0f0ffdef0f1ffffb0f9f1e8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f5869d949b9b9a9bdb85909b9b94b59b9a9494db929a83">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 30, 2025, the Council announced
the schedule of reports, public meetings, and hearings for the
development of annual regulations for the ocean salmon fisheries that
start May 16, 2026, and continue through May 15, 2027, which we refer
to as the 2026 management measures (90 FR 61127; December 30, 2025).
The Council will adopt alternatives for 2026 ocean salmon fisheries
management at its meetings to be held in person March 4-9, 2026, in
Sacramento, CA. Details of this meeting, including opportunities to
provide written public comments and public testimony in-person or
virtually are available on the Council's website (<a href="https://www.pcouncil.org">https://www.pcouncil.org</a>). On March 26, 2026, ``Preseason Report II--Proposed
Alternatives and Environmental Assessment Part 2 for 2026 Ocean Salmon
Fishery Regulations'' is scheduled to be posted on the Council's
website at <a href="https://www.pcouncil.org">https://www.pcouncil.org</a>. The report will include a
description of the salmon management alternatives adopted by the
Council at the March meeting to be considered at the April meeting and
a summary of their biological and economic impacts.
Public hearings will be held to receive oral comments on the
proposed ocean salmon fishery management alternatives adopted by the
Council. All public hearings begin at 7 p.m. Pacific Time. The public
hearing focusing on Washington will occur in person on March 23, 2026,
in Westport, WA, and the public hearing for California salmon fisheries
will occur in person on March 23, 2026, in Santa Rosa, CA. No virtual
options are available for these public hearings. The public hearing for
Oregon will occur both in-person and virtually on March 24, 2026.
Actual hearing venues and instructions for joining online hearings will
be posted on the Council's website (<a href="https://www.pcouncil.org">https://www.pcouncil.org</a>) in
advance of the hearing dates. A summary of oral comments received at
the hearings will be provided to the Council at its April meeting.
At its April meeting, the Council will adopt the set of management
measures it will recommend to NMFS for consideration under the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. This meeting
provides an additional opportunity for written public comment and
public testimony in-person or virtually. Details regarding this meeting
and comment opportunities are available on the Council's website at
<a href="https://www.pcouncil.org">https://www.pcouncil.org</a>.
Comments on the alternatives the Council adopts at its March 2026
meeting, and described in its Preseason Report II, may be submitted (1)
in writing or electronically as described under ADDRESSES, (2) orally
(in-person) at a public hearing, (3) orally (online or in-person) or in
writing at the Council meeting held on March 4-9, 2026, which is
scheduled to occur in person, in Sacramento, CA, or orally (online or
in-person) at the Council meeting held on April 7-12, 2026, which is
scheduled to occur in person, in Portland, OR. Details of these
meetings will be available on the Council's website (<a href="https://www.pcouncil.org">https://www.pcouncil.org</a>) and will be published in the Federal Register. In
order to be considered in the Council's decision on its final
recommendation for the 2026 salmon fishery management measures and in
NMFS' consideration of that final recommendation, written and
electronically submitted comments must be received by 5 p.m. Pacific
Time on April 6th. All comments received accordingly will be reviewed
and considered by the Council and NMFS.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: February 11, 2026.
David R. Blankinship,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-03059 Filed 2-13-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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