Proposed Rule2026-07292
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Cook Inlet; Proposed 2026 Harvest Specifications for Salmon
Primary source
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Published
April 15, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS proposes 2026 harvest specifications for the salmon fishery of the Cook Inlet exclusive economic zone (EEZ) Area. This action is necessary to establish harvest limits for salmon during the 2026 fishing year and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ off Alaska (Salmon FMP). The intended effect of this action is to conserve and manage the salmon resources in Cook Inlet EEZ Area in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 72 (Wednesday, April 15, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 15, 2026)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 20085-20089]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07292]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 260410-0095; RTID 0648-XF376]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Cook Inlet;
Proposed 2026 Harvest Specifications for Salmon
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed rule; harvest specifications and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS proposes 2026 harvest specifications for the salmon
fishery of the Cook Inlet exclusive economic zone (EEZ) Area. This
action is necessary to establish harvest limits for salmon during the
2026 fishing year and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the
Fishery Management Plan for Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ off Alaska
(Salmon FMP). The intended effect of this action is to conserve and
manage the salmon resources in Cook Inlet EEZ Area in accordance with
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act).
DATES: Comments must be received by April 30, 2026.
[[Page 20086]]
ADDRESSES: A plain language summary of this proposed rule is available
at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAA-NMFS-2026-0562">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAA-NMFS-2026-0562</a>. You may
submit comments on this document, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2026-0562, by
any of the following methods:
<bullet> Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Visit <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and type NOAA-NMFS-2026-0562 in the Search box.
Click on the ``Comment'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter
or attach your comments.
<bullet> Mail: Submit written comments to Gretchen Harrington,
Assistant Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division,
Alaska Region, NMFS. Mail comments to P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-
1668.
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address), confidential business information,
or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily by the sender
will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter
``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous).
An electronic copy of the draft Environmental Assessment for the
Harvest Specifications of the Cook Inlet Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ
Off Alaska (EA) prepared for this action is available at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAA-NMFS-2026-0562">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAA-NMFS-2026-0562</a>. The Environmental
Assessment (EA)/Regulatory Impact Review for amendment 16 (A16 EA/RIR)
to the Salmon FMP are available from the NMFS Alaska Region website at
<a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/amendment-16-fmp-salmon-fisheries-alaska">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/amendment-16-fmp-salmon-fisheries-alaska</a>. A preliminary Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation
(SAFE) report was presented at the February 2026 North Pacific Fishery
Management Council (Council) meeting, and NMFS incorporated the
recommendations of the Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee
(SSC) and posted the final SAFE at <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/population-assessments/alaska-stock-assessments">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/population-assessments/alaska-stock-assessments</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adam Zaleski, 907-206-5802,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6a0b0e0b0744100b060f1901032a04050b0b440d051c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="462722272b683c272a23352d2f062829272768212930">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS prepared the Salmon FMP under the
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).
Regulations governing U.S. fisheries and implementing the Salmon FMP
appear at 50 CFR part 600 and 50 CFR part 679.
The proposed harvest specifications include catch limits that NMFS
could implement subject to further consideration after public comment.
Regulations at 50 CFR 679.118(b) require that NMFS consider public
comment on the proposed harvest specifications and publish the final
harvest specifications in the Federal Register. The final harvest
specifications will take effect only after publication of a final rule.
NMFS will publish the final 2026 harvest specifications after: (1)
considering comments received within the comment period (see DATES
section); (2) considering information presented in the draft EA (see
ADDRESSES section); and (3) considering information presented in the
final 2026 SAFE report prepared for the 2026 Cook Inlet EEZ Area salmon
fisheries. See 50 CFR 679.118(b)(2) for additional considerations
regarding the final harvest specifications.
Proposed 2026 Overfishing Limit (OFL), Acceptable Biological Catch
(ABC), and Total Allowable Catch (TAC) Specifications
NMFS compiled and presented the preliminary 2026 SAFE report for
the Cook Inlet EEZ Area salmon stocks and stock complexes, dated
February 2026, at the February Council meeting. The SAFE report
contains a review of the latest scientific analyses and estimates of
biological parameters for seven stocks of Pacific salmon and provides
recommendations to the SSC regarding the appropriate tiers for each
stock, the status determination criteria (SDC) that will be used to
evaluate overfishing (including OFL), and the appropriate ABC, which
acts as a ceiling when NMFS specifies TACs.
The Salmon FMP specifies methods to calculate OFLs and ABCs for
stocks harvested in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area. The methodology used to
calculate OFL and ABC depends on the ``tier'' to which a stock or stock
complex has been assigned, which is determined by the level of reliable
information available. Tier 1 stocks have the highest level of
information quality available, while tier 3 stocks have the lowest
level of information quality available. NMFS uses this tier structure
to calculate OFLs and ABCs for each salmon stock or stock complex (a
stock complex is an aggregate of multiple stocks of a species)
according to the methods specified in the Salmon FMP and recommended by
the SSC.
For tier 1 stocks as defined in the Salmon FMP, the SAFE report
relies on forecasts of the coming year's salmon runs as the basis for
the recommended OFLs and ABCs, which are included in the 2026 SAFE
report. For tier 1 stocks, SDC and harvest specifications are
calculated in terms of potential yield for the Cook Inlet EEZ Area. The
potential yield is the total forecasted run size minus the number of
salmon required to achieve spawning escapement targets and the
estimated mortality from other sources, including in other fisheries.
For 2026, no stocks were recommended to be tier 2.
For tier 3 stocks as defined in the Salmon FMP, NMFS used fishery
catch estimates from prior years to inform the 2026 harvest
specifications.
The Salmon FMP also lays out considerations for the specification
of TACs, which are set at the species level. TACs must be less than or
equal to the ABCs established for each stock and stock complex and
their estimated proportional contribution to total catch and account
for allowable de minimis harvest amounts and projected removals from
the recreational salmon fishery. TACs may be reduced from ABC if
warranted on the basis of concerns about the harvest of weak salmon
stocks, bycatch considerations, management uncertainty, ecosystem
requirements, or social and economic considerations.
The SSC and Council reviewed NMFS's preliminary 2026 SAFE report
for the Cook Inlet EEZ Area salmon fishery in February 2026. From these
data and analyses, the SSC recommended an OFL and ABC for each managed
salmon stock or stock complex. After considering the SSC's
recommendations, the Council unanimously took action to recommend TACs
for the Cook Inlet EEZ Area salmon fishery, which also include a buffer
to reduce TACs from ABCs to account for management uncertainty. A
primary source of management uncertainty is whether, upon nearing a
TAC, NMFS will have sufficient time to publish a notice of fishery
closure in the Federal Register before additional fishing openers
occur. As such, the TAC buffers and resulting proposed TACs were
calculated to ensure that even if a TAC level is reached, two
additional fishing openers occurring before the fishery could be closed
would not result in any ABC being exceeded. The TAC buffers were
derived by calculating the maximum daily harvest after July 15 in 2024
and 2025, expressing that harvest as a percentage of the 2026 ABC, and
[[Page 20087]]
doubling it to account for two openers of fishing at that level. For
the Aggregate Coho salmon stock complex, given that spawning escapement
targets have not been achieved during recent years for the indicator
stocks, the Council recommended a larger management buffer such that
the proposed 2026 TAC is very similar to the 2025 TAC, and NMFS agrees
this level of precaution is warranted in light of ecosystem concerns
regarding a data-poor stock complex. Through this action, NMFS is
proposing to implement the OFLs and ABCs recommended by the SSC and
TACs consistent with the Council's recommendations.
Following the February Council meeting, NMFS updated the 2026 SAFE
report to incorporate SSC recommendations (see ADDRESSES section). The
proposed specifications are based on SSC recommendations contained in
the 2026 SAFE report, which represents the best scientific information
available on the biological condition of salmon stocks in Cook Inlet.
NMFS is required to publish and solicit public comment on proposed
annual specifications as soon as practicable after consultation with
the Council (see 50 CFR 679.118(b)(1)); the proposed harvest
specifications are included in table 1 of this proposed rule. The
recommended specifications of OFL, ABC, and TAC are consistent with the
harvest strategy outlined in the Salmon FMP, the biological condition
of salmon as described in the 2026 SAFE report, SSC and Council
recommendations, and the Magnuson-Stevens Act, including the National
Standards. The recommended ABCs would be less than the OFLs for each
stock or stock complex. TACs would be established for species rather
than stocks or stock complexes because it is not possible to
differentiate among stocks of the same species through catch accounting
during the fishing season. The proposed TACs for each species are less
than the aggregate ABC for each component stock and stock complex, and
these TACs would account for the assumed contribution of each stock or
stock complex to total catch to ensure ABC is not exceeded for any
stock and stock complex. NMFS will rely on its experience managing the
fishery and inseason management authority to close the fishery when it
determines a TAC has been or is likely to be reached.
The proposed 2026 OFLs, ABCs, and TACs are based on the best
scientific information available, primarily the 2026 SAFE report. The
SAFE report was subject to peer review by the SSC, which recommended
the ABCs and OFLs that NMFS proposes in table 1, consistent with 50 CFR
600.310(f)(3) and 600.315(c) through (d). These proposed TACs account
for other relevant biological and social and economic considerations
presented in the resource assessment documents (i.e., the 2026 SAFE
report) (see Sec. 679.118(a)(2)), management uncertainty, and the
estimated contribution of each stock or stock complex to total catch of
a species and would prevent catch in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area from
exceeding the ABC for any stock or stock complex. These proposed OFLs,
ABCs, and TACs are subject to change pending consideration of public
comment.
Table 1--Proposed 2026 Cook Inlet EEZ Area Salmon OFLs, ABCs, and TACs in Numbers of Fish
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Stock or stock complex \1\ OFL ABC TAC
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Kenai River Late-Run sockeye salmon............................. 1,284,478 937,993 1,487,153
Kasilof River sockeye salmon.................................... 617,006 489,936
Aggregate Other sockeye salmon.................................. 181,351 154,149
Aggregate Chinook salmon........................................ 373 261 240
Aggregate coho salmon........................................... 67,013 26,805 16,619
Aggregate chum salmon........................................... 97,508 78,006 68,645
Aggregate pink salmon........................................... 141,406 127,266 124,721
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\1\ The TAC for sockeye salmon is combined for Kenai River Late-Run, Kasilof River, and Aggregate Other sockeye
salmon because it is not possible to differentiate among stocks of sockeye at the time they are caught.
Directed Fishing Closures and Inseason Adjustments
In accordance with 50 CFR 679.118(c)(1)(i), NMFS will prohibit
fishing for salmon in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area if NMFS determines that
any salmon TAC has been or may be reached for any salmon species or
stock. NMFS may also make adjustments to a TAC for any salmon species
or stock or open or close a season in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area if
necessary to prevent overfishing, among other reasons, consistent with
50 CFR 679.25. Changes to the salmon fisheries in the Cook Inlet EEZ
Area will be announced in the Federal Register and posted under the
Alaska filter for Management Areas at <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/news-and-announcements/bulletins">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/news-and-announcements/bulletins</a>.
Classification
NMFS is issuing this proposed rule pursuant to section 305(d) of
the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Through previous actions, the Salmon FMP and
regulations are designed to authorize NMFS to take this action (see 50
CFR 679.118). The NMFS Assistant Administrator has determined that this
proposed rule is consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the Salmon
FMP, and other applicable laws, subject to further consideration after
public comment.
NMFS finds that a comment period of 15 days for this action
provides a reasonable opportunity for public participation pursuant to
Administrative Procedure Act section 553(c) (5 U.S.C. 553(c)). Section
4.2.3 of the Salmon FMP notes the public review and comment period on
the proposed harvest specifications will be at least 15 days. This year
a 15-day comment period is necessary to ensure the final harvest
specifications publish no later than June 19, 2026, while providing the
public with a meaningful opportunity for review and comment. The
subject of this proposed rule--the annual harvest specifications--is
based on the established harvest specifications process and tier system
in the Salmon FMP. NMFS was unable to publish the proposed rule any
earlier and afford a longer comment period due to the timing of the
February Council meeting. A longer comment period and subsequent
potential delay in the implementation of this action before the Cook
Inlet EEZ Area commercial salmon fishery season opens on June 22, 2026,
would be contrary to public interest and could result in the closure of
the Cook Inlet EEZ Area salmon fishery until the
[[Page 20088]]
final 2026 harvest specifications are published.
This action is exempt from review under Executive Orders 12866 and
14192.
NMFS prepared the draft EA for the 2026 harvest specifications of
the Cook Inlet EEZ Area salmon fishery, which incorporates by reference
the EA/RIR for amendment 16 to the Salmon FMP and the 2026 SAFE report
(see ADDRESSES section). These analyses evaluate the potential
environmental and socioeconomic impacts of three alternative catch
limits for the Cook Inlet EEZ Area salmon fishery, as is consistent
with the National Environmental Policy Act.
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA)
This IRFA was prepared for this proposed rule, as required by
section 603 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) (5 U.S.C. 603), to
describe the economic impact that this proposed rule, if adopted, would
have on small entities.
The IRFA: (1) describes the action; (2) the reasons why this
proposed rule is proposed; (3) the objectives and legal basis for this
proposed rule; (4) the estimated number and description of directly
regulated small entities to which this proposed rule would apply; (5)
the recordkeeping, reporting, and other compliance requirements of this
proposed rule; and (6) the relevant Federal rules that may duplicate,
overlap, or conflict with this proposed rule. The IRFA also describes
significant alternatives to this proposed rule that would accomplish
the stated objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and any other
applicable statutes, and that would minimize any significant economic
impact of this proposed rule on small entities. The description of the
proposed action, its purpose, and the legal basis are explained earlier
in the preamble and are not repeated here.
For RFA purposes only, NMFS has established a small business size
standard for businesses, including their affiliates, whose primary
industry is commercial fishing (see 50 CFR 200.2). A business primarily
engaged in commercial fishing (North American Industry Classification
System (NAICS) code 11411) is classified as a small business if it is
independently owned and operated, is not dominant in its field of
operation (including its affiliates), and has combined annual gross
receipts not in excess of 11 million dollars for all its affiliated
operations worldwide. In addition, the Small Business Administration
(SBA) has established a small business size standard applicable to
charter fishing vessels (NAICS code 713990) of 9 million dollars.
Number and Description of Small Entities Regulated by This Proposed
Rule
This proposed rule directly regulates commercial salmon fishing
vessels that operate in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area and charter guides and
charter businesses fishing for salmon in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area.
Because NMFS expects the State of Alaska to maintain current
requirements for commercial salmon fishing vessels landing any salmon
in Upper Cook Inlet to hold a Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission
(CFEC) drift gillnet (S03H) permit, NMFS does not expect participation
from non-S03H permit holders in the federally managed salmon fishery in
the Cook Inlet EEZ Area. Therefore, the number of S03H permit holders
represents the maximum number of directly regulated entities for the
commercial salmon fishery in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area. From 2020 to
2024, there was an average of 544 S03H permits in circulation, with an
average of 292 active permit holders, all of which are considered small
entities based on the 11-million-dollar threshold. The evaluation of
the number of directly regulated small entities and their revenue was
conducted via custom query by staff of the Alaska Fish Information
Network utilizing both Alaska Department of Fish & Game and Fish Ticket
revenue data and the CFEC permits database. Revenue data is not yet
available for Salmon Federal Fisheries Permits (SFFP) permit holders.
The draft EA provides the most recent tabulation of commercial charter
vessels that could potentially fish for salmon within the Cook Inlet
EEZ Area (see ADDRESSES section).
The commercial fishing entities directly regulated by the salmon
harvest specifications are the entities operating vessels with SFFPs
catching salmon in Federal waters. For purposes of this analysis, NMFS
assumes that the number of small entities with SFFPs that are directly
regulated by the salmon harvest specifications is the average number of
S03H permits in circulation (i.e., 544 permits). This may be an
overstatement of the number of directly-regulated small entities since
some entities may hold more than one permit.
The commercial charter fishing entities directly regulated by the
salmon harvest specifications are the entities that hold commercial
charter licenses and that choose to fish for salmon in the Cook Inlet
EEZ Area where these harvest specifications will apply. Salmon charter
operators are required to register with the State of Alaska annually
and the numbers of registered charter operators in the Cook Inlet area
varies. Available data indicates that, from 2019 to 2023, the total
number of directly regulated charter vessel small entities that have
participated in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area was 209. However, from 2019 to
2023, there was an annual average of 92 charter guides that fished for
salmon at least once in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area. All of these entities,
if they choose to fish in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area, are directly
regulated by this action and all are considered small entities based on
the 9-million-dollar threshold. Updated charter vessel counts for 2024
to present have not yet been published.
This action is economically beneficial to entities operating in the
Cook Inlet EEZ Area salmon fishery, including small entities. The
action proposes TACs for commercially valuable salmon stocks that allow
for the prosecution of the salmon fishery in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area,
thereby creating the opportunity for fishery revenue. The TACs proposed
for each salmon stock or stock complex, except for aggregate coho, are
higher than the recent 10-year average harvest estimated to have
occurred in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area, which may help to reduce foregone
yield and allow for additional harvest opportunity.
Recordkeeping, Reporting, and Other Compliance Requirements and
Relevant Federal Rules That May Duplicate, Overlap, or Conflict With
This Rule
This action does not impose or modify recordkeeping or reporting
requirements or duplicate, overlap, or conflict with any Federal rules.
Description of Significant Alternatives That Minimize Adverse Impacts
on Small Entities
The action under consideration is the proposed 2026 harvest
specifications for the Cook Inlet EEZ Area salmon fishery. This action
is necessary to establish harvest limits for Cook Inlet salmon
harvested within the EEZ during the 2026 fishing year and is taken in
accordance with the Salmon FMP and pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens
Act. The establishment of the harvest specifications is governed by the
process for determining harvest levels for salmon in the Cook Inlet EEZ
Area in the Salmon FMP and regulations. Under this process, harvest
specifications typically will be made annually for specifying the OFL,
ABC, and TAC for each salmon stock or stock complex. This includes
identifying the stocks and stock complexes for which specifications are
made. Salmon stocks
[[Page 20089]]
or stock complexes may be split or combined based on several
biological, management, or fishery considerations, including for
purposes of establishing a new harvest specification unit if such
action is desirable based on the commercial importance of a stock or
stock complex, or if sufficient biological information is available to
manage a stock or stock complex as a single unit. Stocks and stock
complexes are separated into three tiers based on the level of
information available for each stock and stock complex, and the
corresponding tier is used to calculate OFL and ABC.
For each stock and stock complex, NMFS establishes harvest
specifications prior to the commercial salmon fishing season. To inform
the harvest specifications, NMFS prepares the annual SAFE report, based
on the best scientific information available at the time it is
prepared, for review by the SSC and the Council. The SAFE report
provides information needed for: (1) determining annual harvest
specifications; (2) documenting significant trends or changes in the
stocks, marine ecosystem, and fisheries over time; and (3) assessing
the performance of the Federal fishery management program. The SAFE
report provides a summary of the most recent biological condition of
the salmon stocks.
For the proposed 2026 harvest specifications, NMFS prepared the
preliminary 2026 SAFE report and consulted with the Council consistent
with the Salmon FMP and implementing regulations. The proposed TACs
recommended by the Council are based on the preliminary SAFE report,
which represents the best scientific information available at that time
for the stock and stock complexes identified by NMFS. In February 2026,
the SSC reviewed the preliminary 2026 SAFE report and recommended
buffers that reduce ABCs from the OFLs for all stocks. The Council
unanimously recommended the harvest specifications with buffers to
reduce TACs from the aggregate ABCs of component stocks for all salmon
species. In light of the manner in which the fishery will operate,
including the limited number of openers and NMFS's ability to monitor
the TAC for each salmon species and implement closures in-season, NMFS
has determined that the proposed TACs will prevent exceeding the ABC
(and therefore ACL) for any stock or stock complex and prevent
overfishing.
Under this action, the ABCs reflect harvest amounts that are less
than the specified OFLs, and the TACs are set less than the biological
reference points (i.e., the ABCs and OFLs) recommended by the SSC. The
Salmon FMP specifies that the Council's annual TAC recommendations
should account for the estimated proportional contribution of component
stocks to total catch of each species and may account for social and
economic considerations. These considerations include the need to
promote efficiency in the utilization of fishery resources (e.g.,
minimizing costs); the desire to conserve, protect, and rebuild
depleted salmon stocks; the importance of the salmon fishery to
harvesters, processors, local communities, and other salmon users in
Cook Inlet; and the need to promote utilization of certain species (see
50 CFR 679.118(a)(2)(ii)). The proposed TACs account for such
considerations. TACs cannot be set higher than the ABCs. Moreover,
management measures must be consistent with the governing FMP. The
proposed harvest specifications are the only alternatives that are
consistent with the process described above, the Salmon FMP, and the
MSA.
Based upon the best scientific information available and in
consideration of the objectives for this proposed action and after a
public process during which the Council and NMFS solicited public input
and consultation with the Council, NMFS has concluded that there are no
significant alternatives to this proposed rule for salmon harvest
specifications that have the potential to comply with the Salmon FMP,
accomplish the stated objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Act or any
other statutes, and minimize any significant economic impact of the
action on small entities while preventing overfishing.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This proposed rule contains no information collection requirements
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 1540(f); 16 U.S.C.
1801 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 3631 et seq.; Pub. L. 105-277; Pub. L. 106-
31; Pub. L. 106-554; Pub. L. 108-199; Pub. L. 108-447; Pub. L. 109-
241; Pub. L. 109-479.
Dated: April 10, 2026.
Samuel D. Rauch, III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-07292 Filed 4-14-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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