Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan; Amendment 37; Stock Definitions

What it does

NMFS announces that the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted amendment 37 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (Groundfish FMP) to the Secretary of Commerce for review. If approved, amendment 37 would define stocks that are in need of conservation and management in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), consistent with the provisions and guidelines of the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). Amendment 37 would define stocks for 27 species within the fishery management unit. Amendment 37 is necessary for NMFS to make stock status determinations, which in turn will help prevent overfishing, rebuild overfished stocks, and achieve optimum yield. Amendment 37 is administrative in nature and does not change harvest levels or timing and location of fishing, nor does it revise the goals and objectives or the management frameworks of the Groundfish FMP.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's summary, as published in the Federal Register.

What it would change

2 parts of Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

50 CFR 600, 50 CFR 660

What happens next and when

Comments on amendment 37 must be received no later than April 6, 2026.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Check it yourself

• The document in the Federal Register
• Docket NOAA-NMFS-2025-1428 on Regulations.gov
• Title 50 on eCFR

The record as published

Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register