Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of America, and South Atlantic; Reporting for Federally Permitted Charter Vessels and Headboats in Gulf of America Fisheries; Court Decision
Built by the Tribune's code from the Federal Register. No AI wrote this page. Published in the Federal Register March 25, 2026. Document 2026-05813. Updated Nov. 13, 2026.
- What it does
NMFS issues this final rule to clarify the reporting requirements that are in effect because of a 2023 decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The 2023 court decision vacated a 2020 final rule that implemented changes to the reporting requirements for owners and operators of vessels issued Gulf of America (Gulf) charter vessel/headboat permits (for-hire permits) for Gulf reef fish or Gulf coastal migratory pelagic (CMP) species. In compliance with the Fifth Circuit ruling, NMFS issues this rule to formally reinsert the current reporting requirements into the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The reporting requirements set forth by this rule are the same as those implemented in 2014 and in effect prior to the now-invalidated 2020 final rule. Further, as a result of the 2023 court decision, NMFS has already been directing permit holders to comply with these restored reporting requirements.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's summary, as published in the Federal Register.
- What changed in the regulation
1 part of Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations:
Wording on eCFR: the day before it took effect and from the day it took effect (first part listed).
- Compared with
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has published 186 final rules in 2026 so far, compared with 184 in all of 2025.
Counted by the Tribune from Federal Register records since Jan. 1, 2025.
- Before this
No earlier Federal Register document under regulation identifier 0648-BH72 since Jan. 1, 2025.
- What happens next and when
This final rule is effective on April 24, 2026.
The agency's dates, word for word.
The record as published
| Document number | 2026-05813 |
|---|---|
| Action | Final rule. |
| Agencies | Commerce Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| Published | March 25, 2026 |
| Effective date | April 24, 2026 |
| Regulation identifier (RIN) | 0648-BH72 |
| Docket | NOAA-NMFS-2026-2146 |
Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register