Fisheries Off West Coast States; Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; Annual Specifications; 2026-2027 Annual Specifications and Management Measures for Pacific Sardine

What it does

NMFS proposes to implement annual harvest specifications and management measures for the northern subpopulation of Pacific sardine (hereafter, Pacific sardine), for the fishing year from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. This proposed rule would prohibit most directed commercial fishing for Pacific sardine off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California. Pacific sardine harvest would be allowed for use only as live bait, in minor directed fisheries, as incidental catch in other fisheries, or as authorized under exempted fishing permits. The proposed harvest specifications for 2026-2027 include an overfishing limit of 4,645 metric tons (mt), an acceptable biological catch (ABC) of 3,613 mt, an annual catch limit (ACL) of 2,200 mt, and an annual catch target (ACT) of 2,100 mt. This proposed rule is intended to conserve, manage, and rebuild the Pacific sardine stock off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California.

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

What it would change

1 part of Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

50 CFR 660

What happens next and when

Comments must be received by July 14, 2026.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Check it yourself

• The document in the Federal Register
• Docket NOAA-NMFS-2026-1123 on Regulations.gov
• Title 50 on eCFR

The record as published

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