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Final ruleTook effect July 17, 2026

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fisheries; Closure of the Harpoon Category Fishery for 2026

Built by the Tribune's code from the Federal Register. No AI wrote this page. Published in the Federal Register July 20, 2026. Document 2026-14592. Updated Nov. 8, 2026.

What it does

NMFS closes the Harpoon category fishery for large medium and giant (i.e., measuring 73 inches (185 centimeters (cm)) curved fork length (CFL) or greater) Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) for the remainder of the 2026 fishing year. This closure applies to Atlantic Tunas Harpoon category permitted vessels.

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:

50 CFR 635

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 185 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.

What happens next and when

Effective 11:30 p.m., local time, July 17, 2026, through December 31, 2026.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Document number2026-14592
ActionTemporary rule; closure.
AgenciesCommerce Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
PublishedJuly 20, 2026
Effective dateJuly 17, 2026
DocketNOAA-NMFS-2019-0042

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