Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS announces the closure of the Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) Scallop Management Area for the remainder of the 2026 fishing year for Limited Access General Category (LAGC) vessels. Regulations require this action once NMFS projects that 100 percent of the Northern Gulf of Maine Set-Aside will be harvested. This action is intended to prevent the overharvest of the 2026 Northern Gulf of Maine Set-Aside.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 648 [RTID 0648-XF623; Docket No. 240314-0080] AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Temporary rule; closure. SUMMARY: NMFS announces the closure of the Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) Scallop Management Area for the remainder of the 2026 fishing year for Limited Access General Category (LAGC) vessels. Regulations require this action once NMFS projects that 100 percent of the Northern Gulf of Maine Set-Aside will be harvested. This action is intended to prevent the overharvest of the 2026 Northern Gulf of Maine Set-Aside. DATES: Effective 0001 hours local time, April 13, 2026, through March 31, 2027. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ashley Trudeau, Fishery Resource Management Specialist, (978) 281-9252. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations governing fishing activity in the NGOM Scallop Management Area are located at 50 CFR 648.54 and 648.62 . These regulations authorize vessels issued a valid Federal scallop permit to fish in the NGOM Scallop Management Area under specific conditions, including the NGOM Set-Aside for the 2026 fishing year, and a State Waters Exemption Program for the State of Maine and Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Section 648.62(b)(2) requires the NGOM Scallop Management Area to be closed to scallop vessels issued Federal LAGC scallop permits, except as provided below, for the remainder o…
Citation: 91 FR 19079
