Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS is closing the directed Illex squid fishery in Federal waters based on a projection that 96 percent of the 2026 domestic annual harvest (DAH) will be harvested. This closure is effective 0001 hour (hr) local time on August 23, 2026, through 2400 hr local time on December 31, 2026. This action is necessary to comply with the regulations implementing the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), and is intended to prevent the 2026 Illex squid annual catch limit from being exceeded.
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 [Docket No. 260702-0161; RTID 0648-XF978] AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Temporary rule; possession limit adjustment. SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the directed Illex squid fishery in Federal waters based on a projection that 96 percent of the 2026 domestic annual harvest (DAH) will be harvested. This closure is effective 0001 hour (hr) local time on August 23, 2026, through 2400 hr local time on December 31, 2026. This action is necessary to comply with the regulations implementing the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), and is intended to prevent the 2026 Illex squid annual catch limit from being exceeded. DATES: Effective 0001 hr local time on August 23, 2026, through 2400 hr local time on December 31, 2026. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Fenton, Fishery Policy Analyst, 978-281-9196. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations implementing the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish FMP appear at 50 CFR part 648, subpart B . The regulations at § 648.22 describe the specifications that must be set annually for the fisheries managed under the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish FMP. For the Illex squid fishery, these specifications include the Domestic Annual Harvest (DAH), which is also known as the commercial quota and represents the total amount of Illex squid that can b…
Other Federal Register documents from the same docket.
Citation: 91 FR 54247
