National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

§ 03 Recent material actions

• M4 Jun 2, 2026 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

  Fisheries Off West Coast States; the Highly Migratory Species Fishery; Pacific Loggerhead Conservation Area Closure

  NMFS closes the Pacific Loggerhead Conservation Area off southern California to large-mesh drift gillnet fishing from June 1 through August 31, 2026. The closure applies east of 120° W longitude and is triggered by warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures and elevated El Niño probability, to reduce interactions with ESA-listed North Pacific loggerhead sea turtles.

• M4 Jun 2, 2026 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

  Fisheries of the South Atlantic; 2026 Recreational Accountability Measure and Closure for Snowy Grouper in the South Atlantic

  NMFS shortens the 2026 recreational fishing season for snowy grouper in South Atlantic Federal waters and closes recreational harvest on the adjusted closure date. The action implements an accountability measure because recreational landings exceeded the annual catch limit in 2025 and is intended to prevent another overage in 2026.

• M3 Jun 2, 2026 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

  Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

  NMFS announces the availability of its evaluation and recommended determination for a Hatchery and Genetics Management Plan covering a summer-run chum salmon hatchery program in the Dungeness River basin. The determination supports implementing the WDFW/Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe program by finding it will not appreciably reduce survival or recovery of listed Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon, Puget Sound Chinook salmon, or Puget Sound steelhead, nor adversely modify critical habitat.

• M4 Jun 2, 2026 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

  Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the Sparrows Point Container Terminal Project in Baltimore County, Maryland

  NMFS issued two consecutive incidental harassment authorizations to Tradepoint TiL Terminals, LLC for marine mammal takes associated with the Sparrows Point Container Terminal Project in Baltimore County, Maryland. The authorizations allow otherwise prohibited incidental harassment during project activities, subject to NMFS-imposed mitigation, monitoring, and reporting conditions.

• M4 Jun 2, 2026 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

  Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the Francis Scott Key Bridge Rebuild Project in Baltimore, Maryland

  NMFS issued two consecutive incidental harassment authorizations to the Federal Highway Administration for marine mammal takes associated with the Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild in Baltimore, Maryland. The authorizations allow limited incidental harassment under the MMPA while imposing project-specific mitigation, monitoring, and reporting conditions.

• M4 Jun 1, 2026 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

  Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fisheries; Harpoon Category Retention Limit Adjustment

  NMFS reduces the Atlantic bluefin tuna Harpoon category daily retention limit from 10 to 5 large medium or giant bluefin tuna per vessel. The lower limit applies to Atlantic Tunas Harpoon category permitted vessels from June 1, 2026, through the end of the Harpoon category season on November 15, 2026, unless further modified; the incidental catch limit of two large medium bluefin tuna remains unchanged.

• M4 Jun 1, 2026 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

  Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of America, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf of America; 2026-2027 Recreational Closure for Greater Amberjack

  NMFS closes the recreational greater amberjack season in Federal waters of the Gulf of America for the 2026-2027 fishing year beginning October 14, 2026, after projecting recreational landings will reach the annual catch target. Recreational harvest will be allowed only from September 1 through October 13, 2026, and prohibited after the closure date for the remainder of the season.