Small craft harbours are vital infrastructure that support Canada’s commercial fishing and aquaculture sectors, helping sustain coastal communities and local economies from coast to coast to coast. Together, Canada's fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing industries support nearly 65,000 jobs and generated $8.47 billion in seafood exports in 2025.
Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS has received a request from the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (State Parks) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the Marine Facilities Replacement Program (MFRP) in North Puget Sound in Western Washington (WA) over the course of 5 years from the date of effectiveness. NMFS is proposing incidental take regulations setting forth permissible methods of taking, other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on such marine mammal stocks (i.e., mitigation measures), and requirements pertaining to monitoring and reporting such takes, and requests comments on the proposed regulations. NMFS will consider public comments before making any final decision on promulgating the requested MMPA regulations.
NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amounts of the Aleut Corporation pollock directed fishing allowance (DFA) from the Aleutian Islands subarea (AI) to the Bering Sea subarea (BS). This action is necessary to provide the opportunity for the harvest of the 2026 total allowable catch (TAC) of pollock, consistent with the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI).
Today, the European Commission has adopted harmonised rules for weighing fishery products across the EU. The new framework streamlines and simplifies procedures and reduces the administrative burden for Member States and operators. It will apply from January 2027.
Illegal shellfish harvesting threatens the sustainability of fisheries resources and undermines conservation efforts. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) fishery officers play a critical role in protecting Canada's fisheries through enforcement, education, monitoring, and compliance activities.
NMFS is correcting a temporary rule for the Pacific halibut recreational fishery in the International Pacific Halibut Commission's (IPHC) regulatory Area 2A. The action added fishing dates in August and September in the Columbia River and Washington subareas. The dates listed under each subarea were incorrect.
NMFS is reapportioning the unused amounts of the Pacific cod Trawl Cooperative (PCTC) Program halibut prohibited species catch (PSC) limit to the Pacific cod trawl limited access catcher vessel sector C season in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI).
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has completed its annual patrol of the North Pacific Ocean to detect and deter illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activity and monitor fishing fleets active on the high seas.
NMFS corrects the final rule published on July 22, 2026 to implement Amendment 36 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (91 FR 46000). The final rule inadvertently omitted portions of three amendatory instructions. This correction fixes the omissions.
NMFS is prohibiting commercial fishing for salmon in the Cook Inlet exclusive economic zone (EEZ) Area. This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2026 total allowable catch (TAC) of the aggregate coho salmon stock complex in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area.