The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has launched a new dedicated webpage on GOV.UK to keep the public, fishing industry and scientific community updated in response to the common octopus bloom in South West England
In this final rule, NMFS is implementing binding recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) on quotas for North Atlantic swordfish, South Atlantic swordfish, North Atlantic albacore tuna (northern albacore), and Atlantic bluefin tuna, including aspects of the management procedures for North Atlantic swordfish and northern albacore. For bluefin tuna, this action implements the increased U.S. baseline quota adopted by ICCAT in 2025, dividing it among the established regulatory domestic subquota categories, and implements changes to the bluefin tuna quota associated with pelagic longline bycatch adopted by ICCAT in 2025. Finally, this action transfers 30.8 metric tons (mt) of bluefin tuna quota from the Longline category to the Reserve category and temporarily adjusts the baseline quotas for U.S. North and South Atlantic swordfish, northern albacore, and the Atlantic bluefin tuna Reserve category for 2026 based on 2025 underharvests and applicable international quota transfers.
NMFS is proposing regulatory revisions to fishing gear requirements in fisheries targeting Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) to increase flexibility and remove inefficiencies, thus increasing fishing opportunities and the ability of HMS fisheries to achieve optimum yield. Specifically, NMFS is proposing changes to buoy gear regulations that include modifying gear deployment and retrieval requirements, authorizing this gear under additional permits, and allowing the retention of additional species. NMFS is also proposing changes to speargun fishing gear regulations that include authorizing this gear under additional permits and targeting additional species. Finally, NMFS is proposing overarching changes regarding gear used for the collection of bait in all HMS fisheries.
The European Commission has approved a €700,000 Maltese State aid scheme to support companies active in primary production of fishery products facing increased fuel prices due to the Middle East crisis.
NMFS announces two inseason actions for the 2026 portion of the 2025-2026 ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modified the commercial and recreational salmon fisheries in the area from Cape Falcon, Oregon to the United States/Mexico border.
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.
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).
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.
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.