Feds Adjust Cod and Haddock Catch Limits for Northeast Waters
Published Date: 12/8/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
Fishermen and fish lovers in the Northeast, listen up! New rules are proposed to protect fish like cod and others by setting catch limits and updating fishing rules to keep fish populations healthy. These changes aim to stop overfishing and help fish bounce back, with public comments open until January 7, 2026.
Analyzed Economic Effects
10 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 5 costs, 1 mixed.
Eastern GB Haddock Quota Cut 50%
The proposed rule would set the U.S. shared quota for eastern Georges Bank (GB) haddock for fishing year 2025 at a level that is a 50-percent decrease compared to 2024. This change applies to the 2025 fishing year and is part of the U.S./Canada shared quotas described in Framework 69.
GB Yellowtail Quota Up 35%
The proposed U.S. quota for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder for fishing year 2025 would increase by about 35 percent compared to 2024, and the rule also sets shared U.S./Canada quotas for GB yellowtail flounder for fishing years 2025-2026.
New Catch Limits for Seven Stocks
Framework 69 proposes specifications, including catch limits, for several groundfish stocks: Gulf of Maine (GOM) haddock, American plaice, witch flounder, pollock, and Atlantic halibut for fishing years 2025-2027; GB yellowtail flounder for 2025-2026; and GB haddock for 2025.
Approval of Sector Plans and Full-Year Quotas
NMFS proposes to approve the submitted sector operations plans and allocate quota (annual catch entitlements) to sectors for the full 2025 fishing year; NMFS would approve the same 15 sectors that operated in 2023-2024.
Updated Common Pool Possession & Trip Limits
The rule would update common pool possession limits and trip limits for groundfish stocks to reflect potential fishing year 2025 limits; these updates would apply to common pool (non-sector) commercial vessels for the 2025 fishing year.
Granting Sector Exemptions and Flexibilities
The proposed rule would grant previously approved sector exemptions to sectors that requested them for 2025; exemptions include (but are not limited to) relief from spawning blocks, increased gillnet and hook limits in some areas, permission to haul another sector vessel's gear, and limited exceptions to discard prohibitions.
Trimester TAC Closures and Carryover Rules
The common pool trimester total allowable catch (TAC) accountability measure would require area closures for a trimester when NMFS projects 90 percent of that trimester's TAC is caught; uncaught portions of Trimesters 1 or 2 TACs carry forward to the next trimester, while overages are deducted from later trimester TACs or next year's allocation.
Preliminary 100% ASM Coverage Target for 2025
NMFS announced a preliminary at-sea monitoring (ASM) coverage target of 100 percent for fishing year 2025 (announced March 21, 2025); if finalized at 100 percent, management uncertainty buffers for sector sub-ACLs would default to zero, meaning sector sub-ABCs would not be reduced for that buffer.
Recreational Measures for GOM Cod and Haddock
The proposed rule would set recreational management measures for Gulf of Maine (GOM) cod and GOM haddock for the relevant fishing years as part of Framework 69.
Modify Scallop AM Thresholds for Two Stocks
Framework 69 would modify the catch threshold used to trigger the Atlantic sea scallop fishery's accountability measures (AMs) for Georges Bank yellowtail flounder and northern windowpane flounder.
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