2026 Fisheries Ranked by Sea Mammal Mayhem Risk
Published Date: 5/5/2026
Notice
Summary
The 2026 List of Fisheries updates how commercial fishing affects marine mammals, sorting fisheries into categories based on their impact. This helps decide which fisheries must follow special rules like registering and reducing harm to sea animals. Fishermen and conservationists should note the changes and send comments by June 4, 2026, to help shape the final list.
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Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 2 mixed.
LOF Determines Fisherman Obligations
The List of Fisheries (LOF) sorts commercial fisheries into Category I, II, or III based on incidental marine mammal mortality and serious injury (M/SI). Owners participating in Category I or II fisheries are required to register with NMFS and must accommodate observers upon request, while owners in Category III fisheries are not required to register or obtain a marine mammal authorization certificate.
CA Dungeness Crab Reclassified I→II
NMFS proposes to reclassify the California Dungeness crab pot fishery from Category I to Category II. The proposal is based on a mean annual M/SI of 1.25 for the Central America/Southern Mexico--CA/OR/WA humpback whale stock (2018–2022), which is 35.7% of that stock's PBR of 3.5.
HI Shallow-Set Longline Drops II→III
NMFS proposes to reclassify the Hawaii shallow-set longline fishery from Category II to Category III because the mean annual estimated M/SI of the Hawaii pelagic false killer whale stock was 0.2 from 2017–2021, which is 0.56% of the stock's PBR of 36. The corresponding high seas component (Western Pacific Pelagic longline, HI shallow-set component) is also proposed for reclassification to Category III.
New CA Deep-Set Buoy Gear Fishery Added
NMFS proposes to add the California deep-set buoy gear fishery to the LOF as a Category III fishery. The fishery has 25 participants, targets swordfish and bluefin tuna, and NMFS proposes adding the CA breeding stock of Northern elephant seal to the list of species incidentally killed or injured in this fishery based on observed bycatch of four elephant seals between 2015 and 2019.
Updated Vessel/Participant Counts Across Fisheries
NMFS proposes updated estimated numbers of vessels/persons for many listed fisheries (examples: OR Dungeness crab pot fishery from 323 to 352 vessels/persons; AK Cook Inlet salmon set gillnet fishery from 479 to 301 vessels/persons; HI deep-set longline fishery from 146 to 147 vessels/persons). These updated counts appear throughout the Pacific Ocean LOF tables.
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