Pacific Whiting Rules Balance 2025 Catches with Tribal Fishing Rights Allocation
Published Date: 6/26/2025
Rule
Summary
In 2025, fishermen off Washington, Oregon, and California will follow new rules for catching Pacific whiting to keep the fish healthy and respect Tribal fishing rights. The government set clear limits on how much can be caught, including special shares for Tribal groups and research. These changes help protect the ocean, support fair fishing, and keep the industry running smoothly all year long.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
2025 Pacific Whiting Total Catch Limit
If you fish commercially for Pacific whiting off Washington, Oregon, or California, the government set the 2025 U.S. Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for Pacific whiting. The TAC limits how much the whole U.S. fleet can catch in 2025 to help prevent overfishing and manage the fishery.
2025 Tribal Pacific Whiting Allocation
The rule implements a specific 2025 allocation of Pacific whiting for Tribal groups to provide for implementation of Tribal treaty fishing rights. Tribal groups receive a defined share of the 2025 catch to support tribal fishing activity and treaty obligations.
Non‑Tribal Harvest Guideline and Sector Shares
If you fish in non‑Tribal Pacific whiting sectors off Washington, Oregon, or California, the rule sets the 2025 Harvest Guideline and divides that catch into sector allocations. These sector allocations determine how much each non‑Tribal part of the fishery can catch in 2025.
Research and Incidental Mortality Set‑Aside
A portion of the 2025 Pacific whiting catch is set aside for research activities and to account for incidental mortality in non‑groundfish fisheries. This set‑aside reduces the amount of whiting available for commercial harvest in 2025 to support scientific work and account for bycatch impacts.
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Key Dates
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