Sardine Fishing Shutdown: West Coast Gets Reprieve Through 2026
Published Date: 6/26/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
Starting July 1, 2025, most commercial fishing for Pacific sardines off Washington, Oregon, and California will be paused to help the sardine population bounce back. Fishermen can still catch sardines for live bait, small special fisheries, or as bycatch, but strict limits will keep the total catch low. This plan aims to protect the sardines while balancing fishing needs through June 30, 2026.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Directed Commercial Sardine Fishing Pause
Starting July 1, 2025 and running through June 30, 2026, most directed commercial fishing for Pacific sardine off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California would be prohibited. If you are a commercial sardine fisher in those states, you could not fish sardines commercially except under limited exceptions described in the rule.
Specific Annual Catch Limits Set
For the July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 fishing year, NMFS proposes numeric catch limits for the northern Pacific sardine: an overfishing limit (OFL) of 4,645 metric tons, an acceptable biological catch (ABC) of 3,957 metric tons, an annual catch limit (ACL) of 2,200 metric tons, and an annual catch target (ACT) of 2,100 metric tons. These limits define how much sardine may be taken overall during that period.
Limited Exceptions Allow Some Sardine Catch
Even though most directed commercial sardine fishing would be prohibited from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, harvest would still be allowed for use as live bait, in minor directed fisheries, as incidental catch in other fisheries, or under exempted fishing permits. If you fish for those limited purposes or hold an exempted permit, you may still legally take some sardines under the rule.
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Key Dates
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