Pacific Council Meeting to Finalize 2026 Halibut Catch Quotas Online
Published Date: 12/4/2025
Notice
Summary
The Pacific Fishery Management Council is holding an online meeting on December 18, 2025, to finalize the 2026 Pacific halibut Catch Sharing Plan and annual fishing rules. This affects fishermen, seafood businesses, and coastal communities by setting how much halibut can be caught next year. They might also decide on other fishing rules that weren’t finished in November, helping keep fish populations healthy and fishing fair.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.
Final 2026 Halibut Catch Plan
If you are a fisherman, run a seafood business, or are in a coastal community, the Pacific Council will take final action on the 2026 Pacific halibut Catch Sharing Plan and annual regulations at an online meeting on December 18, 2025, starting at 1 p.m. Pacific Time. That action sets how much Pacific halibut can be caught in 2026 and therefore affects fishing opportunities and business planning for next year.
Possible Groundfish Inseason Actions
The Council may also decide groundfish inseason actions at the December 18, 2025 online meeting that were not finished at its November 2025 meeting. These inseason decisions could change fishing rules during the season and affect fishermen and seafood businesses.
Authority for Emergency Actions
The Council may take final action at the meeting on issues arising after publication if they require emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, provided the public has been notified. That means sudden, post-publication problems could be addressed at the December 18, 2025 meeting through emergency measures.
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