# 2026-00498: Feds Reel in New Rules to Save Atlantic Cod Stocks 2026-00498, Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Amendment 25 (Revised) to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan; Atlantic Cod Stocks in Need of Conservation and Management, is a Federal Register proposed rule from Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published 2026-01-13, effective Comments on Amendment 25 must be received on or before March 16, 2026. (as of 2026-06-11). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-00498 - As of: 2026-06-11 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Document number: 2026-00498 - Title: Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Amendment 25 (Revised) to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan; Atlantic Cod Stocks in Need of Conservation and Management - Type: Proposed Rule - Agencies: Commerce Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Citation: 91 FR 1257 - Published: 2026-01-13 - Effective: Comments on Amendment 25 must be received on or before March 16, 2026. - Comments close: not stated - Significant: no - Touches household money: no - Regulation identifier numbers: 0648-BO26 - Last updated: 2026-06-11 ## In one line Feds Reel in New Rules to Save Atlantic Cod Stocks ## Summary The government is updating rules to better protect Atlantic cod in the Northeastern U.S. fishing waters. This change affects fishermen and communities relying on cod, aiming to use the latest science to keep cod populations healthy. Comments on these updates are open until March 16, 2026, so everyone has a chance to weigh in before new rules take effect. ## Abstract NMFS announces that the New England Fishery Management Council (Council) has transmitted Amendment 25 (Revised) to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to the Secretary of Commerce for review. If approved, Amendment 25 would revise the stocks of Atlantic cod managed in the FMP and include measures in the FMP necessary to manage four stocks of Atlantic cod in U.S. waters. The Council has deemed this action necessary to incorporate the best scientific information available from the most recent Research Track Assessment of Atlantic Cod and establish associated management measures under the FMP. This notice is intended to alert the public to this action and provide an opportunity for comment. ## Effects PRIA read - Atlantic cod redefined into four stocks: mixed, medium. The Council proposes changing how Atlantic cod are managed from two stocks to four named stocks: Eastern Gulf of Maine (EGOM), Western Gulf of Maine (WGOM), a revised Georges Bank (GB), and Southern New England (SNE). The rule lists the statistical reporting areas (SRAs) that make up each new stock… - Commercial catch rules and trip limits set: cost, medium. The revised amendment includes commercial management measures such as an apportionment method for the WGOM commercial sub-annual catch limit, common pool trimester total allowable catch (TAC) distributions, TAC closure areas, and baseline common pool trip limits, and specifications for the four cod… - Recreational catch limits and measures added: cost, low. The amendment would establish recreational sub-annual catch limits for Western Gulf of Maine (WGOM) and Southern New England (SNE) cod, adopt recreational measures for SNE cod, and set a regulatory process for the Regional Administrator to set recreational measures for Georges Bank (GB) and Eastern… - Allocation analysis added (Appendix III): benefit, low. The Council added Appendix III to the revised Amendment 25 to provide a transparent analysis of the potential allocation impacts of defining four cod stocks. The appendix supports Council decision-making about how allocations among sectors might change under the new four-stock structure. ## Related documents - [2026-14204](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-14204): Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary; Delay of Effective Date, 2026-07-15 - [2026-14195](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-14195): Rescinding the Definition of “Harm” Under the Endangered Species Act, 2026-07-14 - [2026-07536](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-07536): Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys in the Gulf of America, 2026-04-17 - [2026-05599](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-05599): Deep Seabed Mining: Notice of Receipt of Applications for Deep Seabed Mining Exploration Licenses and Announcement of Public Comment Period…, 2026-03-23 - [2026-04256](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-04256): Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Spatial Fisheries Management; Amendment 15 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fi…, 2026-03-04 - [2025-06746](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-06746): Rescinding the Definition of “Harm” Under the Endangered Species Act, 2025-04-17 ## Sources - [2026-00498 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/13/2026-00498/fisheries-of-the-northeastern-united-states-amendment-25-revised-to-the-northeast-multispecies) - [2026-00498 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-01-13/pdf/2026-00498.pdf) ## Related - [Previous: 2026-00430, Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS Airplanes](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-00430) - [Next: 2026-00536, Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act: Revisions to Reporting Requirem…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-00536) - [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-00498 (as of 2026-06-11).