# 2026-15915: NMFS reviews exempted fishing permit for Atlantic Capes vessels

2026-15915, Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits, is a Federal Register notice from Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published 2026-08-05, effective 2026-09-01; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15915
- As of: 2026-08-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-15915
- Title: Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Commerce Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Citation: 91 FR 50520
- Published: 2026-08-05
- Effective: 2026-09-01
- Comments close: 2026-08-20
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-08-12

## In one line

NMFS reviews exempted fishing permit for Atlantic Capes vessels

## Summary

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The EFP would allow federally permitted fishing vessels to fish outside fishery regulations in support of exempted fishing activities proposed by Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Inc. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed EFPs.

## Effects PRIA read

- Temporary Permit to Land Both Clam Species: benefit, medium. From September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027, up to 15 federally permitted vessels may be authorized to fish for, retain, and land both surfclams and ocean quahogs on the same trip. The EFP would allow up to 1,200 trips (up to 2,400 total days) in Southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic to coll…
- Extra Reporting and ITQ Accounting Requirements: cost, low. Participating vessels must mark each EFP trip in their Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) declarations and submit VMS trip-start and trip-end hail forms. The project requires use of Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) cage tags, processors to sort and document catch, and quarterly submission of process…

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## Sources
- [2026-15915 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/05/2026-15915/magnuson-stevens-act-provisions-general-provisions-for-domestic-fisheries-application-for-exempted)
- [2026-15915 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-05/pdf/2026-15915.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-15914, Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed eCollection eComments Reques…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15914)
- [Next: 2026-15917, Marine Mammals; File No. 29707](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15917)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15915 (as of 2026-08-12).