2026 Fishing Year Limited Access Allocations for the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery

This bulletin describes new measures for limited access vessels implemented through Framework Adjustment 40 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan and a summary of how they affect fishing plans and activities for the 2026 fishing year. All measures will be effective on April 1, 2026. We have also included reminders of some current requirements.

2026 Days-At-Sea (DAS) Allocations

Scallop Open Area DAS Allocations

Fishing Year 2026 Access Area Allocations

Framework 40 does not open any access areas for fishing year 2026.

Fishing Year 2025 Access Area Carryover

Area I

Limited Access vessels have until May 30, 2026, to finish harvesting their previous year's access area allocation in Area I. On May 31, Area I will revert to open bottom. Carryover trips must begin no later than 0001 hr on May 30, 2026. After that date, any unused 2025 access area allocation expires.

Area II

Vessels are prohibited from being in Area II through 0001 on May 15, 2026. At 0001 hr on May 15, 2026, fishing will be allowed in Access Area II. Limited Access vessels have until July 13, 2026, to finish harvesting their previous year's access area allocation in Area II. These trips must begin no later than 0001 hr on July 13, 2026. After that date, any unused 2025 access area allocation expires.

Fishing Year 2026 Scallop Area Information

Area II and Nantucket Lightship: The Area II and Nantucket Lightship North and South Scallop Rotational Areas will be closed for fishing year 2026. Coordinates are provided below.

Elephant Trunk: The area known as Elephant Trunk has been converted to open bottom, and is available to fish starting on April 1, 2026.

Area I: The area known as Area I will be converted to open bottom on May 31, 2026, after the carryover period.

Closed Access Areas for Fishing Year 2026

The following areas are closed for scallop fishing year 2026 (see map above and coordinates below):

Area II Scallop Rotational Area (Closed)

1 The intersection of 41°30′ N lat. and the U.S.-Canada Maritime Boundary, approximately 41°30′ N lat., 66°34.73′ W long.

2 From Point AII2 connected to Point AII3 along the U.S.-Canada Maritime Boundary.

3 The intersection of 40°40′ N lat. and the U.S.-Canada Maritime Boundary, approximately 40°40′ N lat. and 65°52.61′ W long.

Nantucket Lightship Scallop Rotational Area (Closed)

Important Reporting Reminders

Reporting Requirements for All Scallop Trips:

You need to submit a scallop pre-landing notification form through your VMS unit prior to returning to port at the end of each access area and DAS trip, including trips where no scallops are landed.

eVTR

All Limited Access scallop permit holders are required to maintain and submit electronic Vessel Trip Reports (eVTRs) for each trip. All effort and catch information must be entered into an approved eVTR system onboard the vessel prior to offloading catch. Completed eVTRs must be submitted within 48 hours after returning to port at the end of each trip. Information provided on the eVTR must be accurate, including the fishing location. For statistical area maps please visit this page .

For additional information on eVTRs, and answers to frequently asked questions please visit this page .

Pre-Trip Notification System (PTNS)

Scallop vessel owners and operators are required to notify NOAA Fisheries of their intent to fish using the Pre-Trip Notification System (PTNS) instead of the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.

The process allows vessels to enter their own notifications online using the PTNS website . Vessels are able to log into the PTNS website with their individual Fish Online username and password. This process serves as the primary means of trip notification and trip changes. Vessels can submit a notification anytime between 10 days and 48 hours before the intended trip.

Scallop permit holders are encouraged to visit the Scallop PTNS webpage for more details.

Resources:

Observer Set-Aside Compensation

Limited access vessels are eligible for additional compensation when carrying an observer on board. The fishing year 2026 compensation rates for Limited Access (LA) vessels are: 0.20 lb per days-at-sea (DAS) fished (the vessel is charged 0.80 DAS for each DAS fished with an observer onboard).

We monitor the compensation rates and observer set-aside use closely throughout the year. If information suggests that a different rate is necessary to account for unexpected fishery conditions, we will change the compensation rate as appropriate and necessary.

Northern Windowpane Flounder Accountability Measure Area

In fishing year 2024, the scallop fishery caught a total of 53.3 mt of northern windowpane, which exceeds the sub-ACL of 27 mt by 26.3 mt, or 97.4 percent. However, Framework 69 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP modified the AM for northern windowpane so that it is implemented only if the sub-ACL and total ACL are exceeded. Therefore, there is no northern windowpane AM for the scallop fishery for the 2026 fishing year.

This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.