National Marine Fisheries Service
07/08/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/08/2026 10:57
NOAA Fisheries Approves and Implements 2026 Specifications for the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan
NOAA Fisheries manages the Atlantic mackerel, chub mackerel, Illex squid, longfin squid, and butterfish fisheries under the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) in consultation with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. During its June 2025 meeting, the Council finalized its recommendations for 2026 and projected 2027-2028 chub mackerel fishery specifications, and recommended reaffirming previously-projected 2026 longfin squid and butterfish fishery specifications without changes. During its August 2025 meeting, the Council finalized its recommendations for 2026 and projected 2027-2028 Illex squid fishery specifications.
NOAA Fisheries is approving and implementing the Council's recommended specifications. The 2026 specifications set through this final rule will replace the rollover 2025 specifications that the chub mackerel, Illex squid, longfin squid, and butterfish fisheries have been operating under since the beginning of the fishing year (January 1, 2026). Specifications for Atlantic mackerel were set separately as part of Framework Adjustment 17 to the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish FMP and implemented on April 27, 2026.
Final 2026 and Projected 2027-2028 Chub Mackerel Fishery Specifications
Relative to the 2025 rollover specifications that are currently in effect, the final 2026 and projected 2027-2028 chub mackerel fishery specifications remain status quo (Table 1).
Table 1. 2025, Final 2026, and Projected 2027-2028 Chub Mackerel Fishery Specifications (mt).
|
Specification |
2025 |
Final 2026 |
Projected 2027-2028 |
|
Acceptable biological catch (ABC) |
2,300 |
2,300 |
2,300 |
|
Annual catch limit (ACL) |
2,262 |
2,262 |
2,262 |
|
Annual catch target (ACT) |
2,171 |
2,171 |
2,171 |
|
Total allowable landings (TAL) |
2,041 |
2,041 |
2,041 |
Final 2026 and Projected 2027-2028 Illex Squid Fishery Specifications
Relative to the 2025 rollover specifications that are currently in effect, the final 2026 and projected 2027-2028 Illex squid fishery specifications remain status quo (Table 2).
Table 2. 2025, Final 2026, and Projected 2027-2028 Illex Squid Fishery Specifications (mt).
|
Specification |
2025 |
Final 2026 |
Projected 2027-2028 |
|
Overfishing limit (OFL) |
Unknown |
Unknown |
Unknown |
|
ABC |
40,000 |
40,000 |
40,000 |
|
Commercial discard set-aside |
1,369 |
1,369 |
1,369 |
|
Commercial discard set-aside (percent) |
3.42% |
3.42% |
3.42% |
|
Initial optimum yield (IOY) |
38,631 |
38,631 |
38,631 |
|
Research set-aside (RSA)* |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Domestic annual harvest (DAH)/domestic annual processing (DAP) |
38,631 |
38,631 |
38,631 |
*The Council's RSA program has been suspended since 2014.
Reaffirmed 2026 Longfin Squid Fishery Specifications
Relative to the 2025 rollover specifications that are currently in effect, the reaffirmed 2026 longfin squid fishery specifications remain status quo (Tables 3 and 4).
Table 3. Reaffirmed 2026 Longfin Squid Fishery Specifications (mt).
|
Specification |
2025 |
Reaffirmed 2026 |
|
OFL |
Unknown |
Unknown |
|
ABC |
23,400 |
23,400 |
|
Commercial discard set-aside |
506.3 |
506.3 |
|
Commercial discard set-aside (%) |
2.16% |
2.16% |
|
IOY |
22,893.70 |
22,893.70 |
|
RSA* |
0 |
0 |
|
DAH/DAP |
22,893.70 |
22,893.70 |
*The Council's RSA program has been suspended since 2014.
Table 4. Reaffirmed 2026 Longfin Squid Quota Trimester Allocations
|
Trimester |
Percent of Quota |
Metric Tons |
|
I (January-April) |
43 |
9,844.30 |
|
II (May-August) |
17 |
3,891.90 |
|
III (September-December) |
40 |
9,157.50 |
|
Total |
100 |
22,893.70 |
Reaffirmed 2026 Butterfish Fishery Specifications
Relative to the 2025 rollover specifications that are currently in effect, the majority of the reaffirmed 2026 butterfish fishery specifications are reduced. Specifically, the ABC, ACL, and ACT are 19-percent lower, and the DAH is 29-percent lower (Tables 5 and 6).
Table 5. Reaffirmed 2026 Butterfish Fishery Specifications (mt)
|
Specification |
2025 |
Reaffirmed 2026 |
|
OFL |
17,587 |
14,224 |
|
ABC/ACL |
17,115 |
13,842 |
|
ACT buffer |
0 |
0 |
|
ACT buffer (%) |
0 |
0% |
|
ACT |
17,115 |
13,842 |
|
RSA* |
0 |
0 |
|
Total allowable level of foreign fishing |
0 |
0 |
|
Butterfish cap in longfin squid fishery |
3,884 |
3,884 |
|
Assumed other discards |
1,907 |
1,907 |
|
Total discard set-aside (all sources) |
5,791 |
5,791 |
|
DAH/DAP |
11,324 |
8,051 |
|
Closure threshold (amount caught) |
10,324 |
7,051 |
*The Council's RSA program has been suspended since 2014.
Table 6. Reaffirmed 2026 Allocation of the Butterfish Mortality Cap.
|
Trimester |
Percent |
Metric Tons |
|
I (January-April) |
43 |
1,670 |
|
II (May-August) |
17 |
660 |
|
III (September-December) |
40 |
1,554 |
|
Total |
100 |
3,884 |
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