Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management Plan

Document 2025-23875 is a Proposed Rule published by the Department of Commerce in the Federal Register on December 29, 2025. NMFS announces that the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has submitted Amendment 21 to the Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Fishery Management Plan for review and approval by the Secretary of Commerce. We are requesting comments from the public on the amendment. Amendment 21, also known as the Species Separation Requirements Amendment, would allow both surfclams and ocean quahogs to be landed on the same fishing trip. To ensure accurate accounting for the catch, the amendment would also implement additional monitoring and reporting requirements, both at sea and at the dealer where the mixed catch would be sorted. View the original at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23875/fisheries-of-the-northeastern-united-states-amendment-21-to-the-atlantic-surfclam-and-ocean-quahog.

No. Document 2025-23875 is not classified as economically significant under Executive Order 12866. Economically significant rules require OIRA review and are estimated to have impacts of $100 million or more per year.