Home / Agencies / Commerce / 2026-02043
Proposed Rule

Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Cordell Bank Groundfish Conservation Area Revisions

Agency
Commerce
Document Number
2026-02043
Published
February 2, 2026
Effective Date
-

Abstract

NMFS issues these proposed regulations to remove the Cordell Bank Groundfish Conservation Area off central California for all groundfish fisheries and implement a new Groundfish Exclusion Area for all groundfish fisheries to protect sensitive habitat. The purpose of this proposed rule is to simplify regulatory complexity associated with overlapping fishery closures in the Cordell Bank area, and to increase fishing opportunity, while still protecting the Cordell Bank ecosystem. NMFS also announces the availability of a draft environmental assessment that analyzes the potential effects of the proposed rule.

Federal Register Source

This document is published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration. Access the full regulatory text, preamble, and docket comments below.

View Full Text on FederalRegister.gov →

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 2026-02043 Federal Register document?
Document 2026-02043 is a Proposed Rule published by the Department of Commerce in the Federal Register on February 2, 2026. NMFS issues these proposed regulations to remove the Cordell Bank Groundfish Conservation Area off central California for all groundfish fisheries and implement a new Groundfish Exclusion Area for all groundfish fisheries to protect sensitive habitat. The purpose of this proposed rule is to simplify regulatory complexity associated with overlapping fishery closures in the Cordell Bank area, and to increase fishing opportunity, while still protecting the Cordell Bank ecosystem. NMFS also announces the availability of a draft environmental assessment that analyzes the potential effects of the proposed rule. View the original at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/02/2026-02043/magnuson-stevens-act-provisions-fisheries-off-west-coast-states-pacific-coast-groundfish-fishery.
Is document 2026-02043 an economically significant rule?
No. Document 2026-02043 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.

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