Fisheries Off West Coast States; the Highly Migratory Species Fishery; Pacific Loggerhead Conservation Area Closure

Document 2026-11021 is a Final Rule published by the Department of Commerce in the Federal Register on June 2, 2026, with an effective date of June 1, 2026. NMFS is prohibiting fishing with large-mesh drift gillnet (DGN) gear (>=14 inches mesh) off the coast of southern California east of 120[deg] W meridian from June 1, 2026, through August 31, 2026. This prohibition is based on the fact that the NOAA Climate Prediction Center (CPC) has indicated that the sea surface temperature off the coast of southern California for March and April is warmer than normal and there is an 82 percent probability that El Ni[ntilde]o conditions may occur between May-July. This action protects Endangered Species Act-listed loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), specifically the endangered North Pacific Ocean Distinct Population Segment. View the original at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/02/2026-11021/fisheries-off-west-coast-states-the-highly-migratory-species-fishery-pacific-loggerhead-conservation.

No. Document 2026-11021 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.