NMFS Publishes Proposed Changes to List of Fisheries for 2026 Under Marine Mammal Protection Act

Summary

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries (NMFS) is releasing its proposed changes to the List of Fisheries (LOF) for 2026, which reflects new information on interactions between commercial fisheries and marine mammals, in accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The proposed changes will classify each commercial fishery on the LOF into one of three categories based on the level of mortality and serious injury (M/SI) of marine mammals that occurs incidental to each fishery.