SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The annual management measures for the 2025-2026 ocean salmon fisheries (90 FR 20810, May 16, 2025) govern the commercial and recreational fisheries in the area from the United States/Canada border to the United States/Mexico border, effective from 0001 hours Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), May 16, 2025, until the effective date of the 2026-2027 management measures, as published in the Federal Register . NMFS is authorized to implement inseason management actions to modify fishing seasons, catch limits, and other management measures considering factors described in regulation (50 CFR 660.409). Inseason actions in the salmon fishery may be taken directly by NMFS (50 CFR 660.409(a)—Fixed inseason management provisions) or upon consultation with the Chairman of the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council), and the appropriate State Directors (50 CFR 660.409(b)—Flexible inseason management provisions).

Management of the salmon fisheries is divided into two geographic areas: north of Cape Falcon (United States/Canada border to Cape Falcon, OR) and south of Cape Falcon (SOF) (Cape Falcon, OR, to the United States/Mexico border). This notice describes inseason actions from the 2025-2026 management cycle. These actions affected the SOF commercial and recreational salmon fishery, as set out under the heading Inseason Actions below.

Consultations on these inseason actions took place with the Council salmon staff officer and representatives for the appropriate State Directors. Consultation for these actions occurred on March 9, 2026. This consultation included representatives from NMFS, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Representatives from the Salmon Advisory Subpanel and the Salmon Technical Team (STT) were also present.

These inseason actions were announced via the NMFS' telephone hotline and U.S. Coast Guard radio broadcast at the time the actions became effective. (50 CFR 660.411(a)(2)).

Inseason Actions

Inseason Actions #23-#24

Reason and authorization for inseason actions #23-#24: These inseasons closed fisheries on certain dates that would otherwise be open under the 2025-2026 annual management measures and modified the ocean salmon recreational and commercial fisheries between Cape Falcon, OR and the United States/Mexico border, in response to stock abundance forecasts for 2026. They modified fishing seasons in consideration of the predicted sizes of salmon runs, consistent with 50 CFR 660.409(b). Additionally, the 2025-2026 annual management measures for ocean salmon fisheries (90 FR 20810; May 26, 2025) anticipated inseason actions to adjust fisheries scheduled to occur from March 15, 2025, through May 15, 2026 (or until the effective date of the 2026 management measures), in response to new information regarding 2026 salmon stock abundance forecasts and northern salmon fisheries impacts, to keep fisheries impacts within management objectives and consistent with conservation needs.

At its March 4-9, 2026, Council meeting, the STT presented 2026 stock abundance forecasts for salmon stocks managed under the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan (FMP), these are described in the Council's Pre-Season Report I: Stock Abundance Analysis and Environmental Assessment Part 1 for 2026 Ocean Salmon Fishery Regulations. Klamath River fall-run Chinook (KRFC) were determined by NMFS to be overfished under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) in 2018; in 2026, KRFC no longer meets the criteria for overfished status and is now considered “not overfished-rebuilding” (Review of 2025 Ocean Salmon Fisheries: Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation Document for the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan). However, KRFC will continue to be managed under its rebuilding plan until it is determined to be rebuilt, and the projected abundance for 2026 is still relatively low and likely to limit fisheries managed under the 2026-2027 management measures. While Sacramento River fall-run Chinook (SRFC) was determined to be “rebuilt” in 2021 (87 FR 25429, April 29, 2022) and the preliminary 2026 Sacramento Index forecast is 392,349, the highest since 2022, fisheries impacting SRFC in 2026 will likely need to be limited to address concerns regarding a pattern of low escapements in recent years combined with higher than anticipated exploitation rates, and a pattern of over-forecasting stock abundance. Inseasons #23-24 are intended to limit the impacts of the early season fisheries on KRFC and SRFC in light of the forecasts and other information, thus preserving flexibility for the Council and NMFS to design 2026-2027 management measures that allow for fishing opportunity at times and in locations that will most benefit the fishery and the public while meeting the conservation objectives and other requirements of the FMP.

NMFS took these inseason actions on March 9, 2026, concurrent with the March Council meeting.

The NMFS West Coast Regional Administrator (RA) considered this information and determined that the ( printed page 52262) inseason actions described below are necessary to meet management and conservation goals set preseason and considered updated forecasts These inseason actions modify landing and possession limits, quotas and/or fishing seasons under 50 CFR 660.409(b)(1)(i).

Inseason Action #23

Description of the action: Inseason action #23 modified the SOF commercial salmon troll fishery. In the area between Cape Falcon, OR and the Oregon/California border, these fisheries were closed for some of the dates they were originally scheduled to be open, as described below.

Effective dates: Inseason action #23 took effect for the following areas and dates and remained in effect until April 13, 2026.

• Effective at 12 a.m., March 25, 2026, through 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026, the commercial salmon troll fishery from Cape Falcon, OR to Humbug Mountain, OR is closed.
• Effective at 12 a.m., March 15, 2026, through Monday, April 13, 2026, the commercial salmon troll fishery from Humbug Mountain to the Oregon/California border (Oregon Klamath Management Zone) is closed.

Inseason Action #24

Description of the action: Inseason action #24 modified the ocean salmon recreational fishery and the ocean salmon troll commercial fishery from the Oregon/California border to the United States/Mexico border. These fisheries were closed.

Effective dates: Inseason action #24 took effect for the following areas and dates and remained in effect until the stated dates.

• Effective 12:01 a.m., May 1, 2026, through 11:59 p.m., May 15, 2026, the ocean salmon recreational fishery from the Oregon/California border to latitude 40°10′ N (California Klamath Management Zone) is closed.
• Effective 12:01 a.m., April 4, 2026, through 11:59 p.m., May 15, 2026, for the ocean salmon recreational fishery from latitude 40°10′ N to Point Arena, CA (Fort Bragg management area) is closed.
• Effective 12:01 a.m., April 4, 2026, through 11:59 p.m., May 15, 2026, the ocean salmon recreational fishery from Point Arena, CA to Pigeon Point, CA (San Francisco management area) is closed.
• Effective 12:01 a.m., April 4, 2026, through 11:59 p.m., April 10, 2026, the ocean salmon recreational fishery from Pigeon Point, CA to the U.S./Mexico border (Monterey management Area) is closed.
• Effective 12:01 a.m., April 16, 2026, through 11:59 p.m., May 15, 2026, the ocean salmon troll commercial fishery from latitude 40°10′ N to Point Arena, CA (Fort Bragg management area) is closed.

All other restrictions and regulations remained in effect as announced for the 2025-2026 ocean salmon fisheries (90 FR 20810, May 16, 2025; 90 FR 26943, June 25, 2025; 90 FR 51205, November 17, 2025; 90 FR 59740, December 22, 2025; 91 FR 13520, March 20, 2026) except as previously modified by inseason actions.

As provided by the inseason notice procedures at 50 CFR 660.411, actual notice of the described regulatory actions was given, prior to the time the actions became effective, by telephone hotline numbers 206-526-6667 and 800-662-9825, and by U.S. Coast Guard Notice to Mariners broadcasts on Channel 16 VHF-FM and 2182 kHz.

Classification

NMFS issues these actions pursuant to section 305(d) of the MSA. These actions are authorized by 50 CFR 660.409, which was issued pursuant to section 304(b) of the MSA, and are exempt from review under Executive Order 12866. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B), there is good cause to waive prior notice and an opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice and comment would be impracticable and contrary to the public interest. Prior notice and opportunity for public comment on this action was impracticable because NMFS had insufficient time to provide for prior notice and the opportunity for public comment between the time Chinook and coho salmon abundance, catch, and effort information were developed and fisheries impacts were calculated, and the time the fishery modifications had to be implemented in order to ensure fishing opportunity is consistent with conservation needs and management objectives, and/or fisheries are managed consistent with quotas and conservation objectives. There is a heightened need to respond quickly to inseason information about the salmon fishery because fish migrate quickly through the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the mix of stocks in the EEZ shifts throughout the season, thus the time available between the time new information about the fishery becomes available and the opportunity to act effectively on that information is short. By the time public notice and comment would be completed, the mix of stocks in the fishery would have changed such that inseason action would be ineffective and potentially harmful. Therefore, NMFS determined that waiving notice and comment in order to respond to updated information indicating the need for immediate action to provide fishing opportunity consistent with quotas and conservation objectives, or to avoid exceeding quotas, served the public interest. As previously noted, actual notice of the regulatory action was provided to fishers through telephone hotlines and radio notifications. These actions comply with the requirements of the annual management measures for ocean salmon fisheries (90 FR 20810, May 16, 2025), the FMP, and regulations implementing the FMP under 50 CFR 660.409 and 660.411. There is good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day delay in effective date, as a delay in effectiveness of this action would constrain fishing in a manner that is inconsistent with the goals of the FMP and the current management measures.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

91 FR 52261