Amendment 38 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan: 2027-2028 Groundfish Harvest Specifications and Management Measures

Amendment 38 would remove the rebuilding plans for yelloweye rockfish and California quillback rockfish, as both stocks have been declared rebuilt.

This rule proposes 2027–28 harvest specifications for groundfish caught in the U.S. exclusive economic zone off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan. This rule also describes management measures that are intended to keep the total annual catch of each groundfish stock or stock complex within the annual catch limits. These measures are intended to help prevent overfishing, rebuild overfished stocks, achieve optimum yield, and ensure that management measures are based on the best scientific information available.

This rule also proposes regulations to implement Amendment 38 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan. If approved, Amendment 38 would revise the Groundfish FMP to reflect the rebuilt status of yelloweye rockfish and the California stock of quillback rockfish, removing all references to their respective rebuilding plans from the FMP