NOAA Fisheries is announcing the implementation of Framework Adjustment 17 to the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council developed this action in order to consider revisions to the Atlantic mackerel rebuilding plan, and set 2026 and projected 2027 mackerel fishery specifications. The measures contained in this action reflect the results of a September 2025 management track stock assessment, which found that the mackerel stock is no longer overfished and overfishing is still not occurring.
Mackerel Rebuilding Plan
Framework 17 adjusts the mackerel rebuilding plan to assume a fishery mortality rate (F) of 0.15. This results in the stock having a 51-percent probability of rebuilding by 2032, which is consistent with the Council’s Risk Policy for stocks under a rebuilding plan.
Final 2026 and Projected 2027 Mackerel Fishery Specifications
Framework 17 implements final 2026 and projected 2027 mackerel fishery specifications (Table 1). The final 2026 specifications take the place of the interim 2026 specifications that NOAA Fisheries implemented in February.
Table 1. Final 2026 and Projected 2027 Mackerel Fishery Specifications (mt).
| Specification | Final 2026 | Projected 2027 |
| Acceptable biological catch (ABC) | 15,134 | 17,107 |
| Canadian catch deduction | 500 | 500 |
| U.S. ABC/annual catch limit | 14,634 | 16,607 |
| Recreational catch deduction | 2,500 | 2,500 |
| Management uncertainty buffer | 610 | 610 |
| Commercial annual catch target | 11,524 | 13,497 |
| Commercial discards | 287 | 287 |
| Domestic annual harvest (DAH)*/domestic annual processing | 11,237 | 13,210 |
| Research set-aside (RSA)** | 0 | 0 |
| Joint venture processing | 0 | 0 |
| Total allowable level of foreign fishing | 0 | 0 |
| River herring/shad catch cap | 129 | 129 |
*The DAH is also known as the commercial quota.
**The Council’s RSA program has been suspended since 2014.
Initial Commercial Possession Limits
Framework 17 increases the initial commercial mackerel possession limits for limited access and open access vessels (Table 2).
Table 2. New Initial Commercial Mackerel Possession Limits by Permit Category (lb).
| Permit Type | Permit Category | New Possession Limit |
| Limited access | Tier 1 | 200,000 |
| Limited access | Tier 2 | 135,000 |
| Limited access | Tier 3 | 100,000 |
| Open access | Category 4 | 20,000 |
Process for In-Season Commercial Possession Limit Adjustments
Framework 17 revises the process for adjusting commercial mackerel possession limits in-season. Under the new process, the fishing year is divided into three phases:
- Phase 1: Begins at the beginning of the fishing year (January 1); during phase 1, vessels are subject to the initial possession limits in Table 2 above.
- Phase 2: Begins when 1,100 mt of the DAH remains; during phase 2, the commercial possession limit for limited access mackerel vessels (Tier 1, 2, and 3) is reduced to 20,000 lb and the commercial possession limit for open access mackerel vessels is reduced to 5,000 lb.
- Phase 3: Begins when 220 mt of the DAH remains; during phase 3, the commercial possession limit for limited access mackerel vessels (Tier 1, 2, and 3) is reduced to 10,000 lb and the commercial possession limit for open access mackerel vessels is reduced to 2,500 lb.
Initial Commercial Possession Limits
Framework 17 increases the recreational mackerel possession limits and sets different recreational possession limits based on mode (i.e., private recreational anglers, for-hire vessels) (Table 3).
Table 3. New Recreational Mackerel Possession Limits.
| Mode | New Possession Limit |
| Private recreational anglers | 25 fish/person per trip |
| For-hire vessels carrying customers | 50 fish/person per trip (including captains and crew) |
| For-hire vessels without customers | 25 fish/person per trip |
Administrative Revisions and Corrections to Existing Regulations
The Framework 17 interim final rule also implements the following administrative revisions to existing regulations. These measures were not recommended by the Council, but are necessary corrections and clarifications:
- Deletion of duplicative regulatory text.
- Removal of a 30-day comment period requirement for mackerel, squid, and butterfish specifications actions.
- Removal and streamlining of accountability measure deadlines in the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan.
- Correction of a typographical error in the Illex squid fishery closure regulations.
- Correction of the butterfish minimum mesh size in several locations in the regulations.
- Updates to the mackerel, squid, and butterfish specifications and accountability measure regulations to better reflect the current process for setting recreational mackerel fishery specifications.
- Correction of a typographical error in the black sea bass ACL regulations.
- Adjustments to ACL regulations to provide additional flexibility to the Council’s Monitoring Committees.
NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on this interim final rule. The comment period for this action is open through May 12, 2026. For more information and for instructions on submitting public comments, please see the interim final rule as published in the Federal Register.
This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.
