In September 2025, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center conducted a 2025 management track stock assessment for Atlantic mackerel. The assessment found that the mackerel stock is no longer overfished, overfishing is still not occurring, and the stock is projected to rebuild by 2025. Improved recruitment and reduced catches over the last several years have likely contributed to this improvement in stock status.
In response to the results of this assessment, NOAA Fisheries prepared an interim final rule to adjust the 2026 Atlantic mackerel fishery specifications in-season. Effective February 23, 2026, the specifications that rolled over from 2025 will be replaced by the new 2026 specifications in Table 1 below.
Table 1. Current 2025 and Adjusted 2026 Mackerel Fishery Specifications (mt).
| Specification | Current 2025 | New 2026 |
| Acceptable biological catch | 3,200 | 10,714 |
| Canadian catch deduction | 74 | 500 |
| U.S. ABC/annual catch limit | 3,126 | 10,214 |
| Recreational catch deduction | 2,143 | 2,500 |
| Management uncertainty buffer | 0 | 610 |
| Commercial annual catch target | 983 | 7,104 |
| Commercial discards | 115 | 287 |
| Domestic annual harvest/domestic annual processing | 868 | 6,817 |
| River herring/shad catch cap | 129 | 129 |
This action does not revise the current recreational or commercial possession limits for mackerel, which remain as-follows:
- Limited access (Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3) commercial permits: 20,000 lb/trip.
- Open access (Category 4) commercial permits: 5,000 lb/trip.
- Recreational (private and for-hire) possession limit: 20 fish/person.
The comment period for this action is open through March 25, 2026. For more information and for instructions on submitting public comments, please see the interim final rule as published in the Federal Register.
During its December 2025 meeting, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council finalized its recommendations for a mackerel framework adjustment, including recommended 2026 and projected 2027 mackerel fishery specifications. The revised 2026 specifications being implemented through this interim final rule will remain in effect until they are replaced by final 2026 specifications.
This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.
