Atlantic Coast Fisheries News | September 28, 2026

October 9: ASMFC seeks public comment on Draft Addendum II to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden to consider modifying the Chesapeake Bay reduction fishery cap. Comments may be made through October 9.

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October 13: NOAA Fisheries seeks public comment on revisions to fishing gear regulations in Atlantic highly migratory species fisheries. Comments may be made through October 13.

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October 14: NOAA Fisheries seeks public comment on ropeless fishing from fishery participants and others with specialized knowledge on the potential voluntary use of ropeless fishing gear. Comments may be made through October 14.

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October 16: NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Analysis assessing potential modifications to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan. Comments may be made through October 16.

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October 19: MD DNR seeks public comment on byctach in striped bass gill nets. Comments may be made through October 19.

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October 30: GA DNR CRD seeks public comment on proposed reef, migratory fish endorsement rules. Comments may be made through October 30.

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November 3: A stakeholder-inclusive Regional Fund Administrator seeks public comment on Draft Regional Offshore Wind Fisheries Compensation Framework. Comments may be made through November 3.

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ASMFC: Applicants Sought to Conduct Phase II of the Pilot Regional Industry-Based Bottom Trawl Survey

The Northeast Trawl Advisory Panel (NTAP), NOAA Fisheries’ Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) seek applicants to execute Phase II of the pilot Regional Industry-Based Bottom Trawl Survey (RIBTS). ASMFC will issue a funding contract to support conduct of the survey. The anticipated timeframe to conduct the Phase II Survey is fall 2027.

Standardized surveys of marine fisheries species are crucial for conducting stock assessments that inform fishery management and for tracking ecosystem changes over time. Motivated by the critical need to find viable contingency options for the NEFSC bottom trawl survey (BTS), NEFSC is collaborating with NTAP to develop RIBTS. The long-term goal of the RIBTS program is to reduce uncertainty and increase accuracy in resource assessments with an annual collaborative fishing industry-based regional trawl survey. RIBTS is being developed with a phased approach.

Proposals must be submitted as an electronic proposal by email no later than 11:59 PM on December 4, 2026, to Jainita Patel. Please download the RFP for more details, qualifying requirements, and submission.

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NJ DEP: Delaware Bay Trawl Survey Monitors Crucial Finfish Populations

It’s National Estuaries Week, and we’re highlighting an important estuary system in New Jersey: the Delaware Bay. Estuaries are bodies of water where rivers meet the ocean. The Delaware Bay is one of the state’s major estuaries and is home to many important finfish species. The Marine Resources Administration has conducted a juvenile finfish trawl survey in the bay since 1991, designed to study residential and transient juvenile finfish species. Eleven sampling stations are set up in the “shallow” nearshore waters on the New Jersey side of the bay. Data collected from this survey allows biologists to estimate relative abundance and forecast population changes of important finfish species.

The survey takes place from April through October. This September, catch primarily consisted of bay anchovy, weakfish, blue crab, spot and other common species. Some more unique catch included harvest fish, naked goby, American eel, and Atlantic thread herring.

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CT DEEP: Start of Cold-Water Boating Season Announced

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced the official start of the state’s cold-water boating season. Beginning October 1 and continuing through May 31, all paddlers operating kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards, and rowboats – and their passengers – are required by state law to wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved personal flotation device (PFD) while on the water.

“Paddling on Connecticut’s coastal and inland waterways in the fall is a wonderful way to experience our state’s stunning autumn landscape,” said Acting DEEP Commissioner Emma Cimino. “However, fall also brings cooler air and water temperatures that can pose serious risks. Being prepared starts with wearing your PFD. It’s not only an important safety measure – it’s also the law from October 1 through May 31 for anyone aboard a manually propelled vessel.”

Find more information here.

MD DNR: Major Modernization and Maintenance Projects in Crisfield

The Maryland Departments of Natural Resources, in partnership with the Maryland Department of General Services and Maryland Department of Transportation, has begun work on long-planned, major upgrades to Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield.

Known as the “Gateway to the Chesapeake” for boaters throughout the eastern seaboard, Somers Cove is the state’s largest public marina. The $30 million project will provide enhanced service for Chesapeake Bay boaters as well as economic and flood prevention benefits for the community of Crisfield. The work is part of the Moore-Miller Administration’s efforts to invest in communities all across Maryland to improve their economic prospects and residents’ quality of life.

“Somers Cove has an outsized importance for Maryland,” said Maryland DNR Secretary Josh Kurtz. “As Maryland’s largest publicly owned marina and the gateway to the Chesapeake Bay, these vital investments to Somers Cove will benefit boaters and the boating economy across the region.”

Find more information here.

MA DMF: Expanded Access to Shellfishing on the North Shore

Governor Maura Healey announced expanded access to shellfish harvesting in Plum Island Sound after extensive testing by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) found significant improvements in water quality. The updated requirements are expected to cut rainfall-related closures by more than half in one of the most productive shellfish areas on the North Shore, giving more than 200 commercial shellfishers and hundreds of recreational shellfishers as many as 72 additional harvesting days each year.

“Shellfishing is an important part of the North Shore’s economy, culture and way of life, and we’ve been working to support our Massachusetts shellfishers and strengthen our working waterfronts,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Because the water in Plum Island Sound is cleaner and the science says it’s safe, we can give more than 200 commercial shellfishers up to 72 more days a year to harvest. That means more certainty for their businesses, more local seafood on our tables and more support for a North Shore industry that has been part of these communities for generations.”

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GA DNR: Oyster Harvest Closure Extended Due to Warm Coastal Waters

Georgia’s territorial waters will remain closed to commercial and recreational oyster harvest beginning at 6 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, because coastal water temperatures remain above the threshold established to protect public health, the Coastal Resources Division (CRD) of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced.

The closure will remain in effect until water temperatures fall below 81 degrees and conditions warrant reopening. Higher-than-average coastal water temperatures during September prompted DNR to extend the state’s annual oyster harvest closure, which normally runs from June through September.

“This extended closure ensures that Georgia continues to meet the requirements of the National Shellfish Sanitation Program and helps protect public health,” said Dominic Guadagnoli, shellfish fishery manager for CRD.

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SC DNR: Shellfish Harvest Season Opening

The 2026-2027 season for recreational harvest of shellfish (clams and oysters) in South Carolina's coastal waters will open one-half hour before official sunrise on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The recreational shellfish season will remain open through May 15, 2027, unless conditions warrant extending or shortening the season.

In the event of a hurricane, major rain event or pollution spill, shellfish beds may be temporarily closed by the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES, formerly SCDHEC). Harvesters should check with SCDES to verify whether any closures are in effect. Closure information is available by calling 1-800-285-1618 or through an interactive map on the SCDES website. SCDES will also use these resources and local newspapers throughout the year to announce temporary closures resulting from unusual rain events or spills.

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NYS DEC: $1.25 Million in Funding Available for Hudson River Estuary Communities

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton announced the availability of $1.25 million in grants for projects to help communities within the Hudson River Estuary watershed plan for and adapt to climate change, advance conservation and stewardship, restore habitat, improve recreational river access, and expand educational programming. The funding is announced during Climate Week and National Estuaries Week, an annual celebration to promote the importance of estuaries and the need to protect them.

“During Climate Week, New York recognizes the impact Governor Kathy Hochul’s record investments in local conservation efforts are making in improving our state’s resiliency to climate change,” Commissioner Lefton said. “Healthy estuaries play a crucial role and the $1.25 million available now through the Hudson River Estuary Grants program will help Hudson River communities further adapt to climate risk and implement projects that restore and protect estuary ecosystems.”

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US FWS: Saving Maine's Eelgrass Meadows

This summer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists with the Gulf of Maine Coastal Program worked with partners to advance eelgrass assessments and ultimately restore eelgrass in Casco Bay, Maine. With financial support from Restore America’s Estuaries, the partnership combined careful planning and pre-restoration monitoring with an increasingly useful conservation tool: drones.

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NOAA Fisheries: Funding Opportunity Reminder for Innovative Solutions to Fisheries Bycatch Challenges

NOAA Fisheries is requesting proposals to support collaborative bycatch reduction projects under the agency’s Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program. Up to $4.6 million in federal funds may be available in FY 2027. Non-federal researchers working on the development of improved fishing practices and innovative gear technologies are eligible to apply for funding. Pre-proposals are due October 5, 2026.

Find more information here.

NOAA Fisheries: 2026 Federal Recreational Red Snapper Season and Issuance of Exempted Fishing Permits for Recreational Red Snapper Harvest in the South Atlantic Announced

The 2026 federal recreational red snapper fishing season in the South Atlantic will open for harvest for three days at 12:01 a.m., local time, on October 9, through 12:01 a.m., local time, on October 12. This is one day longer than the 2025 two-day recreational season. Additionally, NOAA Fisheries has issued exempted fishing permits (EFP) to Florida, Georgia and South Carolina authorizing extended recreational red snapper fishing seasons for eligible participants from October 9 through October 22, 2026. EFP project participants are limited to landing or possessing recreationally harvested red snapper only under their respective EFPs, and not in addition to the federal recreational season.

Find more information here.

What We're Reading

Nor’easter Unearths Pieces of 19th-Century Shipwreck in Massachusetts (The Guardian)

Why a Sea-Lion Epidemic Is a Bad Sign for Humans Such overlaps of humans and wildlife can be uniquely perilous to human health (The Atlantic)

In Historic First, Tropical Turtles Spotted Nesting on California Beaches (The Guardian)

It's Longer than the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Weighs 499 Tons and sits 24 Meters Below the Surface, Where Sharks Patrol Noonu Atoll’s Tropical Waters To create a new marine habitat (Discover Wildlife)

Some Fish in the Great Lakes Might Be More Than 400 Years Old, a Study Suggests, Outliving Around 15 Generations of Humans (Smithsonian Magazine)

Artechouse NYC: A Deep Dive into the Weird and Wonderful World Beneath the Ocean (Silive)

What Can Medieval Herring Teach Us About Baltic Sea Fisheries? A 450-year dataset shows the 16th-century collapse of the Baltic's Skanör-Falsterbo herring fishery was driven by overfishing, climate cooling and economic upheaval combined, with lessons for today's fragile western Baltic stock (Oceanographic)

Salmon Are Thriving After Klamath Dam Removals, Study Finds (The New York Times)

Death by a Thousand Dams Tens of thousands of small barriers hamper fish recovery in the northeastern United States. But while the demolition of big dams out west gets the most attention, a similar revolution is revitalizing northeastern streams and rivers—one tiny dam at a time (bioGraphic)

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