April 20, 2026 – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Management Board members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts set the effort control measures for the 2026 Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) fishery for June 1 – September 30.
The Area 1A sub-annual catch limit (ACL) is 2,401 metric tons (mt) after adjusting for the 30 mt fixed gear set-aside and the fact that Area 1A closes at 92% of the sub-ACL. In October 2025, the Board established the following seasonal allocations for the 2026 Area 1A sub-ACL: 72.8% available for season 1 (June 1 – September 30) and 27.2% available for season 2 (October 1 – December 31).
2026 Atlantic Herring 1A Quota Allocation by Season
| Season | Area 1A Quota |
| 1. June 1-September 30 | 1,748 mt |
| 2. October 1-December 31 | 653 mt |
Days Out of the Fishery
- Landing days will be set at zero (0) from June 1 until the start of the fishery on Sunday, July 19, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
- Landing days begin on Sunday of each week at 6:00 p.m. starting Sunday, July 19.
- Vessels with an Atlantic herring Limited Access Category A permit that have declared into the Area 1A fishery may land herring five consecutive days a week. The week shall begin at 6:00 p.m. on Sundays and conclude at 6:00 p.m. on Fridays. One landing per 24-hour period. Vessels are prohibited from landing or possessing herring caught from Area 1A during a day out of the fishery.
- Small mesh bottom trawl vessels with an Atlantic herring Limited Access Category C or Open Access D permit that have declared into the fishery may land herring six consecutive days a week. The week shall begin at 6:00 p.m. on Sundays and conclude at 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays.
Weekly Landing Limit
- Vessels with an Atlantic herring Category A permit may harvest up to 240,000 lbs. (6 trucks) per harvester vessel, per week starting Sunday, July 19, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
At-Sea Transfer and Carrier Restrictions
The following applies to harvester vessels with an Atlantic herring Category A permit and carrier vessels landing herring caught in Area 1A to a Maine, New Hampshire, or Massachusetts port.
- A harvester vessel may transfer herring at-sea to another harvester vessel.
- A harvester vessel may not make any at-sea transfers to a carrier vessel.
- Carrier vessels may not receive at-sea transfers from a harvester vessel.
Harvesters are prohibited from landing more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip from Area 1A until July 19, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. Landings will be closely monitored and the fishery will be adjusted to zero landing days when the season 1 quota is projected to be reached.
Please contact Caitlin Starks, Senior Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740 for more information.
Motions
Move to implement for the 2026 Area 1A herring fishery in Season 1:
- Zero landing days before Sunday, July 26 at 6:00pm, then move to 5 landing days per week
- For Category A vessels, a 6 truck (240,000 lbs) weekly landing limit
- Move to allow harvester-to-harvester transfers but not allow transfers to carriers
- For Category C/D SMBT vessels, 6 landing days per week
Motion made by Ms. Ware and seconded by Ms. Zobel. Motion substituted.
Motion to Substitute
Move to substitute Sunday, July 19 for July 26.
Motion made by Ms. Ware and seconded by Mr. Kane. Motion passes without objection.
Main Motion as Substituted
Move to implement for the 2026 Area 1A herring fishery in Season 1:
- Zero landing days before Sunday, July 19 at 6:00pm, then move to 5 landing days per week
- For Category A vessels, a 6 truck (240,000 lbs) weekly landing limit
- Move to allow harvester-to-harvester transfers but not allow transfers to carriers
- For Category C/D SMBT vessels, 6 landing days per week
Motion passes by unanimous consent.