New England’s Atlantic cod rules now track four stocks
NOAA’s 2026 management plan separates Gulf of Maine cod into eastern and western stocks.
NOAA Fisheries divided Atlantic cod in the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan into four stocks for the 2026 fishing year. The plan now covers eastern and western Gulf of Maine cod, Georges Bank cod and Southern New England cod.
The earlier plan managed cod as two stocks. The new boundaries allow fisheries managers to set catch limits for the four areas separately and update the rules for commercial and recreational fishing.
The fishing year runs from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2027. NOAA has also published a subsequent update to the catch limits, so the amendment explains the structure while the later notice gives the current figures.
