A new federal proposal could affect the gear that Mendocino County commercial
fishermen use. NOAA Fisheries wants to hear about a plan to update how that gear is
marked to prevent whales from entanglement. They say the rule would help identify the
gear and keep less of it hanging in the water, which is a major cause of whale
entanglement. Comments are due by March 9th. Specifically, NOAA wants to know how
the requirement would affect fishing costs and what the environmental impact would
be. The Pacific Fisheries Management Council has recommended the change. We have a
web link on our website.
[https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/06/2026-02370/magnuson-ste
vens-act-provisions-fisheries-off-west-coast-states-pacific-coast-groundfish-fishery]