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The New England Fishery Management Council prepared Amendment 25 to revise biological definitions for the Atlantic cod stock units managed under the FMP from two stock units to four stock units. However, Amendment 25 alone does not establish reference points or management measures for the newly defined Atlantic cod stock units. After consideration of public comments received, the Secretary of Commerce disapproved Amendment 25 on May 16, 2025, on the basis that Amendment 25 and its supporting analyses do not adequately demonstrate how the proposed action is consistent with National Standard 1 or other required provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
Because the four stock Atlantic cod structure and the resulting management track stock assessments have been determined to be the best scientific information available, National Standard 2 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act compels the Council to incorporate these cod stocks into the FMP. The Council may do so by revising and resubmitting Amendment 25 or by developing a new amendment to the FMP. To resolve the reasons for disapproval, the Council must include in a revised amendment the elements necessary for the action to be consistent with the National Standards and required provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. These management measures include: The revision to the cod stock definitions to reflect four cod stock unit structure; the SDCs for the four cod stocks; accountability measures; and the distribution of ABCs for the four stocks.
On May 2, 2025, NOAA Fisheries published an emergency rule (90 FR 18804) to ensure the continued operation of the groundfish fishery. The emergency action was taken to address a gap of approved specifications and other measures for fishing year 2025 during consideration of Amendment 25 and Framework 69. The emergency action allocates Atlantic cod quota and management measures based on the prior two stock units.
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