Summary

Makes broad updates to U.S. fisheries law to require climate-focused planning and research, modernize fisheries data and monitoring, protect forage fish, increase council transparency and public access, strengthen fishing-community consideration in quota programs, and change how the U.S. appoints and manages international tuna representatives. It also standardizes gender‑neutral language across existing statutes and authorizes new funding and programs to support climate resilience and data modernization. Imposes new planning, assessment, reporting, and training requirements for NOAA and Regional Fishery Management Councils, requires Inspector General audits of limited access privilege (quota) programs, expands public meeting transparency, and encourages electronic monitoring and other technologies for improved stock assessments and compliance. Several new deadlines, guidance requirements, and authorized funding lines accompany these changes.

Key Points

• Requires climate vulnerability assessments and Council plans to improve fishery and community resilience to climate change.
• Creates an authorized climate/fisheries innovation program and funds to support research, training, and tools.
• Strengthens fishing-community considerations in quota (limited access privilege) programs and mandates an Inspector General audit of quota ownership, use, and leasing.
• Expands transparency and public access for Regional Fishery Management Council meetings, including roll-call votes and multi-year public archives.
• Directs NOAA to modernize fisheries data systems, expand electronic monitoring/reporting, and produce a national fisheries data strategic plan.
• Establishes protections and interim limits for unmanaged forage fish, requires NOAA forage-fish guidance, and imposes special measures for river herring and shad.
• Revises how U.S. representatives to international tuna and fisheries commissions are selected and managed and authorizes related funding through FY2026–2030.
• Standardizes gender‑neutral language across multiple fisheries statutes and makes several conforming statutory updates.
• Imposes multiple new reporting and deadline-driven requirements for NOAA and Councils, increasing administrative workloads and oversight.

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