fishing news from the rivers edge

On the PSMA’s tenth year in force, FAO briefed regional fishery bodies in Rome on the Global Information Exchange System used to keep illegal catch out of port.

At the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau, the State Department said it intends to put $17 million into laws, officer training, and monitoring against IUU fishing.

CDFW’s Sept. 1 ocean-regs update: white sturgeon are closed July 1–Sept. 30, 2026. Green sturgeon may not be taken or lifted from the water at any time.

As of Sept. 1, 2026, using small painted lead jigs on Maine inland waters is illegal. Sale of those jigs was already banned. Coastal water is a different rule.

CDFW’s Sept. 1 update: recreational ocean salmon is open from near Point Reyes to the Mexican border, with a 20,000-Chinook fall guideline that can shut the days early.

ADF&G emergency order 2-SS-1-49-26 keeps the Kenai River bag and possession limit for coho 16 inches or longer at two fish from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30.

The 83,000-Chinook summer harvest limit is in. Commercial ocean salmon is closed. San Francisco recreational spring/summer ended Aug. 23.

NOAA opened Gulf greater amberjack to recreational harvest Sept. 1 through Oct. 13 — 43 days, up from 26 last year — then closes the stock, which is still listed as overfished.

CDFW says inland Chinook fishing is back on key California rivers after three closed years, with quotas and bag limits meant to keep the rebound going.

EU member states adopted a REACH sales restriction on lead fishing tackle. Recreational use is not banned. Wires and drop-in sinkers go first.

Federal for-hire reef-fish boats in the Gulf get 147 days of red snapper in 2026, 19 days longer than last year, under a 3.38-million-pound quota.

Alaska Fish and Game shut both early- and late-run Kenai king sport fisheries, including catch-and-release, to protect a weak return.