On 5 November 2026, NOAA Fisheries announced a new rule for the United States West Coast groundfish fishery that is small in wording and large in consequence: commercial fishing vessels may now fish a string of groundfish pots or bottom longlines with just one buoy line to the surface instead of two. The change, sought by the Pacific Fishery Management Council, cuts the number of vertical ropes hanging in the water — the very ropes that entangle whales. Alongside it come colour-coded gear-marking rules that take effect on 11 January 2027, so that when a whale is found tangled, responders can finally tell which fishery the gear came from.
For a fishery that works in some of the deepest, hardest water on the American coast, the rule is that rare thing in fisheries management: a change fishermen themselves asked for, because it saves them time and money as well as saving whales.
What changes — at a glance
| What | Before | From this rule |
|---|---|---|
| Buoy lines per gear string | Two — one at each end | One allowed (voluntary option) |
| Applies to | — | Commercial groundfish pot and bottom longline gear, Washington, Oregon and California |
| Line marking | Not required | Top 120 feet (20 fathoms / 37 m) of every vertical line colour-coded by gear type, from 11 January 2027 |
| Buoy marking | Vessel ID on at least one buoy | Gear-specific tags or marks on every buoy, plus vessel ID, from 11 January 2027 |
| Line between surface buoys | Unlimited | Capped at 10 fathoms (60 feet) from 11 January 2027 |
| Legal basis | — | Final rule published 13 October 2026 (91 FR 64791), under the Magnuson-Stevens Act |
Why one rope matters
Vertical lines are the danger. A string of sablefish pots sits on the seafloor, connected by a groundline, with a rope running up to a buoy on the surface so the crew can find it and haul it. Every one of those vertical lines is a chance for a whale to swim into a loop it cannot see. Pot gear can sit unattended for a day and a half to seven days; bottom longline gear usually soaks for 2 to 48 hours, but may also sit for up to seven days. The longer gear is in the water, the greater the risk.
Entanglements of marine mammals, especially humpback whales, have increased off the US West Coast since about 2014. NOAA links the rise to a large marine heatwave known as “The Blob”, which warmed coastal waters and brought more whales hunting for prey into the same inshore waters where commercial fisheries set pots and traps. The humpback whale is the animal most often entangled in gear from the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery.
The human cost of the problem was on display in July 2026, when a response team freed a whale entangled off Oregon in a tangle of crab and sablefish gear. The whale was cut free, but the entanglement had damaged its jaw so badly that it was considered unlikely to survive. That is the outcome this rule is designed to make rarer.
Halving the vertical lines does not eliminate the risk — one line per string is still one line — but it cuts the odds on every set, and because crews can haul faster with one line, gear spends less time in the water overall. That is a real reduction in risk, not a symbolic one.
What fishermen gain
Oregon fisherman Poggy Lapham, who captains and owns the F/V Michele Ann out of Newport, told NOAA that the option to use one line instead of two would save him up to 20 percent of his time on the water and close to $1,500 in line for each set of fishing gear. A full set of gear fished at 600 fathoms — more than half a mile deep — can take 90 minutes or more to retrieve. With only one buoy line to haul, crews can work more sets per day.
Lapham helped develop the rule, working with scientists, fishermen, managers and interest groups, and as a member of the West Coast Take Reduction Team, the advisory body that spent the last year recommending ways to reduce entanglements in the sablefish pot fishery. He also made the point that matters most for whether the rule will actually be used: it is optional. “The fleet will inevitably move toward the most efficient way of doing things,” he said. “Whatever is most efficient that takes the least amount of time, like reducing your time on the water. It’s most likely to work if they make that choice.”
Making the single-line option voluntary, rather than forcing it on every vessel at once, gives crews time to adjust their gear and working routines without being pushed into a change before they are ready.
The marking rules that start on 11 January 2027
The second half of the rule is about accountability. Today, when responders cut gear off an entangled whale, they often cannot tell which fishery it came from. From 11 January 2027, that changes:
- Colour-coded lines: the top 120 feet of every vertical line must be marked in a two-colour scheme — brown and blue for bottom longline gear, orange and blue for pot gear (with a white core permitted). For the first three years, temporary marking methods are allowed; after that, the line itself must be manufactured in the designated colours.
- Marked buoys: every surface buoy must carry a gear-specific tag or a mark written directly on the buoy — “GP” for pot gear and “GL” for bottom longline — together with the vessel’s identification. Previously, vessel identification was required on only one buoy per set.
- Shorter surface lines: the length of line between surface buoys linking vertical lines is capped at 10 fathoms (60 feet), so excess slack cannot drift into a loop.
Why only the top 120 feet? Because that short stretch is where the danger concentrates. NOAA notes that 120 feet is only about 5 percent of a vertical line on a deep set — but most entanglements involve 60 feet or less of line connected to buoys. Marking the top of the line targets the part of the rope that actually wraps around whales.
The rule also clarifies the position of escape panels on pot gear, so panels cannot end up on the bottom of the pot, and tidies up bottom longline regulations for consistency. Gear must still be attended at sea at least every seven days — that requirement is unchanged.
How the rule was made
| Date | Step |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Workshop with the groundfish industry, “Improving Gear Marking in the U.S. West Coast Sablefish Pot Fishery”, identifies gear marking and other steps |
| June 2024 | Pacific Fishery Management Council adopts final recommendations at its meeting in San Diego |
| 20 December 2024 | Council deems the regulations necessary and appropriate in a letter to NOAA’s West Coast Regional Administrator |
| 2 February 2026 | Proposed rule published (91 FR 5408); public comment open through 9 March 2026 |
| Early 2026 | About 20 public comments received, most positive; some asked for stronger gear-marking rules |
| 13 October 2026 | Final rule published in the Federal Register (91 FR 64791; document 2026-20873) |
| 11 January 2027 | Final rule effective; gear-marking requirements begin (Monday) |
Two details from the public comments shaped the final text. Fishermen asked to be allowed to mark buoys permanently, directly on the buoy, instead of using clip-on tags — NOAA agreed, so both options are now legal. And several commenters asked for the marking rules to be stronger, so the final rule requires vessel identification on every buoy, not just one.
What the rule does not do
Honest framing matters here. This rule does not ban any gear, does not set catch limits, and does not end whale entanglements. The single-line option is voluntary, so its effect depends on how many vessels choose it. The marking rules identify gear after an entanglement happens; they prevent nothing by themselves. And the colour-coding covers only the top 120 feet of line — the rest of the rope remains unmarked, which is why the three-year transition to factory-made coloured line matters.
What it does do is give managers something they have never had for this fishery: reliable data on which gear is actually entangling whales, plus a voluntary measure that makes fishing cheaper and faster at the same time. If the data shows pot gear is the main culprit, the next round of rules can target pots specifically instead of regulating everything at once.
Why this matters beyond the US West Coast
For Indian readers, the lesson is not about sablefish — it is about method. Two ideas in this rule travel well to any fishery. First, gear marking turns an anonymous problem into an attributable one: once you can name the fishery behind a tangled whale, you can fix that fishery instead of arguing about all of them. Second, rules fishermen help write get used: the single-line option came from the Council and the fleet, and it saves crews time and money, so adoption is likely to be fast.
India’s own waters host whales, dolphins and the protected whale shark, and entanglement in fishing gear is a recognised problem here too. A colour-coded marking system costs little — a tag on a buoy, a coloured section of line — and it is the kind of low-cost, high-information measure that fisheries departments anywhere can copy without waiting for a big budget or a new law. Watch what NOAA’s entanglement data shows over the next two years: if attributed entanglements fall, expect other countries to follow.
Frequently asked questions
When does the rule take effect?
The final rule is effective 11 January 2027 (a Monday). The single-buoy-line option provisions took effect earlier, on 13 October 2026, the day the rule was published. Full compliance with the factory-manufactured coloured-line requirement follows a three-year transition, with temporary marking allowed in the meantime.
Is the one-buoy-line option compulsory?
No. It is voluntary. Vessels may keep using two buoy lines if they prefer. NOAA and the Council expect most of the fleet to switch because it saves time and line costs.
Which fisheries does it cover?
Commercial groundfish pot gear and bottom longline gear in federal waters off Washington, Oregon and California. It does not cover crab gear, recreational fishing, or state-waters fisheries.
How will responders know which gear entangled a whale?
From 11 January 2027, the top 120 feet of vertical line will be colour-coded (brown/blue for longline, orange/blue for pots) and every buoy will carry a “GP” or “GL” mark plus the vessel’s identification.
Does this change how much fish can be caught?
No. The rule changes gear configuration and marking only. Catch limits, seasons and quotas are untouched.
Read the official sources
- NOAA Fisheries feature story, 5 November 2026: New NOAA Rule Helps Fishing Crews Reduce Whale Entanglements and Save Time
- Federal Register final rule, 13 October 2026 (91 FR 64791): Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Fixed Gear Marking and Entanglement Risk Reduction
- Public docket: regulations.gov — NOAA-NMFS-2024-0045
Every date, figure and claim in this article was verified on 7 November 2026 against the official NOAA Fisheries feature story (published 5 November 2026, updated 6 November 2026) and the final rule in the Federal Register (published 13 October 2026). The images in this article are illustrations.
Related reading on Fisheries India: US Overfishing Falls to Record Low: Just 15 Stocks — NOAA’s 2025 Status of Stocks report; Banned 25 Years: Yelloweye Rockfish Rebuilt for 2027 — another West Coast recovery story; Scallops Fund Their Own Science: $25M, Zero Tax Dollars; Mediterranean Fish Fight Back: Overfishing Halved!