When distributing IFQ allocation on January 1, 2026, NOAA Fisheries withheld the amount necessary to implement the reduced DWG commercial annual catch limit (ACL) and commercial quota the Gulf Council proposed in Amendment 58B to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf.
Amendment 58B proposes a commercial ACL of 498,358 pounds gutted weight (lb gw) and a commercial quota of 478,424 lb gw.
We noticed the availability of Amendment 58B for public comment on March 3, 2026, but are unable to finalize implementing regulations prior to June 1, 2026.
Federal regulations require NOAA Fisheries to distribute withheld commercial quota if a final rule to implement the quota reduction is not published in the Federal Register and effective by June 1.
As a result, we will distribute the remaining 545,576 lb gw on April 1, 2026. The total quota for the year will be 1,024,000 lb gw.
The remaining 2026 DWG allocation will be distributed to shareholders based on the current DWG shares held as of the date of distribution.
What This Means:
IFQ Shareholders that currently hold DWG shares will receive additional allocation in their IFQ accounts on April 1, 2026.
The amount of allocation distributed to each shareholder is based on the percentage of shares held by each shareholder and the amount of quota withheld (545,576 lb gw).
