How do I submit a public comment on Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions?

The public comment window for this decision closed on March 31, 2026. The record of what was at stake stays on this page.

When is the public comment deadline for Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions?

The comment window closed on March 31, 2026.

Do public comments actually change federal decisions?

Yes, when they are substantive. Agencies are legally required to read and respond to substantive comments before finalizing a rule, and specific personal comments about real places and real uses carry far more weight than identical form letters. Courts have overturned rules when agencies ignored substantive comments.

High threat to public lands

Oppose Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions

Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration· Greater Atlantic Region fisheriesFederal Register 2026-05069 ↗

Fisheries Wildlife Marine

The groups on this fight

One group works Massachusetts

By footprint, from the same match the STAND matchmaker runs; none is linked to this decision in our record yet. Give straight to them; nothing routes through us.

Appalachian Mountain Club
Works Massachusetts: based in Boston, working Massachusetts.

Every group above is on STAND for Public Lands, with its court record, its filings and who backs it.

NOAA considers an exempted fishing permit that could impact essential fish habitat in the Greater Atlantic Region. The research activities require authorization under Magnuson-Stevens Act provisions governing experimental fishing in managed waters.

In the agency’s own words

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The EFP would allow federally permitted fishing vessels to fish outside fishery regulations in support of exempted fishing activities proposed by the Northeast Seafood Coalition, in partnership with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MA DMF). Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of thi…

Federal Register 2026-05069 ↗

The reporting behind this

From More Than Just Parks

Trump Administration to Legalize Killing of Endangered SpeciesSep 17, 2026

A memo signed by Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik rewrites the heart of the Endangered Species Act without a vote, a rule, or a single public comment.

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