MENDOCINO CO., 1/22/26 – Federal fishery managers have raised the number of canary rockfish that can be caught in 2026, NOAA Fisheries announced Thursday, citing new data showing the population is larger than previously estimated.
The change took effect Monday and applies to West Coast fisheries, including those off the Mendocino Coast. Canary rockfish is a common species caught by commercial fishermen along the North Coast.
The announcement comes months after NOAA Fisheries ended a nearly two-year prohibition on quillback rockfish fishing after data showed a population rebound.
The change also applies to petrale sole and shortspine thornyhead, which also saw their catch limits raised after new data showed more fish were available.
NOAA said updated projections indicate the canary rockfish population is larger than earlier estimates used to set fishing limits for the 2025–26 season. Based on that information, regulators increased the overall catch limit for 2026 and expanded the portion available to non-trawl fisheries, which include many smaller fishing operations.
Canary rockfish is frequently caught alongside other fish, and tight limits in past years have sometimes forced fishermen to end trips early. The higher limit gives fishermen more room to keep working through the season.
In December, local fisherman Brendan Walsh caught a record-breaking canary rockfish weighing 10 pound, 4 ounces.
The increase was made through an emergency rule, which allows fishery managers to quickly adjust limits when new scientific information becomes available. Public comments on the rule will be accepted through Feb. 23 at https://www.regulations.gov/document/NOAA-NMFS-2025-0900-0001.