New England Fishery Management Council

What New England Fishery Management Council does

The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) is one of eight federally chartered regional fishery management councils established under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. It is responsible for preparing, amending, and implementing Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) for 11 federally managed fisheries in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone off the New England coast (3 to 200 nautical miles offshore). The Council's authority covers key stocks including Atlantic cod, haddock, Atlantic herring, monkfish, sea scallops, skates, red crab, and others. It operates through an open public process involving NOAA Fisheries, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, the U.S./Canada Transboundary Management Guidance Committee, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and a broad set of commercial and recreational fishing stakeholders.

The Council's core technical work centers on setting Annual Catch Limits, biological reference points, sector allocations, habitat protections, and permitting frameworks grounded in stock assessments produced primarily by the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Recent regulatory output includes Amendment 25 to the Atlantic Cod FMP (splitting Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank cod stocks), ongoing Northeast Multispecies sector management, and joint frameworks with MAFMC on shared stocks such as spiny dogfish. It also engages on cross-cutting issues including offshore wind energy siting and climate-driven distribution shifts.

As a federal regulatory body, NEFMC does not operate a commercial business model. It is funded through federal appropriations administered by NOAA Fisheries, employs 11-50 staff, and is headquartered in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Its 2026 operational priorities reflect reduced federal capacity, with disciplined scoping and discontinuation of new Individual Fishing Quota workstreams for skate wing and monkfish. Leadership is provided by Chair Daniel J. Salerno and Vice Chair Melanie Griffin.

Name

New England Fishery Management Council

Legal name

New England Fishery Management Council

Website

https://nefmc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The New England Fishery Management Council is a federally chartered regulatory body that develops and amends Fishery Management Plans for 11 fisheries in New England federal waters under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, serving commercial and recreational fishing stakeholders, NOAA, and affiliated scientific bodies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fisheries Management

akta.pro primary industry

Agriculture, Fisheries & Food Administration (BPAIAAAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI), Offshore Wind & Marine Spatial Planning Regulation (EUAMANAM)

Keywords

• Fishery management
• Marine resource conservation
• Stock assessment
• Regulatory planning
• Sustainable fisheries

Headquarters

HQ city

Newburyport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The New England Fishery Management Council develops and amends fishery management plans (FMPs) and proposes regulations governing federal fisheries resources in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (3–200 nautical miles) off the New England coast, operating under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The Council maintains eleven active FMPs, manages an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) program and a Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) program, and coordinates with NOAA Fisheries on stock assessments and rulemaking.

Product overview

The New England Fishery Management Council operates a platform-based architecture consisting of 11 distinct fishery management plans covering key commercial species (Northeast Multispecies/groundfish, Sea Scallop, Atlantic Herring, Monkfish, Skates, Small-Mesh Multispecies/whiting, Spiny Dogfish, Red Crab, Atlantic Salmon) plus a Habitat Management Plan. These management plans function as the core products, each providing regulatory frameworks, catch limits, quota allocations, and habitat protections for specific fisheries. The Council also maintains supporting programs including an Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs) program for research exceptions and a Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) program funding collaborative research. A comprehensive document library and council meeting system provides public access to all regulatory materials, meeting summaries, and research outputs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan Groundfish management plan covering multiple bottom-dwelling species in New England federal waters, including catch limits, area management, and sector allocation provisions.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• U.S./Canada Transboundary Management Guidance Committee (TMGC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Bilateral committee coordinating management of shared fish stocks across the U.S.-Canada maritime boundary, including Georges Bank and transboundary species.
• NOAA Fisheries (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)coreOthersPrimary federal partner providing funding, scientific support through the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), and regulatory oversight. NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) implements council-approved management measures.
• Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterstate fisheries management body coordinating management of shared species between state and federal waters. Joint herring management activities and data sharing arrangements.
• Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighboring regional council for Mid-Atlantic fisheries. Joint frameworks for spiny dogfish, menhaden, and other shared species management.
• Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC)coreOthersNOAA research center providing stock assessments, scientific data, and research support for fishery management decisions.
• Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO)coreOthersNOAA Fisheries regional office responsible for implementing and enforcing council-approved fishery management plans.
• Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency managing offshore energy development. NEFMC provides Essential Fish Habitat recommendations and fisheries impact assessments for offshore wind projects and oil/gas leasing decisions.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Caribbean Fishery Management Council: Sister council managing U.S. Caribbean EEZ fisheries under the same Magnuson-Stevens framework. Closest structural analog with shared NMFS oversight and management-plan architecture.
• Pacific Fishery Management Council: Sister West Coast regional council established under the same Magnuson-Stevens Act. Operates a parallel management-plan structure for groundfish, salmon, and coastal pelagic species on the U.S. West Coast.
• Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council: Sister Gulf-region council under the same Magnuson-Stevens Act. Directly comparable mandate, governance structure, and operating model for federal fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico EEZ.
• South Atlantic Fishery Management Council: Sister regional council managing federal fishery resources in the U.S. South Atlantic. Operates under the same Magnuson-Stevens framework with the same NOAA Fisheries oversight structure as NEFMC.
• North Pacific Fishery Management Council: Sister Alaska-focused regional council under the Magnuson-Stevens framework. Same council structure, NOAA funding model, and management-plan methodology; comparable governance and stakeholder process.
• Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission: Interstate compact coordinating management of shared coastal species between state and federal waters. Direct peer on joint herring, spiny dogfish, and other shared species management; partner rather than substitute, with co-management workflows.
• Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council: One of the eight U.S. regional fishery management councils established under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Most direct peer to NEFMC: shares joint species frameworks (spiny dogfish, dogfish/menhaden), overlapping geographic zones, and parallel governance structure for Mid-Atlantic federal waters.
• Western Pacific Fishery Management Council: Sister council covering U.S. Western Pacific and Pacific Remote Island Areas under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Same governance structure, NOAA funding pathway, and management-plan mandate as NEFMC.

Others

• Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM): Federal agency managing offshore energy leasing that NEFMC works with on Essential Fish Habitat recommendations and fisheries impact assessments for offshore wind and oil/gas projects. Adjacent federal partner in marine spatial planning rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• NOAA Fisheries (NMFS): Federal parent agency that funds and provides scientific support (through NEFSC and GARFO) and implements NEFMC's plans. Broader incumbent spanning all eight regional councils plus enforcement, science, and habitat programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-england-fishery-management

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about New England Fishery Management Council