West Coast sardine fishing will be mostly banned for the next two years

The US government proposes to ban most commercial fishing for Pacific sardines off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California for the 2025-2026 fishing year. This means fishermen can only catch sardines for live bait, as incidental catch, or under special permits.

For years, the sardine population has been declining, leading to repeated restrictions on fishing. This proposed rule is a near-total shutdown of the commercial sardine fishery, reflecting the continued struggle to rebuild the stock. It shows that even with previous limits, the population has not recovered enough to support significant commercial harvest.