NOAA Fisheries will allow commercial fishers operating in the South Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, which the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump refers to as the Gulf of America, to continue fishing on expired vessel permits amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.
“Due to the government shutdown, the permit system at the Southeast Regional Office in St. Petersburg, Florida, is experiencing delays in permit renewals. The Southeast Region Permits Office is currently unable to process permit applications,” NOAA Fisheries explained in a 22 October bulletin.
The federal government shut down at the beginning of October after Congress failed to pass appropriations bills funding agencies and programs for the 2026 fiscal year. Lawmakers have shown little progress in negotiations to end the ongoing shutdown, which is now the second-longest in U.S. history. The longest shutdown took place in 2018 during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term and lasted for 35 days.
With NOAA Fisheries staff unable to process permits in a timely manner, the agency has decided to allow fishers to continue operating on expired permits – as long as they have submitted a complete renewal application before any deadlines.
“For permits that are expired but have timely and complete renewal applications pending at the Southeast Regional Office, the permit will remain valid beyond the stated expiration date until NOAA Fisheries makes a final decision on the application once the Permits Office reopens,” the agency explained.
The change applies only to vessel and dealer permits in the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and those fishing highly migratory species. It doesn’t apply to commercial fishers seeking new permits or permit transfers.
