What's happening
This bill extends the state's authority to regulate commercial Jonah crab catches until 2028.
Why it matters
Sustains oversight of a key commercial fishery on Long Island and the South Shore. By extending state regulatory authority, the bill directly affects commercial crabbers, many of whom operate in Suffolk, Nassau, and New York City’s coastal waters, ensuring continued local management.
Aligns New York’s practices with regional and federal conservation efforts. The extension ensures New York’s rules for Jonah crab harvesting remain consistent with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and federal management plans, which is crucial for both conservation and interstate commerce.
Prevents a regulatory gap that could increase unregulated crabbing. Without this extension, state limits would expire in 2026, potentially harming crab populations and the long-term viability of the fishery, with ripple effects on jobs and the local seafood economy.
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Who cares
Commercial Crab Fishers
This group cares because the extension affects how many Jonah crabs they are legally allowed to harvest for the next two years, directly impacting their business operations and income.
New York Commercial Lobster License Holders
These stakeholders may also take Jonah crabs under the regulations, so changes to the permitted harvest period influence their ability to supplement lobster fishing with crab harvesting.
Environmental Conservation and Regulatory Agencies
The Department of Environmental Conservation and related agencies are responsible for enforcing these regulations and ensuring compliance with broader fishery management plans, making this extension relevant to their oversight duties.
Marine Conservation Groups
Organizations focused on sustainable fishing and marine ecosystem health care about the bill as it ensures continued regulation, which is important for the long-term sustainability of Jonah crab populations.
Headline styles
Extend Jonah Crab Limits
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Signed chap.330
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to assembly
- Passed senateVote 59–1
- 3rd reading cal.1443
- Substituted for S10566
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.203
- Rules report cal.203
- Reported
Show 2 earlier actions
- Reported referred to rules
- Referred to environmental conservation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Extend Jonah Crab Limits
Senate Floor Calendar · Sponsor Monica Martinez
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
11377
IN ASSEMBLY
May 14, 2026
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Griffin) -read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to extending provisions related to the regulation of the amount of Jonah crabs that may be taken
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1-a of section 13-0331 of the environmental conservation law, as added by chapter 260 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read as follows:
1-a. The department may, until December thirty-first, two thousand [twenty-six] twenty-eight, fix by regulation the limit of Jonah crabs that may be taken for commercial purposes by commercial crab permit holders and by holders of New York commercial lobster licenses provided that such regulations shall be consistent with the compliance requirements of applicable fishery management plans adopted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and with applicable provisions of fishery management plans adopted pursuant to the Federal Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. section 1800 et seq.).
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15893-01-6
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.