General Category Bluefin Fishery Temporary Closure | The Billfish Foundation

Atlantic Trophy Bluefin Fishery Closure

bluefin tuna schooling

The Northern Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Angling Category Trophy Fishery will officially close as of 11:30pm on May 21, 2020. It will remain closed for the remainder of 2020. This closure comes as a result of the Angling Category reaching its 1.8 mt quota of North Atlantic trophy bluefin.

The Northern Atlantic is the area above 39°18’ N. latitude. Trophy bluefin tuna are tuna 73in or greater. Note that this closure does NOT apply to individuals fishing for 27in to <73in tuna, as this fishery is still open everywhere except for in the Gulf of Mexico. This closure applies to all fishing recreationally aboard a vessel with an Atlantic HMS Angling permit or an Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat permit. Catch and release and tag and release fishing are still open for bluefin tuna of all sizes.

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