What? As of 11:30pm on October 13th, 2019, the general category Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery has closed. For How Long? This closure will persist through November, which signifies the end of the current subquota period. The fishery will reopen on December 1st, 2019, with the default limit of only one fish landed. Why? This closure […]
NOAA fisheries announced third quarter landing updates for bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna, northern albacore, and swordfish. These landings include all fish landed commercially and recreationally by United States vessels in the Atlantic Ocean from January 1st through August 31st, 2019. The changes as compared to last year are summarized below: […]
In July, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) drafted a proposal to create a recreational limit for blackfin tuna in Florida and the surrounding federal waters. In it’s October meeting, the proposal was finally voted on and approved. This new regulation changes only slightly the old bag limits for blackfin tuna. Previously, blackfin […]
The Billfish Foundation is encouraged by the comments made by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) regarding the proposed actions of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NFMS). As a reminder, NMFS proposed to loosen regulations in Gear Restricted Areas of the Gulf of Mexico, New Jersey, and Cape Hatteras, as well as decrease […]
Listed below are the top 5 captains and anglers in each category of the international competition as of October 2, 2019. If a category is missing, it’s because there haven’t been enough fish to qualify. The competition runs through October 31, 2019 and all entries must be in by November 15. Awards will be given […]
Attention all creatives! The Billfish Foundation is now accepting submissions for the 2020 Artist of the Year! Every year, TBF chooses one artist to highlight all year long. As the TBF Artist of the Year, your art will be featured on the cover on Billfish Magazine with a profile and write up inside, a print […]
As promised, below are TBF’s final comments for the NMFS initiative that will potentially decimate billfish populations and harm the recreational fishing community. As a reminder, the new NMFS proposal is twofold: Cut in half the time that the commercial longline fishery will be required to use “weak hooks” in the Gulf of Mexico from […]
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is proposing initiatives that once again ignore the recreational fishing community and do not benefit billfish conservation. NMFS seeks to reinvigorate commercial catch by loosening regulations on the longline fishery. This comes despite the fact that NMFS scientists and scientists of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic […]
The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission recently announced new requirements for fisheries targeting tuna in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO). These new regulations intend to reduce sea turtle bycatch but have the potential to help billfish as well. While much of the resolution focuses on sea turtle-specific protections, two major factors may also benefit billfish. These […]
A new TBF-supported study out of the University of Miami made great strides in understanding the relationship between age and growth of Atlantic blue marlin. What Did It Do? The study examined growth annuli in anal fin spines of 1,638 blue marlin caught as bycatch in Venezuela to determine the age of each fish. Growth […]
