DEBATE ON BILLFISH CONSERVATION ACT
The 2012 Billfish Conservation Act (BCA) has yet to be implemented and again is under Congressional review to attempt to resolve debated language so no Pacific billfish can be imported into the continental U.S. The BCA language in question follows. Sec. 2 – Findings Congress finds the following: Subsection (3) – “Ending the importation of foreign-caught billfish for sale in the United States aligns with U.S. management measures of billfish and protects significant economic benefits to the U.S. economy of recreational fishing and marine commerce and the traditional cultural fisheries.” Was the legislative intent in (3) to stop importation and sale of only foreign-caught
UPDATE ON LONGLINES IN FLORIDA’S EAST COAST CLOSED ZONE
The NMFS has extended the deadline to March 29, 2017 for accepting public comments on the application for an Exempted Fishing Permit. If approved, six pelagic longline vessels will fish for three years in Florida’s East Coast Closed Zone. Email your comments to [email protected]. A webinar on the subject is scheduled for March 27, 2017 between 1 – 4 pm (EST) to facilitate public comments from across the U.S. commercial Atlantic Pelagic Longline fishery. Join the webinar here. TBF’s submitted comments are posted here with a draft letter you may draw from to write your comments. Help TBF fight this direct threat by submitting your letter
CALL TO ACTION: NO LONGLINES IN CLOSED ZONE
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission also opposes this, read their official comments below. Recently, the NMFS received an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application from Dr. David Kerstetter, Nova Southeastern University, to authorize a research project using 6 longline boats within Florida’s East Coast Longline Closed Zone. The project proposes to evaluate the effectiveness of the 16 year closure by comparing fishing results in the closed waters to results in open waters. Fish caught during the research period would be sold to offset expenses. The zone was closed in 2001 to protect juvenile swordfish primarily and other species taken
Call to Action: No Longlines In Closed Zone
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission also opposes this, read their official comments below. Recently, the NMFS received an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application from Dr. David Kerstetter, Nova Southeastern University, to authorize a research project using 6 longline boats within Florida’s East Coast Longline Closed Zone. The project proposes to evaluate the effectiveness of the 16 year closure by comparing fishing results in the closed waters to results in open waters. Fish caught during the research period would be sold to offset expenses. The zone was closed in 2001 to protect juvenile swordfish primarily and other species taken
THE CARIBBEAN BILLFISH PROJECT – GOOD FISHERIES MANAGEMENT?
The Caribbean Billfish Project, a $1.95 million exercise supported by the UN and the World Bank, and executed by the Western Central Atlantic Fisheries Commission (WECAFC) in Barbados, proposes a ” rights-based” billfish management strategy for commercial, recreational and coastal fishers. “Rights-based” strategies limit fishing access and allocations through a variety of tools, including licenses, marine reserves, fishery-wide quotas based on catches not landings, stakeholder group administration, cooperatives and payment of fees (rents), etc. One published paper from the Project provides “enough value exists in the recreational fisheries sector to compensate losses in the commercial fisheries sector.” This transfer
TBF SUBMITS COMMENTS ON AMENDMENT 5B – DUSKY SHARKS
The Billfish Foundation (TBF) recently submitted comments to the proposed regulations included in Amendment 5b to the Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan – regarding the reduction of dusky shark mortality. Learn why the current preferred measures for recreational fishing as written will have direct, and significant, negative impacts on non-shark recreational fisheries. Read our comments
TBF SUBMITS COMMENTS ON THE PACIFIC BLUEFIN FISHERY
On December 12th, The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) submitted official comments on Pacific Bluefin Tuna (PBFT) being potentially listed in the Endangered Species Act. Learn why PBFT potential listing would be more symbolic in nature as a conservation measure and would be a detrimental to the recreational fishing community in the region. A better solution for PBFT would be for the U.S. to lead a campaign to list Pacific Bluefin tuna under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), which focuses solely on protecting species at risk from commercial exploitation internationally by prohibiting international
Pacific Fishery Management Council (FMC) meets this week
The FMC is accepting public comment on its consideration of harvest specifications under an Exempted Fishing Permit for highly migratory fish caught by longline vessels fishing within the U.S. West Coast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) “for limited testing, public display, data collection, exploratory, health and safety, environmental cleanup, and/or hazard removal purposes, the target or incidental harvest of species managed under an FMP [fishery management plan] or fishery regulations that would otherwise be prohibited.” The FMC also continues its discussion to identify criteria for issuing an exempted fishing permit for a future deep-set buoy gear for swordfish and other
UPDATED 2016 GULF OF MEXICO MARLIN TAGGING COMPETITION STANDINGS
Tournament season is coming to a close which means opportunities to get out there are getting fewer and the competition is stiff. Here are the current standings for the 2016 Gulf of Mexico Marlin Tagging competition. All fishing must be completed by October 31, and all tag cards need to be either entered by you (tagbillfish.org) or in the TBF office by November 15, NO EXCEPTIONS! Mail, fax, email, hand delivered, however you prefer is fine with us, but they cannot be late. Please note, there are still numerous cards to be entered that you may have sent in some
Spain Penalizes Its Anglers for Commercial Overfishing
Anglers from Spain are prohibited this year, as are their commercial fishing vessels, from landing Atlantic blue marlin because the nation’s commercial fishing vessels exceeded their 2015 blue marlin quota. Spain has never designated a portion of its blue marlin quota for its sportfishing industry, but allows that industry to be penalized for commercial overfishing. Spain further disregards its sportfishing industry by failing to collect and report landings data for recreationally caught marlin to all levels of government. Reporting landings data establishes a record of the amount of blue marlin a nation’s sportfishing industry depends upon to operate
