International Tag & Release Competition Update

Blue Marlin Sailfish Swordfish White Marlin [av_hr class=’default’ height=’50’ shadow=’no-shadow’ position=’center’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_border_color=” custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ icon_select=’yes’ custom_icon_color=” icon=’ue808′ av-desktop-hide=” av-medium-hide=” av-small-hide=” av-mini-hide=” av_uid=’av-kzz42b’] Blue Marlin Sailfish White Marlin [av_hr class=’default’ height=’50’ shadow=’no-shadow’ position=’center’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_border_color=” custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ icon_select=’yes’ custom_icon_color=” icon=’ue808′ av-desktop-hide=” av-medium-hide=” av-small-hide=” av-mini-hide=” av_uid=’av-ish3nn’] Blue Marlin Sailfish Swordfish White Marlin [av_hr class=’default’ height=’50’ shadow=’no-shadow’ position=’center’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_border_color=” custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ icon_select=’yes’ custom_icon_color=” icon=’ue808′ av-desktop-hide=” av-medium-hide=” av-small-hide=” av-mini-hide=” av_uid=’av-hzpnf7′] Blue Marlin Sailfish White Marlin [av_hr class=’default’ height=’50’ shadow=’no-shadow’ position=’center’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_border_color=” custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ icon_select=’yes’ custom_icon_color=” icon=’ue808′ av-desktop-hide=” av-medium-hide=” av-small-hide=” av-mini-hide=” av_uid=’av-fheeo3′] Black Marlin Blue

Satellite Tagging Expedition – Gulf of Mexico Blue Marlin

TBF’s most recent satellite tagging expedition kicked off with a fantastic crowd all interested in learning more about blue marlin in the Gulf of Mexico and how to help with tag deployment. Tag program sponsors Costa and Yeti actively participated and had a videographer capture all the action. The New Orleans Big Game Fishing Club provided the perfect location and libations at its new Club House within the confines of the Cypress Cove Marina and Lodge’s property. An over-the-top seafood extravaganza was sponsored by the Louisiana Seafood Board, thanks to Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser and the Cypress

Proposed Modifications to Pelagic Longline Bluefin Tuna Area-Based and Weak Hook Management Measures

NMFS proposes to modify the one-month closed zone off New Jersey and the spring two-month gear restricted area in the Gulf of Mexico to become Monitoring Zones with an annual allocation for pelagic longline vessels. If reported data indicates the allocation is close to being landed, the zones will be closed for the balance of the year. Accountability is the weak link, without an observer on board, billfish reporting is likely going to receive a low priority. The Cape Hatteras Gear Restricted Area will be opened to pelagic longline fishing, again accountability on bycatch species caught, specifically billfish, will

Options to maximize Bluefin Tuna in the Atlantic Ocean

Amendment 13 to the Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan proposes many options striving to maximize utilization of the U.S. bluefin quota.  Half of the options propose changes to the pelagic longline fishery’s Individual Bluefin Quota (IBQ) current management strategy and the other half proposes options that include all managed fishing Categories, including the Angling Category.  Three Key Amendment Options:              1. Abolish Purse Seine Category  – because no bluefin tuna have been landed since 2015, the unused tonnage should be redistributed to other fishing Categories, except for the pelagic longline vessels in the Gulf of Mexico.             

White Marlin Stock Assessment Update

The June 2019 assessment of white marlin’s relative abundance remaining in the water offered mixed results, “overfishing” had stopped, but the authorized catch limit is still being exceeded. So management needs to carefully keep an eye on this stock. Although there was some evidence of rebuilding in recent years, the stocks remain significantly overfished and if mortality is not curbed the abundance will continue to decline.  Inadequate reporting by many nations continues commercially on discards, as well as those from artisanal and some recreational fisheries continue who take marlin species. Some of the solutions offered to ICCAT were:

Latest Bluefin Tuna In season Adjustment

The National Marine Fisheries Service is adjusting the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) General category daily retention limit from three large medium or giant BFT per vessel per day/trip to ONE large medium or giant BFT per vessel per day/trip for the remainder of the June through August 2019 subquota period. This action is based on consideration of the regulatory determination criteria regarding inseason adjustments and applies to Atlantic Tunas General category (commercial) permitted vessels and Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Charter/Headboat category permitted vessels with a commercial sale endorsement when fishing commercially for BFT. DATES: Effective July 11, 2019

Help Keep Pelagic Longlines OUT of Closed Zones

The U.S. pelagic longline closed zones and gear restricted areas were established to reduce bycatch of juvenile swordfish by protecting nursery grounds, overfished marlin, sailfish, which remain overfished, large coastal sharks (some remain overfished), marine mammals and loggerhead (“Threatened” under the Endangered Species Act) and leatherback sea turtles (Endangered under the ESA).  At the time the U.S. fleet was not landing its swordfish quota, rather it was catching 80% of the Atlantic-wide undersize swordfish, reported as dead discards until international management decided that practice had to stop by 2004. Authorizing pelagic longline vessels back into juvenile swordfish nursery areas

Atlantic bluefin tuna inseason adjustment

Based on the best available landings information, NOAA Fisheries has determined that the subquota of 1.8 mt for the Angling category northern area trophy bluefin tuna fishery has been reached. The incidental Angling category fishery for trophy bluefin tuna in the northern area will close effective 11:30 p.m., June 27, 2019, through December 31, 2019. Trophy bluefin are those measuring 73 inches or greater. The northern area is the area north of 39°18’N (off Great Egg Inlet, NJ). More information can be found in the Federal Register. Persons aboard vessels permitted in the Atlantic HMS Angling and Atlantic HMS

Swordfish General Commercial Permit Retention Limit Adjustment

NOAA Fisheries just announced an inseason change to the Swordfish General Commercial permit retention limits in the Northwest Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and U.S. Caribbean regions, as shown in the table below. The default Swordfish General Commercial permit retention limit of zero (0) swordfish in the Florida Swordfish Management Area remains the same. See below for a map of the regions. This action is effective July 1 through December 31, 2019, unless changed via subsequent action. These retention limits apply to vessels issued a Swordfish General Commercial permit or a Highly Migratory Species Charter/Headboat permit with a commercial endorsement when on a non

New Exempted Fishing Permits for Longlines off US West Coast

Exempted Fishing Permits were issued by the Pacific Fishery Management Council on April 29, 2019 to two vessels to fish off the U.S. west coast in federal waters (Exclusive Economic Zone) with pelagic longline gear. The listed purpose is to collect data about the performance of shallow-set (pelagic) longline gear and mitigation measures to minimize adverse environmental impacts. Restrictions include 100% observer coverage, strict limits on incidental hooking, entanglements and mortality of loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles, no fishing within Southern California Bight (Santa Barbara County south to the border with Mexico) and within leatherback sea turtle critical habitat