2019 Atlantic Billfish and Swordfish Landings Updates

As of August 20th, NOAA Fisheries finished compiling the second quarter updates for reported billfish (marlin, sailfish, and spearfish) and swordfish landings in the Atlantic. These landings include all billfish and swordfish landed from January 1st, 2019 through June 30th, 2019.  With the tournament season well under way, a total of 39 blue marlin, 7 white marlin, and no roundscale spearfish have been landed. This is fairly on par with the 2018 second quarter landings, which boasted 37 blue marlin, 5 white marlin, and no roundscale spearfish. As such, there are 204 landings allowed for the remainder

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna General Category Closure

Just two days after the Harpoon category closure, NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species Department has announced the closure of the General category for Atlantic bluefin tuna. As of 11:30pm on August 9th, 2019, fishermen aboard vessels permitted in the Atlantic tunas General and Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat categories may not retain, possess, or land medium (135 – <235lbs), large (235 – <310 lbs), or giant (>350 lbs) Atlantic bluefin tuna.  Unlike the Harpoon category closure, this closure will only last until September 1, 2019. The 277.9 mt subquota of Atlantic bluefin tuna that has been allocated for June through

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Harpoon Category Closure

NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species Department announced today the closure of the Harpoon category for Atlantic bluefin tuna due to the 91 metric ton quota being met. This closure comes just two days after NOAA HMS supplemented the Harpoon category with 15 metric tons transferred from the Reserve category.  The closure will go into effect on August 8th, 2019 at 11:30pm. After this time, fishermen aboard commercial vessels with an Atlantic bluefin tuna Harpoon category permit may not retain, possess, or land medium, large, or giant bluefin tunas. The Harpoon category will remain closed until June 1, 2020

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Quota Transferred

Fifteen metric tons of Atlantic bluefin tuna quota was transferred from the Reserve Category to the Harpoon Category, bringing the total tonnage for the category to 91 metric tons and leaving 98 metric tons in Reserve to be used as the agency thinks best over the balance of 2019. This transfer will be in effect through November 15, 2019 or until the Harpoon category quota is reached, whichever comes first, and only applies to those commercial vessels with an Atlantic tunas Harpoon category permit. This is at a time when some federally permitted Atlantic tunas dealers are not accepting

TBF Submitted Comments on Two NMFS Planned Actions

The first action plan from National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is a proposed Amendment 13 for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna that included a tremendous array of options to modify how Atlantic bluefin tuna are managed. Because the Purse Seine Category has not landed any of its quota due to size constraints it has evolved into a robust business by leasing their uncaught quota tonnage to the longline vessels. The Angling and General Category (Rod & Reel) each can catch more tonnage if the agency would redistribute some of the Purse Seine tonnage to each. The second action that we are

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

Tagging Tuna with ICCAT and AOTTP

The Billfish Foundation is currently engaging in a research project with Atlantic Ocean Tropical Tuna Tagging Program (AOTTP) in order to further the knowledge around lifecycles of yellowfin, bigeye, and skipjack tuna. This will be accomplished by working with recreational and commercial anglers to implement traditional ‘spaghetti’ tags into these different species of tuna. This research is very valuable and important to the multiple regional and national fisheries associated with these different species. For example, this work will be very important with the yellowfin tuna fishery in the northern Gulf of Mexico. On a base level, this research will

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.