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.
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 In-Season Adjustment
Bluefin Tuna Angling Category Northern Area Trophy Fishery to Close June 27, 2019 Notice – 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., […]
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
NMFS Discussing New Ways to Allow Commercial Fishing Vessels Inside Closed Zones
NEEDS ALL ANGLERS ATTENTION – The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) launched a new and very comprehensive process for evaluating the success or inefficiencies of current Pelagic Longline Closed Zones and Gear Restricted Areas to achieve full swordfish quota utilization and reduction of seafood trade imbalance. The text makes clear billfish are not priorities for NMFS, rather pelagic longline fishing for tuna and swordfish are priorities with sea turtles, marine mammals, and sharks. TBF will be issuing a CALL TO ACTION soon. Details provided below: To evaluate success or inefficiencies of current Pelagic Longline Closed Zones and
Action Alert – Comments due for Forage Fish soon!
The Billfish Foundation submitted our comments to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to consider Bullet Tunas, Auxis rochei, and similar Frigate Mackerel, Auxis thazard to the dolphin/wahoo fishery management plan as ecosystem component species, so they can acknowledge the role the two currently unmanaged species play as important prey for both dolphin and wahoo. Read our official comments below. SAFMC19DolphinWahEcoConScop You still have time to submit your comments to the council! May 16th is the deadline. Click here to submit your
FADS FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO APPROVED
The Proposed Okaloosa County (
Deep-set Buoy Gear set for California
Deep-set buoy gear finally has management alternatives for use in a swordfish fishery off southern California, where the fishery will be a limited entry to approximately 300 commercial vessels. Once the fishery opens (off the Southern California Bight, southeast of Point Conception), 50 permits will be issued immediately, with 25 more permits following each year. The gear lessens the amount of bycatch, which is a major improvement over the previous gillnet gear used for swordfish. Outside the government-specified area for the fishery, anyone can use the gear with a general highly migratory fishery permit. The Pacific Fisheries Management
SAFMC Takes Action On Longline Research
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) considered over 600 written comments and heard public testimony last week, before voting to send a letter to NOAA Fisheries expressing their concerns on an Exempted Fishery Permit (EFP) request to conduct research and evaluate pelagic longline catch rates in a portion of an area off the east coast of Florida currently closed to longline fishing. The majority of the comments received, including those from recreational fishing organizations, were in opposition to the permit, citing concerns about discards of recreational and commercially important species, impacts to protected resources, increased landings of dolphin fish
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna General Fishery Closes Until June
The National Marine Fisheries Service transferred 10 metric tons (2,2046 pounds) of Atlantic bluefin tuna quota from the Reserve category to the General January sub-category, until that quota is landed or March 31. The agency anticipates that transferred quota will be landed by March 2, 2018, after which vessels in the General Category and HMS Charter/Headboat Category must cease retaining, possessing, or landing large-medium or giant bluefin tunas. The entire General Category will remain closed until June 1, 2018, at which time 233.3 metric tons (514,338 pounds) will be available through
