2019 Recreational Atlantic Billfish Landings Updates

NOAA just released the 1st quarter landing update for the recreational fishing community. While only 1 blue marlin has been landed in the 1st quarter, we expect the number of fish to be reported will increase by the 2nd quarter due to tournament season. Landings are compiled using self-reported angler reports from the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Non-Tournament Recreational Swordfish and Billfish Landings Database; tournament landings from the Atlantic Tournament Registration & Reporting system; catch card reports from North Carolina and Maryland; and individual billfish intercepted by the Large Pelagic Survey and Marine Recreational Information Program. Please note that

Gov’t Lessens Billfish Research Funding

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Southeast Fishery Science Center, is further diminishes support for billfish research, now by not facilitating funding of a respected billfish scientist! This is a worsening of the government’s longstanding low priority given to billfish, whereas the highest priorities go to the “commercially targeted fish destined for the consumer market,” mainly bluefin and bigeye tunas. While those fish are important, the amount of information we know about billfish is still sparse even though the socio-economic impact of these family of fish are extremely valuable. This makes your contributions to TBF even more important

Changes in Reporting for HMS Tournaments

Beginning January 1, 2019, all Atlantic highly migratory species tournaments will be required to submit catch summaries. An Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) tournament is a tournament that awards points or prizes for catching Atlantic highly migratory species (i.e., swordfish, billfish, sharks and/or tunas). All Atlantic highly migratory species tournament operators will be required to submit an HMS tournament catch summary report within seven days after tournament fishing has ended. NOAA Fisheries uses the data to estimate the total annual catch of highly migratory species and the impact of tournament operations in relation to other types of fishing

Chub Mackerel Fishery in the Mid-Atlantic?

Illustration courtesy of DRNEC of Delaware

Chub mackerel, which are important prey species for billfish and other apex predators and to the healthy functioning of the ecosystem, are being considered for inclusion into the Mackerel, Squid and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The current large trawl commercial fishery desires to increase their authorized landings, but this could have significant negative impacts on the stocks, the ecosystem, and recreational fishing opportunities. In light of the huge harvesting capacity of the giant commercial trawlers targeting low-dollar-value forage fish species, expanding the commercial harvest limit for that

ICCAT Marlin Update

Very late in the year and not anticipated, landing limits for Atlantic marlin were raised in the international arena. It was the overfished status of  Atlantic billfish that became the subject of an international negotiating proposal put forth by the European Community (EC) at the annual negotiations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). The EC’s proposal called for further reductions in Atlantic blue marlin landing quota from 2000 metric tons to 1,750 metric tons, a positive for that harvesting level would give marlin a 50% probability of recovering by 2028. The reduction is essential

Recreational Billfish Landings Update

The table below provides preliminary 2018 (January 1, 2018 through September 30, 2018) landings in numbers of fish for Atlantic blue and white marlin, roundscale spearfish, and western Atlantic sailfish.  With most of the billfish tournaments are complete now, we can see as stated in a previous post, that the recreational community will be well below not only the 250 quota but should be below the 2017 numbers. Landings are compiled using self-reported angler reports from the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Non-Tournament Recreational Swordfish and Billfish Landings Database; tournament landings from the Atlantic Tournament Registration & Reporting (ATR)

Atlantic Blue Marlin Research

Atlantic blue marlin are considered by many in the sportfishing world to be THE pinnacle gamefish. A species targeted by tens of thousands anglers each year. But what do we know about these magnificent and awe-worthy fish? To be honest, not enough. We are still scratching the surface of what we know about them compared to other marine species. For example, age and growth research is basic and well documented for most species caught in commercial fisheries where data collection is readily available, but not so for billfish. TBF spearheaded research on this very topic on Atlantic blue

Billfish Conservation Act Amendment Update

TBF was very pleased when the National Marine Fisheries Service staff announced the 2018 amended Billfish Conservation Act (BCA) must comply with the agency’s official Guidelines. The amended BCA prohibits Pacific billfish landed by U.S. vessels from Hawaii and U.S. island areas from being sent into the continental U.S. Compliance to the government guidelines prohibiting the redirection of those billfish from being sent to other nations’ markets. Prohibiting the redirecting of U.S. landed Pacific marlin increases the conservation benefits gained from the amended BCA. TBF will remain vigilant to any challenges that may arise to guideline compliance. Generally, government

2018 Tag & Release Competition Update

Here are the current standings in all categories (except Cape Verde, apologies, we’re working on it) as of October 5, 2018. Scroll through, find your name, find your friend’s name! Fishing for the competition year ends on October 31 and all reports must be in either digitally or mailed into the office by November 15. Winners will be announced via email and regular mail by mid-December. OVERALL RELEASE CAPTAIN Ben Horning –  Jupiter, Florida, USA Ronnie Fields –  Lake Park, Florida, USA Nicholas Gonzalez – Miami, Florida, USA Stuart Simpson – Durban, South Africa Dennis Endee –

No More Driftnet Swordfish fishery Off Southern California

California Governor Signs Historic Law Governor Jerry Brown of California signed into law an act passed by his legislator to begin the phase out use of mile long commercial drift gillnets in open ocean off the state’s shores. This is a major step forward to reducing bycatch mortality of sea turtles, marine mammals and other marine creatures caught in the large mesh gillnets fished for swordfish.   Deep-set buoy gear is being tested in federal waters off California under an Exempted Fishing Permit. Compensation for drift gillnet fishermen is provided for in the Bill to help transition to other swordfishing