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
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.           Â
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
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
More Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Allocation for Anglers?
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recently released an Options Paper to amend the current Individual Bluefin Quota (IBQ) strategy, implemented to reduce incidental bycatch of bluefin, in the pelagic longline fishery for public review. The allocation of bluefin tuna to all user categories may be changed. Why should the recreational community care? For two primary reasons, the NMFS is advancing an amendment (13) to the Atlantic Consolidated Fishery Management Plan for Highly Migratory Species. One, the U.S. commercial fleet is not landing its international allocated Atlantic bluefin quota, leaving the unused portion subject to reallocation to other
Bluefin Tuna Angling Category Gulf of Mexico Area Trophy Fishery Closure!
NOAA Fisheries has determined that the subquota of 1.8 mt for the Angling category Gulf of Mexico trophy bluefin tuna fishery has been reached. Trophy bluefin are those measuring 73 inches or greater. The incidental Angling category fishery for trophy bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico will close effective 11:30 p.m., May 31, 2019, through December 31, 2019. More information can be found in the Federal Register notice. Persons aboard vessels permitted in the Atlantic HMS Angling and Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat categories fishing recreationally in the Gulf of Mexico may not retain, possess, or land large medium
New Daily Limit to Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Angling Category
NOAA Fisheries is adjusting the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) daily retention limits that apply to vessels permitted in the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling category and the HMS Charter/Headboat category (when fishing recreationally for BFT). The adjustments below are effective May 11, 2019, through December 31, 2019. These daily retention limits apply to vessels permitted in the recreational HMS Angling category and the HMS Charter/Headboat category while fishing recreationally. The daily retention limits are effective for all areas EXCEPT FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO, which is designated as BFT spawning grounds and where NOAA Fisheries does not allow targeted