Angling Category Trophy Bluefin Tuna Fishery for Southern Area Closed

NOAA Fisheries determined that the Angling category southern area “trophy” bluefin tuna (measuring 73 inches or greater) subquota of 1.8 mt had been reached and exceeded and therefore closure of the southern area trophy bluefin tuna is warranted. The southern area is the area south of 39°18’N lat. (off Great Egg Inlet, NJ), outside the Gulf of Mexico. This closure was in effect as of 11:30 p.m., March 14, 2019, through December 31, 2019. Persons aboard vessels permitted in the Atlantic HMS Angling and Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat categories fishing recreationally in the southern area (defined

Increase of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Quota

Good News Bluefin Tuna Anglers! The Angling Allocation of Atlantic bluefin tuna, beginning January 2019, increases by .3 of a metric ton or 661 pounds. This increase applies in each of the three designated angling areas – Gulf of Mexico, the Southern Area (outside Gulf of Mexico) south of 39 degrees 18 N latitude and the Northern Area off of Great Egg Harbor north of 39 degrees, 18 north latitude. The Trophy size limits, at and above 73“curved fork length. The increase may be met with the landing of one additional bluefin in each of the three

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (BFT) Angling Category – Northern Area Trophy Fishery Closing

NOAA Fisheries will close the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) Angling category fishery for large medium and giant “trophy” BFT (measuring 73” or greater) in the northern area effective 11:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, July 26, 2018, through December 31, 2018.  The northern area is the area north of 39°18’N (off Great Egg Inlet, NJ).   Note that the Angling category fishery for school, large school, or small medium bluefin tuna (27 to <73”) remains open in all areas except for the Gulf of Mexico, which is designated as bluefin tuna spawning grounds and where NOAA Fisheries does not allow targeted fishing for bluefin

Protect the Option to Incidentally catch & land a Bluefin Tuna in the Gulf of Mexico

Over the past several years, the bluefin tuna (BFT) incidental bite in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) has picked up. Through the efforts of TBF, GOM anglers have an allocation of 1.5 metric tons or 3,306.93 pounds of Atlantic bluefin tunas, which permits the landing of a few good-size fish.  (Only 1 per boat per year.) This year’s incidental bluefin tuna allocation for anglers in the Gulf of Mexico was met when a bluefin tuna was brought to the docks in Panama City, FL. Just a few days earlier two other big bluefin were landed off Venice, LA

Stricter Measures Not Included In NMFS Options For Longlines

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recently issued a plan (Scoping Document, March 2018) to reinvigorate the longline fishery rather than proposing stricter conservation measures. If actions to reinvigorate the longline industry are approved, the seriously overfished Atlantic spawning bluefin tuna and marlin will continue to decline. Atlantic bluefin tuna and both white and blue marlin remain seriously overfished after decades of inadequate longline gear restraints, the gear responsible for much of the overfishing. The Billfish Foundation is calling for anglers and those in the recreational industry to submit comments to NMFS in opposition of a longline reinvigoration

Okaloosa County Moves Forward With FAD Buoy Project

Will Okaloosa County’s (in Florida’s panhandle) planned recreational fishing buoy system perform as a collection of fish aggregation devices (FADs) and draw lots of fish to significantly improve billfish catches like those experienced off Costa Rica? If so, the project might be the beginning of an economic boom for sportfishing eco-tourism in the region. The County also anticipates greater sportfishing activities and possibly increases in billfish and other tournaments in the county. Project funding includes $500,000 applied for from the Restore Act Fund, created after the Deep Water Horizon settlement. Two applications in that amount have been submitted

Bluefin Tuna Angling Fishery Closes In Southern Atlantic

NOAA Fisheries has decided to close the Angling category fishery for large-medium and giant, “trophy,” Atlantic bluefin tuna in the southern area, beginning March 17, 2018 and lasting the rest of the year. The size applies to Atlantic bluefin measuring 73” or greater, and the southern area refers to the Atlantic Ocean south of Great Egg Inlet, NJ (39°18’N), but excluding the Gulf of Mexico. NOAA Fisheries has determined that the Angling category southern area trophy bluefin tuna subquota has been reached and exceeded, prompting the closure. The decision is based on reported landings of 2.1 mt of bluefin

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

NMFS Releases Dec. 2017 Summary of Bluefin Tuna Landings

Preliminary National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) statistics comparing Atlantic bluefin tuna landings in December 2017 to December 2016 indicate more fish were landed in 2017, but smaller in size and less in total weight. The same was true for bluefin tuna landed in the General Category, handline and harpoon, fisheries during the two years. Also more bluefin tuna were landed by pelagic longline gear in December 2017 than in December 2016, but the average weight was higher. The total number of bluefin tuna landed in December 2017 by all commercial gear was 5091 fish, weighing 842 metric tons (1,856,273.2