Reallocation of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna for Angling Category

The current proposed Amendment 13 to the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan may reallocate the U.S. Atlantic quota share of Bluefin Tuna among Fishing Categories (Angling, Longline, General, Purse Seine, Trap, Reserve). The Purse Seine category is being abolished and its tonnage reallocated since those vessels have landed any bluefin since 2015, due to regulatory size restraints, but their tonnage was leased to Longline Category vessels. The redistribution will result in slight increases in the Angling Category now spread over 4 sub-allocation areas instead of 3 with the division of the Northern area into two areas

Atlantic Bluefin Northern Area Trophy Fishery Closed to Angling

On May 11, 2021 at 11:30pm, the Northern Area Trophy Bluefin Fishery closed to angling. It will remain closed for the remainder of the year. The Northern Area is the area north of Great Egg Inlet, New Jersey. More specifically, it is the area north of 39°18’ N latitude. This closure applies to fishermen aboard Atlantic HMS Angling category and Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat permitted vessels (when fishing recreationally). The Northern Area closed because anglers met and exceeded the 1.8mt subquota of trophy bluefin tuna. These trophy bluefin are any bluefin 73″ or greater. However, angling for bluefin at least

Gulf of Mexico Closed & Atlantic Ocean Adjusted for Bluefin Tuna Angling

As of May 4 at 11:30pm, the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Angling Category Gulf of Mexico Incidental Trophy Fishery is closed. This means that no anglers may land, possess, or retain bluefin tuna 73″ (curved fork length) or greater in the Gulf of Mexico. This closure affects all anglers on a vessel with an Atlantic HMS Angling Category permit or an Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat permit (when fishing recreationally) and is in effect for the remainder of 2021. The fishery is closing because it has met its 1.8mt quota. The Gulf of Mexico is an important spawning location for bluefin

Atlantic Bluefin Southern Area Trophy Fishery Closed to Angling

NOAA Fisheries closed the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Angling Category for the Southern Area Trophy Fishery on March 1st, 2021. This closure will last all year, ending on December 31st, 2021. The Southern Area Trophy Fishery includes the Atlantic area south of 39°18’N lat. (off Great Egg Inlet, NJ). It does not include the Gulf of Mexico. The Angling Category includes fishermen aboard vessels with an Atlantic HMS Angling category or Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat permit (fishing recreationally). The 1.8-mt  Southern Area “trophy” bluefin tuna (73″ or greater) subquota has been reached and exceeded, causing the closure. Now, fishermen within

Atlantic Bluefin December Subqota Adjustment

NOAA Fisheries transferred 19.5 metric tons (mt) of Atlantic bluefin tuna from the Reserve Category to the General Category. This action will go into effect on December 1st, 2020 and continue for the remainder of the fishing year. As a result, the December 2020 subquota is increased to a total of 28.9 mt with the standard additional retention limit of only one fish per day per trip. Please note that this action applies only to vessels with a commercial Atlantic Tunas General category permit or Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Charter/Headboat category permit with a commercial sale endorsement when fishing

Atlantic Trophy Bluefin Fishery Closure

The Northern Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Angling Category Trophy Fishery will officially close as of 11:30pm on May 21, 2020. It will remain closed for the remainder of 2020. This closure comes as a result of the Angling Category reaching its 1.8 mt quota of North Atlantic trophy bluefin. The Northern Atlantic is the area above 39°18’ N. latitude. Trophy bluefin tuna are tuna 73in or greater. Note that this closure does NOT apply to individuals fishing for 27in to <73in tuna, as this fishery is still open everywhere except for in the Gulf of Mexico. This closure applies

Atlantic Billfish, Swordfish, and Tunas Landings Update

NOAA Fisheries announced landings updates for Atlantic swordfish, billfish, and tunas, including bluefin, yellowfin, bigeye, skipjack, and albacore. This update include all landings between January 1st and March 31st of 2020. The 250-fish recreational Atlantic billfish quota includes landings of blue marlin, white marlin, and roundscale spearfish. As of March 31, 2020, no Atlantic billfish had been landed that are counted in the quota. However, five Atlantic sailfish have been landed, but these fish will not be counted in the 250-fish quota. Swordfish landing is up in in 2020 as compared to 2019. Between January 1st and March 31st

Swordfish and Tunas Landings Update

NOAA Fisheries announced landings updates for Northern Atlantic swordfish and tunas, including bluefin, yellowfin, bigeye, skipjack, and northern albacore. This update includes all landings of these species from January 1 to January 31, 2020. Commercial swordfish intentional landings are generally on par with this time last year. However, commercial bycatch and recreational intentional landing of swordfish are up. However, these numbers are still very low. Northern Atlantic swordfish have two separate quotas. The commercial intentional fishery is allowed 1,318.8 mt dw of swordfish per year. The recreational fishery shares it’s quota with commercial bycatch and is limited to only

NMFS Weakens Gear Restrictions in Atlantic Ocean

The Gear Restricted Area (GRA) off Cape Hatteras implemented to reduce bluefin tuna bycatch by pelagic longline vessels now is open to the gear. The waters had been closed December through April, but the NMFS decided it is no longer needed under the Individual Bluefin tuna Quota (IBQ) management system. Two Gulf of Mexico Gear Restricted Areas closed during April and May since 2015 and the Northeastern Closed Area off of New Jersey closed during June since 1999, are now pelagic longline Monitoring Areas, allowing longlining to resume.  Fishing is to be monitored for three years based on vessel’s

Atlantic Swordfish and Bluefin Landings Update

NOAA Fisheries announced landings updates for Atlantic swordfish and bluefin tuna. This update includes all fish landed between January 1st and October 31st of this year. For swordfish, a total of 835.2 metric tons dressed weight (mt dw) has been landed, totaling 28.4% of the 2,937.6 mt dw baseline quota for 2019. Of this, 791.2 mt dw has been caught intentionally by commercial fisheries, 7.4 mt dw has been reported as commercial bycatch, and 36.6 mt dw has been caught by recreational anglers. At this time in 2018, only 606.9 mt dw had been landed, resulting in a 228.3