EM4Fish
The Billfish Foundation and Bluefin Data were recently showcased on EM4Fish, a website that aims to improve fisheries management as emerging technologies enable new methods for acquiring, sharing, analyzing, and utilizing data. As part of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) Electronic Monitoring and Reporting Grant Program, Bluefin Data (BFD) and The Billfish Foundation […]
Changes to Bluefin Tuna Commercial Handgear Fishery
Effective as of July 1st, all Atlantic Tunas General category permit holders, as well as Highly Migratory Species Charter/Headboat permit holders commercially fishing for bluefin tunas will encounter restricted fishing days. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has stated every Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday from July 1 through November 30, 2024 will now […]
Modifications to Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Limit
NOAA is adjusting the daily retention limit for recreational fishermen for the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Angling Category. Effective immediately, the limit will extend throughout the remainder of 2024 unless modified by later action. The daily retention limits will apply to permitted Highly Migratory Species Angling and Charter/Headboat vessels when fishing recreationally. The limits are effective […]
Atlantic Billfish, Swordfish, and Tunas Landings Update
NOAA Fisheries announced landings updates for Atlantic swordfish, billfish, and tunas, which includes recreational billfish and bluefin tuna landings from January 1st through June 30, 2020. But swordfish and non-bluefin tuna landings are for the period of January 1 through July 31, 2020. In general, reported landings are down compared to the same time in 2019, except for Northern Albacore, whose landings are skyrocketing compared to 2019. Swordfish landings are almost exactly the same as last year, with an uptick in commercial bycatch offset by decreases in commercial and recreational targeted landings. Billfish are currently on par to stay
Non-Longline Fisheries Should Be Allocated More Swordfish
All non-longline swordfish fisheries are required to use handgear – handline, harpoon, commercial rod and reel, green-stick and bandit gear. Handgear takes far less bycatch than does pelagic longline gear, much of the time it takes none making the fisheries cleaner and sustainable. Increasing landing limits to these fisheries makes sense, whereas allowing pelagic longlines back into the Closed Zones to fish for swordfish does not. Increasing swordfish retention limits to handgear fisheries was the focus of a NOAA phone meeting that The Billfish Foundation (TBF) staff members recently joined. The government’s first presented Preferred Alternative is for vessels
TBF Cautions Caribbean Swordfish Retention Expansion
Representatives from The Billfish Foundation attended a recent meeting with NOAA in which a swordfish retention expansion was discussed in the Caribbean. This proposed expansion applies to vessels in USVI and Puerto Rico with an (HMS) Commercial Caribbean Small Boat (CCSB) permit, Swordfish General Commercial permit, or HMS Charter/Headboat permit with a commercial endorsement on a non-for hire trip. The expansion of swordfish retention was proposed at levels ranging from zero to eighteen swordfish retained per vessel per trip. We believe that only the most conservative expansion (up to six fish per vessel) should be considered or authorized
NOAA Increases Commercial Swordfish Retention
NOAA Fisheries is doubling the number of swordfish allowed to be harvested by commercial fisheries. These expanded retention limits apply to vessels issued a Swordfish General Commercial permit or an Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat permit with a commercial endorsement when on a non-for-hire trip. Fortunately, commercial swordfish harvest is still prohibited in the Florida Swordfish Management Area. However, this new expansion may significantly affect swordfish stocks in all other NOAA Management Areas. This massive expansion of the commercial quota comes as no surprise. NOAA Fisheries has been pushing to expand the harvest of commercially important species in order to bolster
General Category Bluefin Fishery Temporary Closure
The General Category for Atlantic bluefin tuna will close beginning February 24th at 11:30pm and reopen on June 1st. This closure marks the fulfillment of the 100mt January subquota, which, despite it’s name, actually runs from January through March. This closure affects vessels with an Atlantic Tunas General category permit or an HMS Charter/Headboat permit with a commercial sale endorsement when fishing commercially for bluefin tuna. Additionally, this closure only applies to the retention, possession, and landing of medium, large, and giant bluefin tunas. To stay up-to-date on all things billfish and highly migratory species, become a member
NOAA 2019 Commercial and Recreational Landings Updates
NOAA Fisheries announced the final landings updates for Atlantic swordfish and tunas, including bluefin. This update includes all fish landed between January 1st and December 31st, 2019. It also released updates for recreational Atlantic billfish landings between January 31st and September 30th, 2019. Final numbers for recreational Atlantic billfish landings for the entirety of 2019 are still to come. All commercial species, including North Atlantic sworfish, bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna, northern albacore, and bigeye tuna have experienced increased landings this year. Blue marlin, white marlin, and roundscale spearfish have also experienced increased landings (as of September 30th
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
