The Skillie Project
Back to News Skillie Project Join Us in Advancing the Conservation of Nantucket’s White Marlin What is It? We are excited to share with you an important initiative that is making waves in both the fishing community and the broader conservation world. The Skillie Project is dedicated to the preservation of Nantucket’s beloved White […]
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 […]
New Proposed Rule: Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Electronic Reporting Requirements
NOAA Fisheries is proposing new logbook requirements for vessel owners holding specific HMS permits, including Charter/Headboat, Atlantic Tunas General category, and Swordfish General Commercial permits. Additionally, the proposal includes modifications to reporting options for private recreational vessel owners with HMS Angling permits. For individuals with an HMS Angling permit, the proposed rule mandates that reporting […]
Closure of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Angling Category in Southern New England Area
The Southern New England Area Trophy Bluefin Tuna Angling Category will be closed from May 2, 2024, 11:30 pm – December 31, 2024. The 2.3-mt subquota has been reached and exceeded based on available landings information from NOAA. All Highly Migratory Species Angling category permitted vessels, as well as Highly Migratory Species charter and headboat […]
NOAA Fisheries Announces Mistakes From Past Recreational Fishing Effort Survey
NOAA announced a large-scale follow-up study after results from its recreational fishing effort survey suggested the order of the questions in the survey may lead to an overestimation of fishing effort. Published in August 2023, “Evaluating Measurement Error in the MRIP Fishing Effort Survey” was one of several studies NOAA Fisheries conducted to evaluate sources […]
US BOEM to seek fisheries funds for Gulf of Mexico wind leases
The first offshore wind power lease auction in the Gulf of Mexico will offer a 10 percent credit to developers who contribute to a fisheries compensation fund for commercial and charter fishermen. The August 2023 auction by the BOEM will offer a 102,480-acre area offshore Lake Charles, LA and two areas off Galveston, TX, one comprising 102,480 acres and the other 96,786 acres. If developed to full potential, the lease areas could hold turbine arrays with nameplate ratings totaling 3.7 gigawatts of electricity. In planning the Gulf wind energy areas, BOEM excluded highly productive fishing areas after consultations
Pacific Striped Marlin Rebuilding Plan
Western & Central Northern Pacific striped marlin, whose abundance, especially spawning-stock biomass, and size are greatly diminished and retain low priority within the Western & Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). This regional fisheries management organization (RFMO) is tasked with the management of this and other highly migratory species. Unfortunately, its interim rebuilding plan for the species which includes goals to be achieved by 2034 has no chance of success. More aggressive conservation and management measures by WCPFC to reduce post-release mortality need to be considered, which can be done with little impact on longlines catching its targeted species
TBF Endorses Fly and Chester Brewer to Serve on Fishery Management Councils
Robert “Fly” Navarro and Chester Brewer are currently seeking approval to serve on Fishery Management Councils (FMC) for the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic. Ellen Peel and The Billfish Foundation team fully support this notion, even submitting a letter of endorsement for both nominees to Governor Desantis. As an organization focused on advancing conservation and proper management of billfish, TBF fully recognizes the importance of FMCs and the responsibility each member has to not only understand the fisheries and associated economies but to also work well with the state’s experts and consider all entities involved when making
New Findings on Striped Marlin Migrations
The following was released by the Pacific Islands Fisheries Group and the Large Pelagics Research Center: The most comprehensive effort to date to characterize striped marlin (Kajikia audax) movements in the Central North Pacific revealed broad movements among tracked specimens. The study found some striped marlin have been traveling to the east coast of Australia or halfway to California from their dispersal points around Hawaii. The original research, funded by a NOAA Saltonstall-Kennedy Program grant, was conducted by scientists associated with the Hawaii-based Pacific Islands Fisheries Group (PIFG) and the Large Pelagics Research Center (LPRC) in Massachusetts. It was recently published across
Atlantic Bluefin Quota Transfer and Seasonal Closure
As of 11:30pm on August 4th, 2021, fishing via the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna General Category is closed. NOAA Fisheries announced the closure because the 277.9 mt subquota for June through August has been reached. The fishery will reopen on September 1st, 2021. Once reopened, fishermen with the correct permits may retain one fish per vessel per day. The closure affects: NOAA Fisheries is transferring 30mt of bluefin tuna from the Reserve Category to the Harpoon Category. The transfer increases the Harpoon quota to 78mt and leaves 138mt in Reserve. The transfer is in effect through November 15th, 2021 (or
