TBF at Pirate’s Cove and MidAtlantic
The Billfish Foundation had an outstanding experience at the annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament and MidAtlantic Tournament! These events provided us with a fantastic platform to engage with local billfishing communities andraise awareness about billfish conservation and our mission. Among our booths at both tournaments, we were thrilled to see so many supporters participating in […]
Hudson Canyon Proposed for a National Marine Sanctuary Designation
Continued authorization of recreational fishing within the new Sanctuary is essential to the industry and continued great fishing opportunities for citizens throughout the U.S. The designation comes as part of the Administration’s commitment to curb the negative impacts of climate change to the ocean (30 x 30 campaign). The Canyon begins approximately 100 miles off the shores of New York and New Jersey, with a portion overlapping the recently leased wind energy sites in the New York Bite region, continues seaward 350 miles, is 7.5 miles wide, and 2 – 2.5 miles deep and comprises the largest submarine canyon
New Federal Rule Changes
The National Marine Fisheries Service’s recently issued its final decision on Gear Restricted Areas (GRA) and Weak Hook use by pelagic longline vessels. These decisions ARE NOT related to the more serious pending rule on whether to open Closed Zones to pelagic longline fishing under the guise of research. The GRA decision abolished the area off Hatteras and converted those off New Jersey and in the Gulf of Mexico to pelagic longline Gear Monitoring Areas from which data is to be collected on bycatch of bluefin tunas. The 12-month requirement for pelagic longline vessels fishing in the
