Recreational Vessels Temporarily Allowed to Fish in California Conservation Area

As of April 1st, recreational vessels are now permitted to fish for pelagic and non-groundfish species within the Recreational Rockfish Conservation Area, including anchoring overnight. NOAA Fisheries enacted an emergency regulation (89 FR 22352; April 1, 2024) temporarily altering a continuous transit rule for recreational vessels in California. Effective until September 30, 2024, vessels are […]

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 […]

NMFS Science for Closed Zones is Questionable

In September 2021, an article published in Marine Biology, Journal of Life in Oceans and Coastal Waters, was distributed by the NMFS as a paper and computer model that might be used as a possible decision-making tool for determining whether to open Closed Zones off East and Gulf of Mexico coasts. This model  called the “Highly Migratory Species Predictive Spatial Modeling (PRiSM) would be an analytical framework for assessing the performance of spatial fisheries management.” A review of the paper identified flaws that should preclude the application of this PRISM model to any Closed Zone Decisions. The paper presented

Atlantic Save the Mahi-Mahi Campaign

Led by Blair Wickstrom of Florida Sportsmans Magazine, targets the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (FMC) and NOAA, and calls for, by anglers, greater conservation restraints for mahi-mahi and wahoo, species that support South Florida’s sportfishing industry.  Without further constraints, it is feared the stock may collapse. The Campaign calls for further reductions in mahi-mahi (dolphin fish) and wahoo bag limits from what was approved recently in Amendment 10. If final approval is given by the Secretary of Commerce to Amendment 10, it leaves the 10 mahi-mahi per person limit in place but drops the vessel limit from 60

Is the US West Coast Going From Drift Gill Nets to Longlines?!?

This month the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) accepted applications for Exempted Fishing Permits (EFP) for which decisions will be made in September for the following fishing year. One application proposes to transition the current swordfish drift gillnet fishery to a longline fishery by allowing 19 longline vessels, shallow-set and deep-set longlines, to fish between 12 to 200 miles in federal waters off the U.S. West Coast, which TBF does not endorse this gear. Nine other permit applications were submitted, including Deep-Set Buoy Gear, Linked Buoy Gear, Night Set Buoy Gear including fishing in state waters, and Mid-Water

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

Recreational Fishing Gear, Bottom Trawls & Pelagic Longline Gear Are NOT the Same!!

With the recent Executive Order (EO), recreational fishing gear, bottom trawls, and pelagic longline are viewed the same as all other fishing gear when it comes to designating Marine Protected Areas (MPA). The EO, signed by Biden, calls for closing 30% of U.S. ocean waters to fishing, including recreational fishing, by 2030 through the MPAs. This is not the first time such a strategy has been raised, very large marine protected areas in various regulatory (marine monuments, wildlife refuges, sanctuaries, marine reserves, etc) forms have preceded the current initiative. Through the US Ocean Action Policy in 2006, the

NOAA Documents Negative Impacts on Fishing from COVID-19

NOAA Fisheries recently released economic impact figures caused by COVID-19 on the U.S. fishing and seafood industry, including wild harvest, aquaculture, and the recreational charter/for-hire sector.  Most recreational charter operations were completely shut down in most coastal states beginning in mid-March and began a phased re-openings starting in May. NOAA estimated Southeast charter revenues, relative to the preceding 3-year period, fell 72 percent between March through April due to local and state COVID-related closures and protocols. In May-June, as businesses began to re-open, revenue was reported down 4.5 percent. With many tournaments having cancelled, 50 fewer highly migratory species

Anglers – Aquaculture Might Harm Forage Species & Your Catch

Recreational fishing may get displaced by aquaculture/mariculture if we don’t give current government plans close scrutiny.  NOAA/NMFS, federal Fishery Management Councils, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Environment Protection Agency are focusing on and providing federal funding for aquaculture/mariculture. The first two regions currently being evaluated for suitability include waters in the Gulf of Mexico and Southern California. Beginning in 2016 when the U.S. seafood trade deficit hit $14 billion, pressure began and is growing to cultivate the nation out of the seafood deficit.  Honorable thought, but some reduction in the seafood trade deficit could come at the

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