Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Angling Category Closure
The Angling Category for trophy Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Southern Area (the area south of Great Egg Inlet, New Jersey, 39°18’N lat) has already reached its 1.8 mt subquota, effectively and immediately closing it for the remainder of 2020. This means that no vessels with recreational Atlantic HMS Angling or Charter/Headboat permits may retain, possess, or land Atlantic bluefin tuna greater than 73 inches until 2021. Anglers may still land, possess, and retain bluefin tuna that are at least 27 inches, but less than 73 inches, in this area. Catch and release, as well as tag and release
ICCAT Update – Reductions for Atlantic Marlin
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is an international regional fishery management organization for highly migratory species (HMS) in the Atlantic, including billfish, tunas, and some sharks. Two additional, separate organizations for HMS operate in the Pacific Ocean and in the Indian Ocean. These three organizations were established by treaties among member nations, which meet each year to negotiate landing tonnage, as well as other management and conservation measures. They each also gather scientists each year to conduct stock assessments and make recommendations, based on science, to the managing Commission before which national delegations from
Changes in Mahi-Mahi allocation coming up in the Atlantic?
Fly Navarro and Adrienne Katz with a nice mahi-mahi
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) is considering management options to Amendment 10 on the Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan. The Amendment offers an important opportunity to modify management strategy for mahi mahi that would better insure healthy population levels intothe future. Central to protecting mahi mahi is restriction of pelagic longlinegear by not authorizing the fishery an allocation. Overfishing mahi-mahi stocks are a genuine concern if
Chub Mackerel Fishery in the Mid-Atlantic?
Illustration courtesy of DRNEC of Delaware
Chub mackerel, which are important prey species for billfish and other apex predators and to the healthy functioning of the ecosystem, are being considered for inclusion into the Mackerel, Squid and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The current large trawl commercial fishery desires to increase their authorized landings, but this could have significant negative impacts on the stocks, the ecosystem, and recreational fishing opportunities. In light of the huge harvesting capacity of the giant commercial trawlers targeting low-dollar-value forage fish species, expanding the commercial harvest limit for that
