Atlantic Tuna and Swordfish Landings Updates

NOAA fisheries announced third quarter landing updates for bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna, northern albacore, and swordfish. These landings include all fish landed commercially and recreationally by United States vessels in the Atlantic Ocean from January 1st through August 31st, 2019. The changes as compared to last year are summarized below: More detailed summaries of the 2019 third quarter landings updates for each individual fish are also included below: Swordfish: Bluefin Tuna: Other Tuna: For more information on billfish and sportfishing news, subscribe to our newsletter, become a member, or follow us on social media

New NMFS Initiatives Benefit Longlines and Harm Recreational Community

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is proposing initiatives that once again ignore the recreational fishing community and do not benefit billfish conservation. NMFS seeks to reinvigorate commercial catch by loosening regulations on the longline fishery. This comes despite the fact that NMFS scientists and scientists of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) have made it clear that fishing pressure must be reduced on overfished marlin and other species – or to use a precautionary fishing approach. These new adjustments are irresponsible and show a true lack of regard for our community, the economic capacity

New Gear Restrictions May Help Billfish in the Pacific

The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission recently announced new requirements for fisheries targeting tuna in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO). These new regulations intend to reduce sea turtle bycatch but have the potential to help billfish as well. While much of the resolution focuses on sea turtle-specific protections, two major factors may also benefit billfish. These include the increasing observer coverage on commercial fishing boats and the use of circle hooks. The first way this resolution may help conserve billfish is the intent to bolster observer coverage onboard commercial vessels. Observers are independent beings (not tied to the fishing boat)

New Quota Adjustments for Swordfish, Albacore Tuna, and Bluefin Tuna

NOAA Fisheries announced new 2019 baseline quotas for North Atlantic albacore tuna, North and South Atlantic swordfish, and Atlantic bluefin tuna (reserve category). These updates come as a result of underharvest of these species in 2018, moving the underutilized quota for 2018 to be available for 2019 use. The new quotas are as follows: Key: mt = metric tons, ww = whole weight, dw = dressed weight Note: The South Atlantic swordfish transfer is handled differently from the rest. No U.S. fishermen caught any South Atlantic swordfish in 2018, so the entire 75.1 mt dw was transferred to the

Tagging Tuna with ICCAT and AOTTP

The Billfish Foundation is currently engaging in a research project with Atlantic Ocean Tropical Tuna Tagging Program (AOTTP) in order to further the knowledge around lifecycles of yellowfin, bigeye, and skipjack tuna. This will be accomplished by working with recreational and commercial anglers to implement traditional ‘spaghetti’ tags into these different species of tuna. This research is very valuable and important to the multiple regional and national fisheries associated with these different species. For example, this work will be very important with the yellowfin tuna fishery in the northern Gulf of Mexico. On a base level, this research will

Tropical Tuna Taggers Needed!

Photo courtesy of Trey Russo/Miles Charlesworth

The Billfish Foundation (TBF) is looking for anglers and crews interested in tagging tuna in the Northern Atlantic. TBF is working with scientists from the Atlantic Ocean Tropical Tuna Tagging Program (AOTTP) to learn more about certain tuna species. This program, which is part of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), looks to study key aspects of bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin tuna life history and movements in the Atlantic Ocean. The AOTTP partners with scientists and commercial and recreational tuna fishermen to tag tropical tuna with conventional and/or electronic

Recreational Fishing Opportunities Maybe Threatened in Panama

A nice yellowfin tuna caught off Panama

Recreational fishing in Panama and throughout Central America is likely to feel negative impacts from a fishery partnership between Panama and China established through recent trade agreements on December 3, 2018. The agreement will allow tons of skipjack tuna to be caught by purse seine vessels and transshipped to Chinese commercial factory trawlers in international waters. TBF has learned that 13 purse seine vessels in Peru are being brought to Panama to fish in Panama’s waters. Debate on whether purse seine vessels can fish in Panama’s waters has been on-going since

Changes in Reporting for HMS Tournaments

Beginning January 1, 2019, all Atlantic highly migratory species tournaments will be required to submit catch summaries. An Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) tournament is a tournament that awards points or prizes for catching Atlantic highly migratory species (i.e., swordfish, billfish, sharks and/or tunas). All Atlantic highly migratory species tournament operators will be required to submit an HMS tournament catch summary report within seven days after tournament fishing has ended. NOAA Fisheries uses the data to estimate the total annual catch of highly migratory species and the impact of tournament operations in relation to other types of fishing

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (BFT) Angling Category – Northern Area Trophy Fishery Closing

NOAA Fisheries will close the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) Angling category fishery for large medium and giant “trophy” BFT (measuring 73” or greater) in the northern area effective 11:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, July 26, 2018, through December 31, 2018.  The northern area is the area north of 39°18’N (off Great Egg Inlet, NJ).   Note that the Angling category fishery for school, large school, or small medium bluefin tuna (27 to <73”) remains open in all areas except for the Gulf of Mexico, which is designated as bluefin tuna spawning grounds and where NOAA Fisheries does not allow targeted fishing for bluefin

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna General Fishery Closes Until June

The National Marine Fisheries Service transferred 10 metric tons (2,2046 pounds) of Atlantic bluefin tuna quota from the Reserve category to the General January sub-category, until that quota is landed or March 31. The agency anticipates that transferred quota will be landed  by March 2, 2018, after which vessels in the General Category and HMS Charter/Headboat Category must cease retaining, possessing, or landing large-medium or giant bluefin tunas. The entire General Category will remain closed until June 1, 2018, at which time 233.3 metric tons (514,338 pounds) will be available through