News

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) closes the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) General category January-March 2026 fishery for large medium and giant BFT (measuring 73" or greater) effective 11:30 p.m. local time, January 14, 2025. The fishery will re-open on June 1, 2026.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) closed the Angling Category Southern Area Trophy Bluefin Tuna fishery (measuring 73" or greater) effective January 13, 2026 at 11:30 pm. Please 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 America, which is designated as bluefin tuna spawning grounds and where NOAA Fisheries does not allow targeted fishing for bluefin tuna. The Angling category bluefin tuna trophy fisheries for the Gulf of America, Southern New England, and Gulf of Maine areas remain open.

The General category is open and 58 mt have been landed out of the adjusted January-March quota of 63.7 mt.

NOAA Fisheries adjusts the Atlantic bluefin tuna General category January through March 2026 subquota by transferring quota from the General category December 2026 time period to the General category January through March 2026 time period. This action provides further opportunities for General category fishermen to participate in the January through March General category fishery, which began on January 1, 2026. The resulting adjusted quotas are: January through March time period subquota = 63.7 mt and December time period subquota = 11.0 mt.

The General category is open, and 30.2 mt have been landed out of a base quota of 37.7 mt.

The recreational bluefin tuna trophy fishery re-opened on January 1, 2026 in all areas with the retention limit of one fish over 73" curved fork length per vessel per year. Each area has a subquota of 2.3 mt. The fishery is open to vessels permitted in the Angling category or the Charter/headboat category when fishing recreationally.

The recreational (Angling category and Trophy) and General category bluefin tuna fisheries re-open on January 1, 2026 at default retention limits. The recreational bluefin tuna fishery re-opens on January 1, 2026 with the default retention limit of one fish from 27 to 73 inches curved fork length per vessel per day. Likewise the recreational trophy fishery re-opens in all areas, with a retention limit of one fish over 73" curved fork length per vessel per year. The General category opens on January 1, 2026 at the default retention limit of 1 fish greater than 73 inches curved fork length per vessel per day. The base quota of 37.7 mt will be available for harvest and the fishery will close on March 31 or when the quota is reached, whichever comes first.

The General category is closed and 27.2 mt was landed during December; 86.4 mt in the Oct-Nov subperiod was landed; 166.0 mt in the September subperiod was landed; 260.8 mt in the June-August subperiod was landed; 124.5 mt of the 58.2 mt adjusted January-March 2025 subquota was landed. The Harpoon category is closed and landed 54.9 mt and the longline category has landed 136.8 mt.

NOAA Fisheries has posted an Atlantic bluefin tuna annual catch summary report on the 2024 Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Landings Updates webpage. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/atlantic-highly-migratory-species/2024-atlantic-bluefin-tuna-landings-updates

NOAA Fisheries reminds all fishermen and boaters to keep a safe distance from whales. Whales can get hooked in tuna rigs or tangled in monofilament line. We recommend boaters keep a distance of at least 100 to 300 feet from all whales (and at least 500 yards from endangered North Atlantic right whales, as required by federal law). Recently, we have received increasing numbers of reports of tuna fishermen trolling their gear too close to humpback whales. This can result in injuries to both the whales and the people. Humpbacks create bubble clouds to corral their prey, and then lunge through the center to swallow the small fish. Fishermen or boaters in these bubble patches run the risk of colliding with a massive 79,000-pound humpback whale as it rapidly approaches the surface. When a whale collides with a vessel, it can be gravely injured and die from its injuries. Collisions with whales have also thrown boaters from vessels, causing injuries and even death. In addition to the potential risk of a collision, the close proximity of a boat may cause a whale to stop feeding. All whales in U.S. waters are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes it illegal for people to harm, injure, kill, chase, or harass whales or any other marine mammal. Harassment includes any activity that results in changes to the whales’ natural behaviors, such as feeding. Penalties for Marine Mammal Protection Act violations are fines of up to $20,000 and up to one year in prison. Get more information on safe boating near whales here https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/new-england-mid-atlantic/marine-life-viewing-guidelines/whale-watching-and-wildlife-viewing-new?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Effective January 1, 2024, the recreational bluefin tuna (BFT) daily retention limit is the default limit of 1 school, large school, or small medium BFT (27 to <73"). This default limit applies to both HMS Angling category-permitted vessels and HMS Charter/Headboat category-permitted vessels, and is effective for all areas except the Gulf of Mexico. Angling and Charter/Headboat vessels may also land 1 BFT tuna measuring 73" or greater per vessel per year in all trophy areas. The recreational yellowfin tuna retention limit is 3/person/day or trip. The minimum size for yellowfin and bigeye tuna is 27" curved fork length. There are no recreational limits for bigeye, skipjack, or albacore tunas.

The southern trophy area fishery for bluefin tuna will close at 11:30 p.m. Friday, February 9, 2024.Recreational fishermen aboard vessels with an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Angling category or Charter/Headboat permit (while fishing recreationally) may not retain, possess, or land large medium or giant Atlantic bluefin tuna (i.e., measuring 73 inches curved fork length or greater) in the southern area. The southern area is defined as the area south of Great Egg Inlet, New Jersey south to the Gulf of Mexico.

This notice outlines the procedure for obtaining a 2023 Atlantic Tunas Permit, which allows you to commercially fish for and/or retain Atlantic bluefin, yellowfin, skipjack, albacore, and bigeye tunas; a Swordfish General Commercial Permit, which allows you to commercially fish for and/or retain Atlantic Swordfish; an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling Permit, which allows you to recreationally fish for and/or retain any regulated Atlantic HMS (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish, or billfish); or an HMS Charter/Headboat Permit, which is required by vessels taking fee paying passengers fishing for or retaining HMS. The permits issued for the 2023 season will be valid from the date of issuance through December 31, 2023. The permit fee will vary between $26.00 and $52.00 depending on the permit you apply for, and is payable by credit card (Visa, Master Card, Discover, or American Express) or check/money order. You will need your Atlantic tunas or your Atlantic HMS permit number to renew your permit for this up-coming season. If you do not have your permit number from last year available, you may look it up at https://hmspermits.noaa.gov using your last name, phone number, and zip code, or a Customer Service representative may assist at the number below. Please check your current permit information carefully prior to renewing your permit.

NOAA Fisheries strongly encourages fishermen to get confirmation that a dealer will buy your fish before you leave on a trip. If you land a bluefin that you are not able to sell, read on for reporting instructions. NOAA Fisheries requires bluefin tuna to be sold only to Federally permitted Atlantic tunas dealers. NOAA Fisheries has become aware that some dealers are limiting their purchases of bluefin tuna due to market conditions, and that some fishermen have not been able to sell their catch.  To ensure that landed fish are fully utilized, NOAA Fisheries encourages commercial bluefin fishermen to locate a dealer that will purchase their fish prior to leaving for a fishing trip. What should I do if a fish cannot be sold? 1) Whether a bluefin is sold or not, vessel owners are required to report their entire catch of bluefin tuna retained or discarded, within 24 hours of the landing(s) or end of each trip by one of these following methods. A report confirmation number is provided upon successful reporting: • Reporting online via the this website (HMS Permit Shop) • Using the HMS Catch Reporting App on a smartphone or similar device • Calling 888-872-8862 (Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.). 2) In addition to the above, if a fish cannot be sold, the vessel operator MUST contact NOAA Fisheries at 978-281-9213 and report the fish, immediately upon landing. If requested, the fish must be made available to enforcement for tagging. Alternatively, the vessel operator can request that an Atlantic tunas dealer tag the bluefin tuna and then report it as being “landed but not sold,” but this is solely at the dealer’s discretion.

NOAA Fisheries is reminding commercial Highly Migratory Species (HMS) vessel permit holders that they are required to obtain a United States Coast Guard (USCG) Commercial Fishing Vessel Dockside Safety Examination. Effective October 15, 2015, the law requires completion of a mandatory dockside safety exam at least once every five years. See USCG Marine Safety Information Bulletin, or MSIB, 12-15 for clarification about the five-year mandatory dockside safety exam. Commercial fishing means: a vessel that commercially engages in the catching, taking, or harvesting of fish which, either in whole or in part, is intended to enter commerce through sale, barter, or trade. So, whether your vessel is USCG documented or State registered, if you catch fish beyond 3 nautical miles with the intent to sell them, you are operating a commercial fishing vessel. The USCG categorizes vessels that hold one or more of the follow HMS permits as commercial fishing vessels subject to mandatory dockside safety exams: • Atlantic Tunas General Category • Atlantic Tunas Harpoon Category • HMS Charter/Headboat Category • General Commercial Swordfish • Atlantic Tunas Longline • Atlantic Tunas Purse Seine • Shark Directed Limited Access • Shark Incidental Limited Access • Atlantic Smoothhound • Swordfish Directed Limited Access • Swordfish Incidental Limited Access • Swordfish Harpoon Limited Access Commercial fishing vessels are required to comply with the commercial fishing vessel safety regulations found in 46 CFR Part 28. For more info about dockside safety exams and how to obtain a decal: https://www.uscg.mil/msib/docs/012_15_10-20-2015.pdf USCG has a helpful tool to assist vessel owners/operators prepare their fishing vessel prior to examination. Commercial Fishing Vessel Checklist Generator: https://www.uscg.mil/d13/cfvs/test/1ChecklistCover.html This notice is a courtesy to commercial HMS permit holders to help keep you informed about the fishery. For additional information, call (978) 281-9260, or go to hmspermits.noaa.gov. Official notice of Federal fishery actions is made through filing such notice with the Office of the Federal Register.

Regulations implemented under the authority of the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act governing the harvest of Highly Migratory Species (HMS), including tunas, sharks, swordfish, and billfish by persons and vessels subject to U.S. jurisdiction are found at 50 CFR part 635. Under these regulations vessels are required to posses a permit to fish for HMS, regardless of fishing recreationally or commercially. These permits are legally issued to ONLY those vessels that have a valid registration, which can be verified with the U.S. Coast Guard or by the issuing State. No temporary registrations are allowed. It is unlawful for any person or vessel subject to these regulations to falsify information required on the application, and if discovered the responsible parties may be prosecuted.

The Large Pelagics Survey (LPIS) collects length data on recreationally landed Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT). The LPS Procedures Manual (prior to 2005) specified that interviewers should measure and record the straight fork length (SFL) of BFT, not the curved fork length (CFL) that is used to define size classes for management purposes. Recently, some members of the recreational and commercial fishing industry have questioned whether or not this procedure has been consistently followed in the field. Some individuals have reported seeing LPS interviewers measuring CFLs of landed BFT. Therefore, they have raised a concern that the interviewers may actually have been recording CFLs rather than SFLs. The CFL of a given fish is greater than its SFL by some small factor (typically between 1-5%). If such errors have occurred, then LPS estimates of landed weight of BFT by size category would most likely be positively biased since length data are converted to weights for landings estimates. This evaluation was conducted to: 1) determine the extent to which CFLs were mistakenly recorded, and the extent to which such errors may have biased the overall BFT landed weight estimate, and 2) investigate the effects that biased measurements could potentially have had on prior stock assessments.