General Category Bluefin Tuna Fishery to Close for October through November
Summary
NOAA Fisheries has transferred 40 metric tons (mt) to the General category Atlantic bluefin tuna October through November subquota period from the Reserve category. With that transfer complete, the General category bluefin tuna fishery will close effective 11:30 p.m. on October 9, 2020.
How long is the closure in effect?
The General category bluefin tuna fishery will reopen on December 1, 2020, with the default daily retention limit of one fish per vessel.
Why is this change being made?
We expect that the General category October through November subquota of 112.2 mt—the total following this transfer—will be reached shortly.
Who is affected?
This action applies to all vessels permitted in the Atlantic Tunas General category and Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat category (with a commercial sale endorsement when fishing commercially for bluefin tuna).
Reporting
Atlantic tunas General, Harpoon, and HMS Charter/Headboat category vessel owners are required to report all bluefin tuna retained or discarded dead within 24 hours of the landing(s) or end of each trip by:
- Accessing the HMS Permit Shop.
- Using the HMS Catch Reporting app.
- Calling (888) 872-8862 (Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.)