Highly migratory fish travel long distances and often cross domestic and international boundaries. These pelagic species live in the water of the open ocean, although they may spend part of their life cycle in nearshore waters. Highly migratory species managed by NOAA Fisheries include tunas, some sharks, swordfish, billfish, and other highly sought-after fish such as Pacific mahi mahi.
These highly migratory species are targeted by U.S. commercial and recreational fishermen and by foreign fishing fleets. Because they migrate long distances and live primarily in the open ocean, only a small fraction of the total harvest of these species is taken within U.S. waters.
In the United States, NOAA Fisheries sustainably manages highly migratory species under the Magnuson-Stevens Act in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans:
- Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean)
- West Coast Highly Migratory Species
Responsible management also requires international cooperation through a number of agreements and regional fishery management organizations (or RFMOs) including the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna, Commission on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Species News
Pacific cod yolk sac larva. Photo: NOAA Fisheries.
Subsurface water clarity has a major impact on marine ecosystems and commercially important species like Alaska pollock. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.
Whale shark swimming and feeding at the surface. Photos and video taken under NOAA research permit.
Multimedia
Research
Southwest Fisheries Science Center Stock Assessments
Population assessments are a key component of marine resource management. These assessments allow us to evaluate and report the status of managed fisheries, marine mammals, and endangered/threatened species under the authorities of the Magnuson-Stevens…
Atlantic Salmon Ecosystems Research Team Publications
Publications related to the research by the Atlantic Salmon Ecosystem Research Team in support of…
Fishery Monitoring for West Coast and International Fisheries
Staff in the highly migratory species Fisheries Monitoring Program collaborate with partners at NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Regional Office, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, the state fisheries agencies of California, Oregon, and Washington,…
Population Dynamics of Coastal Pelagic and Highly Migratory Species in the North Pacific
The Fish Population Dynamics and Modeling Program conducts analyses in support of the Pacific Fishery Management Council's Fishery Management Plans for coastal pelagics species and highly migratory species. We also conduct analyses in support of U.S…
International Collaboration
Fish and other marine animals travel beyond national boundaries.
