Pacific Bluefin Tuna Commercial Harvest Status
Legal inseason actions under the final rule on domestic implementation of Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) Resolutions.
NMFS published a final rule on May 6, 2025 (90 FR 19126, May 6, 2025) implementing regulations under the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950, as amended (TCA), to implement Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) Resolution C-24-02 (“Measures for the Conservation and Management of Bluefin Tuna in the Eastern Pacific Ocean”) adopted by the IATTC in September 2024. This rule updates biennial, annual, and trip limits on United States commercial catch of Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) in the eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) for 2025-2026.
The U.S. Pacific bluefin tuna (PBF) biennial catch limit for 2025-2026 is 1,872.85 metric tons (mt), not to exceed 1,285 mt in a single year. This represents a nearly 80 percent increase from the most recent biennial catch limit. This increase resulted from international negotiations after NMFS determined that the stock is no longer overfished or experiencing overfishing.
View the final rule and supporting documents
The annual and trip limits for each year are as follows:
2025
In 2025, the annual limit is 1,285 mt. The initial trip limit for 2025 is 60 mt, and reduces as follows:
January - June:
- The trip limit reduces to 40 mt once the total catch is within 400 mt of the annual limit.
- The trip limit reduces to 5 mt once the total catch is within 225 mt of the annual limit.
July - September:
- The trip limit reduces to 40 mt once the catch is within 300 mt of the annual limit.
- The trip limit reduces to 5 mt once the total catch is within 175 mt of the annual limit.
October - December:
- The trip limit reduces to 40 mt once the catch is within 200 mt of the annual limit.
- The trip limit reduces to 5 mt once the total catch is within 125 mt of the annual limit.
2026
In 2026, the annual limit will be the total cumulative catch in 2025 subtracted from the biennial limit, not to exceed 1,285 mt. The initial trip limit for 2026 is 60 mt, and reduces as follows:
January - June:
- The trip limit reduces to 40 mt once the total catch is within 400 mt of the annual limit.
- The trip limit reduces to 5 mt once the total catch is within 225 mt of the annual limit.
July - September:
- The trip limit reduces to 40 mt once the catch is within 300 mt of the annual limit.
- The trip limit reduces to 5 mt once the total catch is within 175 mt of the annual limit.
October - December:
- The trip limit reduces to 40 mt once the catch is within 200 mt of the annual limit.
- The trip limit reduces to 5 mt once the total catch is within 125 mt of the annual limit.
Fish buyers are also required to submit, within 24 hours of landing, electronic landings receipts with Pacific bluefin tuna landings in California ports using the E-tix system.
Anyone impacted by this rule should check this webpage for updates on in-season actions.
The trip limit is 60 mt.
| Year | Regulations | Commission-wide commercial limit | Commission-wide commercial catch in the IATTC Convention Area to date | U.S. commercial catch limit | U.S. commercial catch to date1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 90 FR 19126 | 12,585 for 2025 and 2026, combined | 5,425 mt | 1,285 mt | 16.71 mt |
| 2024 | 87 FR 47939 | 7,990 mt for 2023 and 2024, combined | 2,094 mt | 720 mt | 130 mt |
| 2023 | 87 FR 47939 | 7,990 mt for 2023 and 2024, combined | 3,547 mt | 720 mt | 186 mt |
| 2022 | 87 FR 47939 | 7,295 mt for 2021 and 2022, combined | 3,544 mt | 523 mt | 369 mt |
| 2021 | 86 FR 16303 | 3,925 mt | 3,209 mt | 425 mt | 218 mt |
| 2020 | 85 FR 6101 | 6,147 mt for 2019, and 2020, combined3 | 3,493 mt | 356 mt | 233 mt |
| 2019 | 84 FR 18409 | 6,147 mt for 2019 and 2020, combined3 | 2,524 mt | 425 mt | 275 mt |
| 2018 | 83 FR 13203 | 6,600 mt for 2017 and 2018, combined | 2,548 mt | 114 mt | 66 mt |
| 2017 | 6,600 mt for 2017 and 2018, combined | 4,130 mt | 425 mt | 487 mt
Limit determined to be exceeded | |
| 2016 | 81 FR 2110 | 6,600 mt for 2015 and 2016, combined | 3,065 mt | 425 mt | 356 mt |
| 2015 | 80 FR 38986 | 3,180 mt | 425 mt | 98 mt | |
| 2014 | 5,000 mt | Limit determined to be reached + | 500 mt4 | 408 mt caught as of November 13, 2014 | |
| 2013 | 78 FR 33240 | 3,295 mt5 | Limit determined to be reached in July | 500 mt4 | 11 mt caught |
1 Catch data is presented in a manner consistent with data confidentiality standards under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
2 Precise estimate is not provided due to confidentiality restrictions.
3 Accounts for over-harvest by Mexico (483 mt) or under-harvest by the United States (30 mt) from 2017-2018 catch limit. Resolution C-18-02 specifies that under-harvest up to 5 percent of the previous biennial, or two-year, limit may be added to the current biennial limit.
4 The U.S. catch limit is notwithstanding the Commission-wide limit.
5 IATTC Resolution C-12-09 established a Commission-wide limit of 10,000 mt for 2012 and 2013. NOAA Fisheries implemented the resolution in 2013 when 3,295 mt of the Commission-wide limit remained after the IATTC Director determined that 6,705 mt had been caught by IATTC Members and Cooperating non-members in 2012.
Note: The source for 2013-2022 catch data is the International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean. 2023 and 2024 catch data are preliminary and are provided by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Pacific Fisheries Information Network. Monthly catch reports for IATTC CPCs are available on the IATTC website.
The above information is current as of May 6, 2025.
Contact
For more information, contact Karter Harmon at karter.harmon@noaa.gov or (562) 833-8324.