Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Commercial Handgear Category Fisheries
Notice Regarding Landing and Reporting of Commercial Catch
NOAA Fisheries is aware that some federally permitted Atlantic tunas dealers are currently not accepting or buying Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) for a variety of market-related reasons.
We encourage operators of vessels authorized to sell Atlantic BFT to contact their local Atlantic tuna dealers before departing on a trip to determine if dealers are willing to purchase resulting landings.
Who is affected?
This notice is intended primarily for General and Harpoon category permitted vessels as well as HMS Charter/Headboat category permitted vessels with a commercial sale endorsement when fishing commercially for BFT. The regulations regarding fish landed but not sold apply to all commercial categories, however.
What should I do if a fish cannot be sold?
NOAA Fisheries regulations (50 CFR 635.5 and 635.31) require BFT to be sold only to Atlantic tunas dealers.
In the event a fish cannot be sold, the vessel operator must contact a NOAA Fisheries enforcement agent at 978-281-9213 immediately upon landing the BFT and, if requested, make the fish available to enforcement for tagging. Alternatively, an Atlantic tunas dealer can tag the BFT and report it as being “landed but not sold,” but this is solely at the dealer’s discretion.
All BFT landed but not sold will be applied to the quota category according to the permit of the vessel from which it was landed.
Catch reporting
In addition to the above, vessel owners are required to report their own catch of all BFT 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.).
NOAA Fisheries regulations at 50 CFR 635.21(a)(1) require that all BFT that are released be handled in a manner that will maximize survivability, and without removing the fish from the water. For additional information on safe handling, see the Careful Catch and Release brochure.
This notice is a courtesy to BFT fishery permit holders to help keep you informed about the fishery. Official notice of federal fishery actions is made through filing such notice with the Office of the Federal Register.
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