Tuna quota info.

[Bite Me]

Don't know if everyone saw this. Updated last week.

Good news, bad news, no news, no tuna?

What do you guys think



News last updated: 10/27/2006
General Category 3 Fish Bag Limit Extended and Restricted Fishing Days waived for November
The daily Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) retention limit for vessels fishing under the General category quota has been raised to 3 large medium or giant BFT (73 inches or greater) per vessel per day/trip for the month of November. In addition all previously scheduled Restricted Fishing Days (RFDs) are waived. These actions are being taken to enhance commercial General category BFT fishing opportunities for all geographic areas. On December 1, 2006, the retention limit is scheduled to revert to one BFT per vessel and all scheduled RFDs for the months of December and January remain as published in the Final BFT quota and effort controls specifications. Additional inseason adjustments may be made, as necessary.

Landings of Large Medium and Giant Bluefin to date
As of 10/25/2006 fishing year landings of Atlantic bluefin tuna are as follows: The Coastwide General Category has landed 95.5 mt out of 1163.3 mt to date. The Harpoon category: 22.2 mt out of 124.0 mt to date. Longline North: 17.8 out of 150.4 mt to date. Longline South: 2.5 mt out of 117.8 mt to date. Purse Seine: 3.6 mt out of 624.1 mt to date. Landings updates will be made as necessary.

NEW 2006 FISHING YEAR HMS COMPLIANCE GUIDE NOW AVAILABLE
Go to the Library for more information.

School Bluefin Tuna Fishery Closed
Reminder: As of 11:59 p.m., September 14, 2006, the fishery for Atlantic school bluefin tuna (27 inches to less than 47 inches) closed in all areas.

Recreational Atlantic Tunas Retention Limits
The recreational daily bluefin tuna (BFT) retention limit through May 31, 2007, is 2 BFT (47 inches to less than 73 inches) per vessel per day/trip, effective in all areas, for the entire fishing year. Also, vessels fishing under the Angling category may retain 1 BFT (73 inches or greater) per vessel per year as a “trophy” fish for the boat. The recreational yellowfin tuna daily retention limit is 3 yellowfin/person. The minimum size for yellowfin and bigeye tuna is 27" curved fork length. There are no recreational limits for bigeye, skipjack or albacore tunas.

Other HMS Recreational Limits
The recreational daily swordfish retention limit is 1 fish per person, with a maximum of 3 fish per vessel. The minimum size for swordfish within the recreational fishery is 47 inches, lower jaw-fork length. You may not keep longbill spearfish. There are no retention limits for Atlantic sailfish, blue marlin and white marlin, but the NOAA Fisheries encourages recreational anglers to release all billfish alive. The minimum sizes for billfish are as follows: Blue Marlin: 99 inches lower jaw fork length; White Marlin: 66 inches lower jaw fork length; Sailfish: 63 inches lower jaw fork length; Spearfish: Retention prohibited. Lower jaw fork length is a straight line measurement from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork of the caudal fin. The recreational limit on sharks is 1 shark per vessel per trip with a minimum size of 54 inches fork length; plus on Atlantic sharpnose shark per person per trip(no minimum size); plus 1 bonnethead hark per person per trip (no minimum size). None of these fish may be sold, and all must be reported.

Atlantic Tunas Program for June 1, 2006 - May 31, 2007
For more information please visit the library and click on 2006 TUNA REGULATION BROCHURE.

NMFS Announces 2006 Bluefin Quotas and Effort Controls
For a full description of this action please visit the library. The BFT retention limits are as follows: The coastwide General category Atlantic BFT fishery will reopen on June 1, 2006. The daily retention limit will be three large medium or giant BFT (73 inches or greater) per vessel per day/trip from June 1 through August 31, 2006. The coastwide recreational Atlantic BFT fishery is currently open in all areas. The recreational daily BFT retention limit through May 31 is 1 BFT/vessel/day/trip, measuring 47 to less than 73" CFL. Starting on June1, the daily retention limit will be 2 BFT (47 inches to less than 73 inches) per vessel per day/trip, effective in all areas, for the entire fishing year. In addition, vessels fishing under the Angling category may retain 1 BFT (73 inches or greater) per vessel per year as a “trophy” fish for the boat. Also, There will be 2 windows of opportunity to harvest school BFT (27 inches to less than 47 inches) during the 2006 season. The school BFT fishery will be open in the southern area, defined as south of 39° 18' N. lat. or approximately Great Egg Inlet, NJ, from July 1 to 21, 2006, during which time a retention limit of 1 school size BFT per day/trip will be in effect. In the northern area, defined as north of 39° 18' N. lat., a retention limit of 1 school size BFT per day/trip will be in effect from August 25, 2006, to September 14, 2006. The school retention limit is in addition to the retention limit for large school/small medium BFT. The recreational yellowfin tuna daily retention limit is 3 yellowfin/person. The minimum size for yellowfin and bigeye tuna is 27" curved fork length. There are no recreational limits for bigeye, skipjack or albacore tunas.

LPS BFT Length Validation Assessment Paper
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 ABT landed weight estimate, and 2) investigate the effects that biased measurements could potentially have had on prior stock assessments.

2006 PERMITS NOW AVAILABLE
This system is now issuing Atlantic tunas, HMS Angling, and HMS Charter/Headboat permits for the 2006 season. Permits currently issued by this system are valid from the date issued through May 31, 2007.


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[hotrodmarlin]

Interesting- don't know what to think reallly. I don't remember a November bite in the last couple of years so I don't think the 3/day means much and NMFS seems to change their minds daily. I just hope a few more fish show up (preferably on the deck of my boat) this year.

[whitey]

Thats good news for the New England boys who are catching them now but bad for you guys in NC. There will be less quota for you guys to fill when the fish finally show.

[Sea Draggin]

Thats good news for the New England boys who are catching them now but bad for you guys in NC. There will be less quota for you guys to fill when the fish finally show.

95 tons out of 1100. Not much to worry about there, not that its going to help us. The only thing that will help is to basically stopping all BFT fishing for 15 years according to B.B.

http://www.iccat.es/Documents/Meetin...E-014%20EN.pdf

Heres a good read - pages 51-67

[hotrodmarlin]

Thats good news for the New England boys who are catching them now but bad for you guys in NC. There will be less quota for you guys to fill when the fish finally show.

I heard some of the New England boys have had it pretty rough the past couple of years with fewer fish and higher fuel prices. I've felt sorry for some of the boats that make the long trek to NC and there are no fish. I hope the bite turns on for you northern guys these next few months. Then I hope it goes frickin crazy in NC! Hopefully there will be enough to go around.

[chum1up]

Its more of a Lack of Bait and that we have DOGS EVERYWHERE....the bait will stack up for a couple days the tuna will more in and guys will hook some fish, but u go back the next day and you will find dogs top to bottom and 15 midwaters= NO BAIT= NO TUNA.. kick the mid waters out of 1a, greatly reduce the dog fish pop and you'll see that quota fly. the tuna are just staying offshore where the bait is...instead of wasting there time in the GOM

[bigeasy]

Its more of a Lack of Bait and that we have DOGS EVERYWHERE....the bait will stack up for a couple days the tuna will more in and guys will hook some fish, but u go back the next day and you will find dogs top to bottom and 15 midwaters= NO BAIT= NO TUNA.. kick the mid waters out of 1a, greatly reduce the dog fish pop and you'll see that quota fly. the tuna are just staying offshore where the bait is...instead of wasting there time in the GOM

It was my impression last year that there were less menhaden than in previous years. They are the major bait source in the NC area. Two years ago the fisheries people did a stomach survey on bluefins and they were stuffed with menhaden. It was hard for the boys off Hatteras inlet yesterday to find menhaden for live bait king mackeral fishing. A good question is posed- fewer bluefins or not enough food to hold the fish.

[WAHOONBOX]

MY CONTACTS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE ....CAPE COD AND MAINE TELL ME THAT BFT FISHING HAS SUCKED SO FAR THIS YEAR.....AND THAT CANADA IS KICKING ASS WITH THEM......AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT JAPAN, SPAIN AND THE MORROCONS ARE DOING WITH THEM


I HEARD OF THE SHORT LIVED BITE ABOUT A MONTH AGO IN THE MUDHOLE AREA I BELIEVE ......BUT FOOD IS THE KEY.....BUNKER BUNKER BUNKER


IN READING THE LAWYER JARGON THAT THE NMFS POSTED HERE ....I SEE THE WORD RETENTION HERE..............MAY MANY TIMES

WEBSTER SITES THE DEFINITION OF RETENTION AS :

Main Entry: re·ten·tion
Pronunciation: ri-'ten(t)-sh&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English retencioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin retention-, retentio, from retinEre to retain -- more at RETAIN
1 a : the act of retaining : the state of being retained b : abnormal retaining of a fluid or secretion in a body cavity
2 a : power of retaining : RETENTIVENESS b : an ability to retain things in mind; specifically : a preservation of the aftereffects of experience and learning that makes recall or recognition possible
3 : something retained


THEN I READ ABOVE IN LOU'S PASTE OF THE NMFS AND I QUOTE: There are no retention limits for Atlantic sailfish, blue marlin and white marlin, but the NOAA Fisheries encourages recreational anglers to release all billfish alive.


WELL BLOW ME DOWN! I ALWAYS THOUGHT THERE WAS A RETENTION LIMIT ON BILLFISH....NO RETENTIONS LIMITS THAT MEANS BY WEBSTERS STANDARDS THAT WE CAN KEEP-RETAIN... AS MANY AS WE WISH......OR AM I A DUMBASS HERE? THEY WANT US -ENCOURAGE US TO RELEASE AND WE DO!!! BUT THERE IS NO RETENTION LIMITS.................WELL BLOW ME DOWN....WOW

AND I AM SO THANKFUL THAT NOAA FISHERIES IS ENCOURAGING ME-US THIS YEAR TO DO THIS.............."ENCOURAGE" ???? WHAT THE HECK KIND OF STATEMENT IS THAT????? HECK WE HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR DECADES TO ENCOURAGE THE NOAA FISHERIES TO DO THIS AND DO THAT AND THEY VERY SELDOM TAKE HEED......BUT NOW....NOW THEY WISH TO "ENCOURAGE "US?

PLEASE...GIVE US A BREAK HERE....WE WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THE NOAA FISHERIES....THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES THE EECVY...THE ICUP....AND THE NAAATP...... TO DO SOMETHING NOW .....GET OFF THEIR ASSES AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE FOREIGN ASSHOLE COUNTRIES THAT ARE WRECKING HAVOC ON THE WORLD FISHERY..........NOW THAT WOULD BE ENCOURAGING.

[teamtuna]

the bait issue is herring, that's what the midwater boats are targeting. there was a little bite of chatam before the storm, hopefully it will continue. But there is no way we will put a major dent in the quota.
team

[hotrodmarlin]

The menhaden plant in Beaufort NC has finally shut down. Maybe that will help us a little this year.