NOAA 98-R118
Contact: Gordon Helm               FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                   4/1/98

Landings of Atlantic bluefin tuna were within U.S. national quota limits for 1997, thanks to better management tools and effective catch monitoring by the National Marine Fisheries Service and increased cooperation by fishermen, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today.

Had the United States exceeded the internationally set quota, U.S. fishermen would have faced quota reductions equal to the amount of Atlantic bluefin tuna they overharvested.

"The National Marine Fisheries Service has delivered on my personal promise to improve our management of the Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery, in large part to keep U.S. fishermen from being penalized for inadvertently exceeding internationally set quotas," said Rolland Schmitten, director of the fisheries service.

The fisheries service's highly migratory species management division closely monitored Atlantic bluefin tuna catch rates throughout the season, and was able to use newly adopted management tools to close down the fisheries before sub-quotas in individual categories and the overall U.S. quota were exceeded. Managers conducted comprehensive dockside and telephone surveys for recreationally caught fish, and better utilized the extensive dealer reporting system for commercially caught fish to stay within quotas.

"As a result of close monitoring, no user group exceeded its 1997 catch allocation," said highly migratory species management division chief Rebecca Lent. "Some user groups did not catch all of their portions, and the 1998 proposed quota allocations reflect increases from 1997 due to the addition of quota that was not landed."

Because the 1997 total quota was not reached, and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) allows for a carryover in 1998 of unharvested quota, the United States can land 1,403 metric tons (mt) of Atlantic bluefin tuna this year without exceeding its quota. The 1998 proposed allocation among the user groups is: General - 657 mt; Harpoon - 53 mt; Incidental - 114 mt; Purse Seine - 250 mt; Angling - 277 mt; Reserve - 52 mt.

The amount of bluefin tuna the United States is allowed to catch is determined by ICCAT, the international treaty organization responsible for conservation recommendations for Atlantic tunas, swordfish, and billfish.

Once the United States total quota is determined through ICCAT, the national quota is then allocated among the various U.S. user groups. The U.S. quota of Atlantic bluefin for 1997 was 1,344 metric tons (mt), of which 1,046 mt were divided among four commercial sector fisheries, and 265 mt were allocated to the recreational sector. An additional 33 mt were allocated to an in-season reserve.

Landings by the commercial sector totaled approximately 28 mt less than the quota, recreational landings are estimated to be approximately 12 mt under the Angling category quota, and about 19 mt remain in the in-season reserve. In addition to keeping within its overall national quota, ICCAT requires that no more than 8 percent of the U.S. quota be school sized (27 inches to less than 47 inches in length) ABT. School sized landings for 1997 are 104 mt, just below the eight percent cap of 108 mt.

With rules published in 1997, the fisheries service finalized a new tuna permit program to improve catch and fishing effort information; prohibited bluefin tuna fishing by General category permit holders on restricted-fishing days and prohibited retention of smaller size fish by General category fishers; prohibited the use of aircraft to assist Harpoon and Purse Seine permitted vessels; and split the Angling large school/small medium and trophy category quotas into North/South sub-quotas. The changes to the Angling category regulations should allow fishermen from a greater geographical area to pursue bluefin tuna for a longer period of time and lengthen the fishing season.

The new changes to bluefin tuna regulations were the result of comments and suggestions from fishermen and stakeholders, and a commitment by fisheries service director Schmitten to make needed management improvements.

ICCAT member countries have adopted a recommendation to penalize member countries that exceed minimum size tolerance levels. Member countries out of compliance must explain the magnitude of overharvest, as well as their domestic measures to avoid further overharvest, and their monitoring plans to ensure future compliance with minimum size regulations. ICCAT also adopted measures to penalize member countries that exceed their overall quota during a management period. If a member nation exceeds its quota during a management period, the overage will be deducted from the next management period's quota. If it happens again, that nation will have the overage deducted, plus a minimum 25 percent quota penalty, deducted from the following management period. If the problem persists, the violating nation could face possible trade restrictions.

Comments on the proposed Atlantic bluefin tuna allocation will be accepted through May 4, 1998. Send comments to: Rebecca Lent, Highly Migratory Species Management Division-SF/1, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.