Contact: Gordon Helm FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
7/19/96
The National Marine Fisheries Service will close the school Atlantic bluefin tuna component of the Angling category in waters off Delaware and states south on July 25, the agency announced today.
The fishery will close because Angling category fishermen will have caught the annual school Atlantic bluefin tuna quota of 65 metric tons by that time and fisheries managers want to prevent overharvest of the quota for this fishery. The fishery will remain closed through Dec. 31, 1996.
School Atlantic bluefin tuna are defined as those fish measuring between 27 inches and 47 inches curved fork length.
Angling category fishermen are reminded that the fishery remains open in waters north of Delaware to the Canadian border. Also, fishermen can still catch and release school Atlantic bluefin tuna in the closed area from Delaware south, as long as they are participating in the fisheries service's catch and release program.
The fisheries service, following regulations promulgated under the authority of the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act controlling the harvest of Atlantic bluefin tuna, is authorized to monitor the catch and landing statistics and, on the basis of those statistics, to project a date when the catch of Atlantic bluefin tuna will equal the annual quota. Once the quota is achieved, the fisheries service closes the fishery and prohibits retention of Atlantic bluefin tuna by those fishing in the category subject to the quota. Fishing for, retaining, or possessing any school Atlantic bluefin tuna in the closed area must cease at 2330 hours local time on July 25, 1996. In addition, landing any school Atlantic bluefin tuna in or from the closed area is prohibited.