Contact: Gordon Helm FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
7/24/96
The 1996 Atlantic bluefin tuna Harpoon category annual quota of 53 metric tons has been reached, and the category will be closed for the rest of the year, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced. The closure takes effect today, July 24, at 11:30 p.m.
In addition, fisheries service managers have determined the June/July 1996 quota of 133 metric tons (mt) for large medium and giant Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABT) in the General category has been reached and that fishery will be closed through July 31, 1996. Fishing for, retaining, possessing or landing large medium or giant ABT by vessels in the General category must cease at 11:30 p.m. local time on July 24, 1996. The General category will reopen Aug. 1, 1996, with a quota of 186 mt for the August period.
These actions are being taken to prevent overharvest of these categories.
The fisheries service has also announced a transfer of 10 metric tons of large medium and giant ABT from the longline-south Incidental subcategory to the longline-north Incidental subcategory. Fishermen landing ABT under the longline-south Incidental subcategory are not likely to achieve the full 1996 allocation. Therefore, fisheries managers believe this reallocation will extend the season for the longline-north Incidental subcategory, ensure additional collection of biological assessment and monitoring data, and prevent waste of ABT that might otherwise be discarded. The longline inseason transfer became effective July 23.