FishWatch

Harvesting Bluefin Tuna

U.S. fishermen harvest bluefin tuna with purse seines and handgear (rod and reel, handline, and harpoon). They generally target schools of tuna, and these fishing gears are fairly selective and allow for the live release of any unintentionally caught species. Fishing gear used to catch bluefin tuna rarely contacts the ocean floor and therefore has minimal impact on habitat.

Although fishermen are not allowed to use pelagic longline gear to target bluefin tuna directly, strict regulations allow them to retain a limited number of bluefin tuna caught incidentally while fishing for other species such as swordfish and yellowfin tuna. NOAA Fisheries requires pelagic longliners fishing for swordfish and yellowfin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico to use “weak hooks” to reduce the number of bluefin tuna that are incidentally caught and help rebuild the depleted bluefin tuna population.

Management

Who’s in charge? Management of highly migratory species such as bluefin tuna is complicated because these species migrate thousands of miles across oceans and international borders and are fished by many nations. Effective conservation and management of these resources require international cooperation as well as strong domestic management. With Atlantic bluefin tuna, NOAA Fisheries Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Management Division sets regulations for the U.S. fishery based on conservation and management recommendations from ICCAT, consistent with applicable U.S. laws.

Current management:
International: Taking into consideration the results of the most recent stock assessment, ICCAT member nations develop new conservation and management measures as needed. ICCAT sets and allocates western Atlantic bluefin tuna quotas by country. The total allowable catch is set for 1,750 metric tons for 2011 and 2012. There has been a history of strong compliance with these quotas and other conservation measures in the western Atlantic

ICCAT began to limit catches of eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna in the mid-1990s. Unfortunately, limits were set in excess of scientific advice and compliance was poor for many years. However, adherence to individual quotas in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean has greatly improved in the past few years and catch limits are within the range of scientific advice and are expected to support continued growth, provided parties comply with the agreed limits. The United States does not fish in the eastern Atlantic; however, because the two stocks sometimes mix, management of the larger stock in the eastern Atlantic can have an impact on the western stock.

Domestic: Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan

• Annual quotas and limits on the amount of fish a vessel can keep per trip, seasons, gear restrictions, and minimum size limits, all designed to manage total U.S. harvests to conform to ICCAT recommendations.
• Regulations prohibit directed fishing for bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico due to the area’s value as an important spawning ground, but regulations allow for a limited number of incidentally caught bluefin tuna to be retained by the Gulf of Mexico pelagic longline fleet.
• Pelagic longliners fishing for yellowfin tuna and swordfish in the Gulf of Mexico must now use “weak hooks” to reduce the number of bluefin tuna caught unintentionally. These regulations are designed to manage total U.S. catches consistent with ICCAT recommendations.
• Vessels must have a permit to fish for, retain, possess, or sell Atlantic bluefin tuna and must report landings of all bluefin tuna. They can only sell to permitted dealers.
• Management also regulates trade of Atlantic bluefin tuna – all fish dealers purchasing regulated Atlantic tunas from vessels holding an Atlantic tunas permit or an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species permit must obtain an Atlantic tunas dealer permit. An International Trade Permit is required for the international trade of all fresh or frozen bluefin tunas.
• NOAA Fisheries monitors the bluefin tuna fishery and has the authority to take in-season actions (such as closing fisheries and adjusting retention limits) to ensure available quotas are not exceeded or to enhance scientific data collection from, and fishing opportunities in all geographic areas.
• Federal management for Atlantic tunas apply to state waters as well, except in Maine, Connecticut, and Mississippi; NOAA Fisheries periodically reviews these states’ regulations to make sure they’re consistent with federal regulations.

Annual Harvest

Over half the global catch comes from the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean. ICCAT implemented harvest quotas for the western stock in 1982, and since then total western Atlantic catch has been relatively stable. U.S. commercial and recreational fishermen caught 800 metric tons of bluefin tuna (landings and dead discards) from the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico in 2010. U.S. catch comprised 44 percent of total western Atlantic bluefin tuna catch and 6 percent of Atlantic-wide bluefin tuna catch (including the Mediterranean Sea).

Economy

Ex-vessel prices (the price fishermen receive for their catch) for bluefin tuna have risen by over 50 percent since 2003. The ex-vessel price depends on a number of factors, including the quality of the fish (e.g., freshness, fat content, method of storage), the weight of the fish, the supply of fish, and consumer demand. Specifically, bluefin prices are influenced by many factors, including market supply and the Japanese yen / U.S. dollar exchange rate. In 2010, the annual ex-vessel revenue for the fishery was almost $7.8 million.

Over half of U.S. Atlantic bluefin catch is exported, mainly to the sushi markets in Japan. Exports of Atlantic bluefin tuna generally increase when commercial landings increase; domestic consumption of U.S. landings of Atlantic bluefin remain fairly constant from year to year.

In addition, recreational fishing for highly migratory species such as bluefin tuna also provides significant economic benefits to coastal communities through individual angler expenditures, recreational charters, tournaments, and the shoreside businesses that support those activities.

Recreational

Recreationally caught Atlantic tunas may not be sold. Bluefin tuna must be larger than 27 inches to be retained. Depending on the recreational fishery, there is also a limit on the maximum size of bluefin that can be retained and a limit on the amount fishermen can keep per fishing trip. Regulations do not allow recreationally caught bluefin tuna to be retained in the Gulf of Mexico, an important spawning area for the species. All released bluefin tuna must be released in a manner that will maximize its survival, and without removing the fish from the water. For the latest information on current retention limits, see www.hmspermits.gov.