Highly migratory fish travel long distances and often cross domestic and international boundaries. These pelagic species live in the water of the open ocean, although they may spend part of their life cycle in nearshore waters. Highly migratory species managed by NOAA Fisheries include tunas, some sharks, swordfish, billfish, and other highly sought-after fish such as Pacific mahi mahi.
These highly migratory species are targeted by U.S. commercial and recreational fishermen and by foreign fishing fleets. Because they migrate long distances and live primarily in the open ocean, only a small fraction of the total harvest of these species is taken within U.S. waters.
In the United States, NOAA Fisheries sustainably manages highly migratory species under the Magnuson-Stevens Act in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans:
- Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean)
- West Coast Highly Migratory Species
Responsible management also requires international cooperation through a number of agreements and regional fishery management organizations (or RFMOs) including the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna, Commission on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Species News
The Bering Sea cold pool, a bottom water mass that is < 0-2o C resulting when winter sea ice recedes affects fish movement. Warmer water temperatures and reduced sea ice in recent years resulted in shrinkage of the cold pool. Figure: NOAA Fisheries.
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Research
Southwest Fisheries Science Center Stock Assessments
Population assessments are a key component of marine resource management. These assessments allow us to evaluate and report the status of managed fisheries, marine mammals, and endangered/threatened species under the authorities of the Magnuson-Stevens…
Study Shows Pollock Stocks are Mixing More Due to Changing Ocean Conditions and Weather Patterns
New research confirms movement of adult and young pollock between Russian and U.S. waters. Scientists from the NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Research's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and the Russian Research Institute of Fisheries…
Meet the Fishermen Involved in Cooperative Research
The Northeast Fisheries Science Center works with our region’s commercial fishing community to collect data that help us better understand ocean ecosystems and improve fisheries management. Their partnership is critical to the future of sustainable…
Atlantic Salmon Ecosystems Research Team Publications
Publications related to the research by the Atlantic Salmon Ecosystem Research Team in support of…
International Collaboration
Fish and other marine animals travel beyond national boundaries.
