This bulletin summarizes the federal permit requirements for owners/operators of commercial and party/charter vessels that possess Atlantic mackerel as bait in federal waters.
Fishermen aboard vessels with an Atlantic Tunas General or Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Charter/Headboat category permit may not retain, possess, or land large medium or giant Atlantic bluefin tuna after 11:30 p.m., February 11, 2022.
NOAA Fisheries has reallocated 164.5 metric tons (mt) of bluefin tuna quota from the Purse Seine to the Reserve category. The available quota for the 2022 Purse Seine category is 55 mt.
The Spring Gulf of Mexico and Northeastern United States Monitoring Areas for bluefin tuna will continue to be open to fishing with pelagic longline gear from April 1 - May 30, 2022 and June 1 - June 30, 2022.
NOAA Fisheries has transferred 19.5 metric tons (mt) of Atlantic bluefin tuna quota from the 28.9-mt General category December 2022 subquota to the January 2022 subquota period.
NOAA Fisheries has adjusted the Atlantic bluefin tuna General category December 2021
subquota by adding 15.5 metric tons (mt) of quota remaining from the adjusted September and October through November subquotas. The adjusted December 2021 subquota is 54.
NOAA Fisheries has transferred 9.5 metric tons (mt) of Atlantic bluefin tuna quota from the Reserve category to the General category, and 20.2 mt from the Harpoon category to the General category for the December time period.