January 2017 Gulf Council Update

 The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council met in New Orleans, Louisiana, January 30 – February 2, 2017, to discuss a number of fishery issues. The following is a summary of the Council’s actions: Data Collection The Council took final action on a Generic Amendment to modify the frequency and method of reporting for federally […]

Final Call for MAFAC Nominations

 NOAA Fisheries seeks nominations to fill vacancies on the   Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, which advises the Secretary of Commerce on living marine resource matters. Committee members represent a wide spectrum of fisheries interests and serve up to two consecutive 3-year terms. Nominations are due February 6.  NOAA Fisheries seeks nominations to fill vacancies on […]

PERMITS FOR 2017 ARE NOW AVAILABLE

 This notice outlines the procedure for obtaining a 2017 Atlantic Tunas Permit, which allows you to commercially fish for and/or retain Atlantic bluefin, yellowfin, skipjack, albacore, and bigeye tunas; a Swordfish General Commercial Permit, which allows you to commercially fish for and/or retain Atlantic Swordfish; an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling Permit, which allows […]

Atlantic bluefin tuna: General category limit & transfer for January 2017

 NMFS transfers 16.3 metric tons (mt) of Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) quota from the 24.3-mt General category December 2017 subquota period to the January 2017 subquota period, and adjusts the Atlantic tunas General category BFT daily retention limit from the default of one to three large medium or giant BFT (measuring 73” or greater) per […]

2017 Recreational Atlantic Tunas Retention Limits

 Effective January 1, 2017, the bluefin tuna (BFT) daily retention limit is the default limit of 1 school, large school, or small medium BFT (27 to <73"). This default limit applies to both HMS Angling category-permitted vessels and HMS Charter/Headboat category-permitted vessels, and is effective for all areas except the Gulf of Mexico. The recreational […]

Coast Guard approves temporary bridge closure near Fort Lauderdale for repairs

 MIAMI — The Coast Guard approved the temporary closure Dec. 27 of the Florida East Coast Railroad Bridge to marine traffic across the New River near Fort Lauderdale.   The temporary closure of the bridge granted to All Aboard Florida is scheduled from 12:01 a.m. Feb. 11 until no later than 12:01 a.m. Feb. 23 […]

NOAA Fisheries Announces Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Catch Limits for 20

  NOAA Fisheries announces the 2017 catch limits for the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries and provides projected status quo quotas for 2018.   Fishing year 2017 (January 1-December 31, 2017) quotas are 3.4 million bushels for Atlantic surfclams, 5.3 million bushels for ocean quahogs, and 100,000 Maine bushels for Maine ocean quahogs.    […]

Antis pushing Obama for more canyon sanctuaries

Recreational Fishing Alliance  Contact:  Jim Donofrio/ 1 888 564-6732       For Immediate Release October 7, 2016 New Gretna, NJ –  On the heels of the Obama Administration creating a near 5,000 square mile national marine monument in New England, several campaigns have materialized in the past week that propose to nominate extremely popular recreational […]

Congress bars national marine monument appropriations

U.S. House Makes Strong Statement Against Marine Monument July 14, 2016 — The following was released by the National Coalition for Fishing Communities: WASHINGTON (NCFC) — The U.S. House of Representatives made a strong statement against the declaration of marine monuments last night, passing an amendment offered by Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-New York) to bar […]

The Bill of Rights

The Preamble to The Bill of Rights Congress of the United States begun and held at the City of New York, on Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine. THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in […]