Nominate Outstanding Steward in Coastal and Marine Habitat Conservation

Do you know someone who has done great things for coastal and marine habitat conservation?  The NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation and our partner, American Fisheries Society, are seeking nominations for the 2018 Dr. Nancy Foster Habitat Conservation Award by June 22, 2018.  See nomination instructions and eligibility details (Download File) for more information about the […]

Mid-Atlantic Council to Offer Training Workshops on…

Mid-Atlantic Council to Offer Training Workshops on Electronic Vessel Trip Reporting for the For-Hire Community The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold two workshops in February to help for-hire vessel operators prepare for upcoming electronic reporting requirements. Beginning March 12, 2018, all vessels with Federal charter or party permits for species managed by the Mid-Atlantic […]

NOAA Names Michael Pentony to Lead Greater Atlantic Region

Today, NOAA Fisheries announced that Mr. Michael Pentony is the new Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He will assume his new duties on January 22, 2018. Mr. Pentony has been with the agency since 2002, serving in a series of positions including as the Assistant Regional Administrator […]

New Trade Rule Combats Illegal, Fraudulent Seafood

Seafood traders are now required to provide more documentation for fish and fish products they wish to sell to American consumers. As of January 1, 2018, importers have new recordkeeping requirements for proving that seafood products entering the United States are legally and sustainably caught, and truthfully represented. The new rule, known as the Seafood […]

NOAA Fisheries Closes Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fishery on December 6, 2017

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) closes the General category fishery for large medium and giant Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) effective 11:30 p.m. local time, Wednesday, December 6, 2017, through December 31, 2017.  The base quota for the General category is 466.7 mt.  To date this year, NOAA Fisheries has adjusted the General category base […]

NMFS letting Long Liners back into the closed areas

Dear TBF Friends, The Office of Highly Migratory Species (NMFS), a division of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), charged with conserving and responsibly managing highly migratory fish species reversed 16 years of conservation with their approval of an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) on August 10, 2017. The permit will allow pelagic longline boats back […]

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna General Category Fishery: NMFS Transfers 156.4 mt…

  Atlantic Bluefin Tuna General Category Fishery:  NMFS Transfers 156.4 mt from the Reserve Category to the General Category for 2017   The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) adjusts the General category Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) quota by transferring 156.4 mt from the Reserve category to account for overharvests of the January, June through August, and […]

STRIPED BASS RECREATIONAL SEASON – CENTRAL SOUTHERN MANAGEMENT AREAThis proclama

This proclamation opens the harvest of striped bass taken for recreational purposes in the Central Southern Management Area. The recreational harvest season will close at 11:59 P.M. on Monday, April 30, 2018.   Braxton C. Davis, Director, Division of Marine Fisheries, hereby announces that effective at 12:01 A.M., Sunday, October 1, 2017, the harvest of […]

Hurricane Jose, Maria and Lee Path (1:00pm Sept 19th)

  This graphic shows an approximate representation of coastal areas under a hurricane warning (red), hurricane watch (pink), tropical storm warning (blue) and tropical storm watch (yellow). The orange circle indicates the current position of the center of the tropical cyclone. The black line, when selected, and dots show the National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast […]

Recently discovered data may allow red snapper fishery to open

I wanted to make you aware of some good news: it’s likely the red snapper fishery in the South Atlantic will open this year. There’s an emergency action to open the red snapper fishery on the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s agenda for its upcoming meeting on September 11-15 in Charleston, SC. The SAFMC’s preferred […]