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 […]
NOTES 1 Currently, the best available annual estimate of dead discards for the 2017 pelagic longline fishery is the 2016 estimate of 25.0 mt. 2 The Adjusted Quota column in the table above reflects the adjusted quota as of December 31, 2017. Category quotas were adjusted by inseason and other actions during the year as shown below. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Beginning January 1, 2018 Effective January 1, 2018, requirements of the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) will apply to imports of highly migratory species (HMS), including tunas, swordfish, and sharks. Importers of HMS will be required to obtain an International Fisheries Trade Permit, and to submit import shipment data electronically through the Automated Customs […]
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species MRIP Working Group Releases Regional Implementation Plan The Atlantic Highly Migratory Species, or HMS, Working Group recently completed its MRIP Regional Implementation Plan. The plan summarizes the data needs associated with Atlantic HMS science and management, evaluates existing recreational data collections, sets priorities for their improvement and expansion, and identifies the […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
