Bluefin Tuna Season Shut Down: Fishermen Told to Catch and Release
Published Date: 1/16/2026
Rule
Summary
Starting January 14, 2026, the General category fishery for Atlantic bluefin tuna will be closed until March 31, 2026. This means commercial fishermen with the right permits can’t keep or sell big bluefin tuna during this time but can still catch and release them. The fishery will reopen automatically on June 1, giving fishermen a fresh chance to fish and sell bluefin tuna again.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Bluefin Tuna General Fishery Closed Jan–Mar 2026
Starting 11:30 p.m. local time on January 14, 2026, commercial General category vessels and HMS Charter/Headboat vessels fishing commercially may NOT retain, possess, or land large medium or giant Atlantic bluefin tuna (measuring 73 inches / 185 cm curved fork length or greater) through March 31, 2026. During the closure you may still catch and tag-and-release bluefin tuna of any size if you follow the tag-and-release and safe-handling rules. The fishery will automatically reopen June 1, 2026 (initial retention limit: three large medium/giant BFT per vessel per day/trip), and on July 1, 2026 restricted-fishing days will begin and the retention limit on open days will decrease to one large medium/giant BFT per vessel per day/trip through August 31, 2026.
24-Hour Dealer and Vessel Reporting Requirement
Dealers must submit landing reports within 24 hours of receiving any bluefin tuna. Owners of General and HMS Charter/Headboat category vessels must report any BFT retained or discarded dead within 24 hours of landing(s) or the end of each trip via https://hmspermits.noaa.gov, the HMS Catch Reporting app, or by calling 888-872-8862. Late reporting can compromise quota monitoring and may result in enforcement actions.
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