# 2026-15878: No more giant tuna trophies in Gulf of Maine this year

2026-15878, Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fisheries; Closure of the Angling Category Gulf of Maine Area Trophy Fishery for 2026, is a Federal Register rule from Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published 2026-08-05, effective 2026-08-04; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15878
- As of: 2026-08-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-15878
- Title: Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fisheries; Closure of the Angling Category Gulf of Maine Area Trophy Fishery for 2026
- Type: Rule
- Agencies: Commerce Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Citation: 91 FR 50483
- Published: 2026-08-05
- Effective: 2026-08-04
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-08-12

## In one line

No more giant tuna trophies in Gulf of Maine this year

## Summary

NMFS closes the Angling category Gulf of Maine area fishery for large medium and giant ("trophy" (i.e., measuring 73 inches (185 centimeters (cm)) curved fork length or greater)) Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT). This action applies to Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling and HMS Charter/Headboat permitted vessels when fishing recreationally.

## Effects PRIA read

- Gulf of Maine Trophy Fishery Closed: cost, medium. You (if fishing recreationally aboard an HMS Angling or HMS Charter/Headboat permitted vessel) may not retain, possess, or land large medium or giant Atlantic bluefin tuna measuring 73 inches (185 cm) curved fork length or greater in the Gulf of Maine starting at 11:30 p.m. local time on August 4,…
- All Trophy Areas Closed for 2026: cost, high. With the Gulf of Maine trophy subquota exceeded, the Angling category trophy bluefin tuna fishery is closed in all trophy areas for 2026. That means no retention of trophy BFT (73 inches / 185 cm or greater) is allowed anywhere under the Angling trophy subquotas for the rest of the 2026 fishing yea…
- Catch-and-Release Still Allowed: benefit, low. During the closure you may still catch and release or tag and release Atlantic bluefin tuna of all sizes when fishing recreationally from HMS Angling and HMS Charter/Headboat permitted vessels, but released fish must be handled to maximize survival and should not be removed from the water. These ac…
- 24-Hour Catch Reporting Requirement: cost, low. Owners of HMS Angling and HMS Charter/Headboat permitted vessels must report the catch of all bluefin tuna retained or discarded dead within 24 hours of landing or trip end, by using https://hmspermits.noaa.gov, the HMS Catch Reporting app, or calling (888) 872-8862. This reporting requirement rema…

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## Sources
- [2026-15878 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/05/2026-15878/atlantic-highly-migratory-species-atlantic-bluefin-tuna-fisheries-closure-of-the-angling-category)
- [2026-15878 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-05/pdf/2026-15878.pdf)

## Related
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- [Next: 2026-15886, Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of America, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish Fish…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15886)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15878 (as of 2026-08-12).