Don't plan on catching too many school BFT's in 2005 or 2006

[Bob ECT]

Atlantic – 2005 Quotas and Effort Controls Proposed for Bluefin Tuna
NOAA Fisheries Service has proposed initial 2005 fishing year specifications for the Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery to set quotas for each of the established domestic fishing categories and to set General category effort controls. The proposed measures would be in effect for the 2005 fishing year (June 1, 2005 through May 31, 2006.) Public hearings will be held on April 8 in Gloucester, MA, and on April 11 in Morehead City, NC. Comments may be sent to: 05BFTSPECS@noaa.gov. Written comments must be received on or before April 18, 2005.

http://www.nero.noaa.gov/nero/regs/frdoc/05bftspecspr.pdf

For more information, contact Dianne.Stephan@noaa.gov.

[ragnad]

Looks like of all of the categories last year, only the recreational category had an over-harvest - exceeding by 59.4 metric tons All of the commercial categories were under their quotas, most notably the purse seine category, which was 257.6 mt below quota.

2005 quotas will be adjusted to reflect over/under harvests in 2004.

Doesn't look good for the rec guys this year.

[Thunderflight]

What is the normal boat limit?

[Sling]

Thunderflight, they will chang the limits throughout the season if past years are any indication. 1 or 2 per boat of the school sized fish has been the norm and 1 medium. Check the regs. often as they change and they will enforce the limits.

[Bob ECT]

Right now they are considering 1 per boat for the whole year or possibly no season at all on schoolies for 2005

[Capt Crunch]

"Right now they are considering 1 per boat for the whole year or possibly no season at all on schoolies for 2005"

WHAT?!?!?

[proheat]

ANGLING CATEGORY BFT FISHERY WILL CLOSE MARCH 11, 2005
NOAA Fisheries Service announces that effective 11:30 p.m. local time on March 11, 2005, the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) Angling category fishery will close in all areas. Therefore, fishing for, retaining, possessing, or landing BFT by persons aboard vessels in the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling or HMS Charter/Headboat categories must cease at 11:30 p.m. local time March 11, 2005. NOAA Fisheries Service has determined that this closure is necessary to prevent overharvest of the available quota established for the Angling category. Vessel owner/operators may continue to tag and release BFT of all sizes under a tag-and-release program, provided that all BFT are tagged with conventional tags issued or approved by NOAA Fisheries, returns such fish to the sea immediately after tagging with a minimum of injury, and reports the tagging (50 CFR § 635.26). For tagging kits please call 1-800-437-3936. For further information contact the HMS Management Division at 978-281-9260.

What about this- is this only temporary or the full year??

[TommyTuna]

it always reopens in June.

For the life of the fishery, all BFT fishing should cease for about 6-8 years (about how long it takes one to become sexually mature) to fully recover - but at $30 and more a pound, that will never happen untill the last fish is caught - the more rare they become, the higher the price those left ......

[Sling]

They'll keep it closed long enough to ensure that te eNortheast gets to keep some. Like Tommy said, it will open in June and the Mid Atlantic will get a few, then close or be reduced to 1 per boat. Commercials in the NE won't be left out. Recs. will have to suffer through several confusing changes throughout the season. Hopefull the yellowfin will be back in some numbers this season.

[Seaside25]

Bob- I assume you are talking about 1 per boat per day for the entire season? (as opposed to one all season). That wouldn't be too much of a change from last year, especially for me- I missed out on the short time they changed it to two.

Anyway, the way things are looking, I suspect that the price of fuel will do more for conservation this summer than any quota.