InTheBite

  • Home
  • News
    • All News
    • Featured Stories
    • General News
    • Captain of the Year
    • Tournament Results
    • First Builds
    • Splash Reports
    • Old Salts Rule
    • Tackle Tips
    • Dock Talk
    • Crew Records
    • Conservation
  • Tournaments
    • Calendar
    • Captain of the Year
  • Shop
    • All Products
    • Subscriptions
    • Back Issues
    • Shirts
    • Hats & Visors
    • Miscellaneous
    • Release Rulers
  • Classifieds
  • Job Board
  • Contact
    • Contact InTheBite
    • InTheBite Media Kit
  • Log in

Know Your Bluefin Regulations

May 22, 2015 By InTheBite Editor

bluefin_tuna_strike

Anglers who are lucky enough to come across any bluefin tuna this year should make sure they know the new regulations this season. The passage of Amendment 7 brings new regulations for HMS Charter/Headboat and HMS Angling permit holders including the possibility for crews in the Gulf of Mexico to retain one trophy sized (>73″) per vessel per year. By allocating a portion of the trophy subquota to the Gulf of Mexico region, any boats holding a valid HMS Charter/Headboat or HMS Angling permit may retain one trophy sized bluefin per vessel per year that are incidentally caught (recreational boats cannot target bluefin in the Gulf of Mexico).
These regulations take effect May 15, 2015 and the Gulf of Mexico trophy category will remain open until the quota (roughly 8-9 fish) is filled. Anglers should be mindful to keep updated for announcements of when the trophy category closes for each region. Recreational retention limits for all other areas (North & South) are detailed below.
The recreational BFT trophy fishery (73″+) is currently open in all areas with a limit of 1 BFT measuring 73″ or greater/vessel/year.
Effective May 15, 2015, the bluefin tuna (BFT) daily retention limits are increased from the default limit of 1 BFT measuring 27-73″ to the following. For HMS Angling-permitted vessels: 1 school BFT (27 to <47″) + 1 large school/small medium BFT (47- <73″). For HMS Charter/Headboat-permitted vessels: 2 school BFT (27 to <47″) + 1 large school/small medium BFT (47- <73″). These limits are effective for all areas except the Gulf of Mexico.
HMS Charter/Headboat, Harpoon, and Angling category vessel owners are required to report the catch of all  BFT retained or discarded dead, within 24 hours of the landing(s) or end of each trip, by accessing hmspermits.noaa.gov.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Do you have any comments or questions for us? We’d love to hear from you.

    Filed Under: General News Tagged With: Bluefin Tuna

    Recent News

    us coast guard

    U.S. Coast Guard Operation Set Up to Combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in South Atlantic

      US Department of State, US Coast Guard, Jan. 20, 2021—The Department of State is supporting the U.S. Coast Guard Operation Southern Cross as part of an effort to build regional maritime security partnerships and counter illegal, unreported, … [Read More...]

    yacht rescued by coast guard

    Coast Guard assists fishing vessel 80 miles off Key West

    MIAMI, US Coast Guard, District 7 — Coast Guard rescue crews assisted the 40-foot fishing vessel Santa Maria, Thursday, Jan. 14, after the crew launched two flares signaling their distress approximately 80 miles southwest of Key West.  … [Read More...]

    operation sailfish winning teams

    Cabana, Canyon Lady, Showtime/Remix: Weekend Tournament Winners

    … [Read More...]

    showing sportfishing boats returning to Palm Beach Inlet

    Palm Beach Inlet Boat Gallery

      January 16, 2021—Check out the gallery of some of the finest sportfishing fishing teams returning to Palm Beach inlet. Most of the vessels are competing in the Operation Sailfish tournament. Scroll to the bottom for a new video showcasing the … [Read More...]

    captain in boat tower

    Life After Being the “Big Skipper”

    By Captain Scott “Fraz” Murie What is life like after being the “Big Skipper?” What do captains do when they want to quit traveling and spending many months each year away from home? Well, I have observed that many captains who have been at the … [Read More...]

    Leave a Reply

    Connect With InTheBite

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Sign Up for the InTheBite Newsletter


    Be the first to hear about the latest Sportfishing News, Products, and Services!

    Subscribe to InTheBite Magazine Today!

    InTheBite Magazine Current Cover

    Our latest issue is hitting the docks now! Be sure to subscribe to the hottest bluewater mag on the market. Purchase or Subscribe »

    Upcoming Tournaments

    Thu 21

    Islamorada Fishing Club’s Sailfish Tournament

    January 19 - January 21
    Thu 21

    Los Suenos Signature Billfish Series, Leg 1

    January 20 - January 23
    Thu 21

    58th Annual Buccaneer Cup

    January 20 - January 23
    Fri 22

    31st Annual Cheeca Lodge & Spa Presidential Sailfish Tournament

    January 22 - January 24
    Tue 26

    Reef Cup Invitational Sailfish Tournament

    January 26 - January 30

    View More…

    News

    • U.S. Coast Guard Operation Set Up to Combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in South Atlantic

      U.S. Coast Guard Operation Set Up to Combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in South Atlantic

        US Department of State, US Coast Guard, Jan. 20, 2021—The Department of State is supporting the U.S. Coast Guard Operation Southern Cross as part of an effort to build regional maritime security partnerships and counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the South Atlantic. The U.S. Department of State announced the multi-month inaugural deployment of the new USCG Legend-class... [Read More...]

    • Coast Guard assists fishing vessel 80 miles off Key West

      Coast Guard assists fishing vessel 80 miles off Key West

      MIAMI, US Coast Guard, District 7 — Coast Guard rescue crews assisted the 40-foot fishing vessel Santa Maria, Thursday, Jan. 14, after the crew launched two flares signaling their distress approximately 80 miles southwest of Key West.  A nearby good Samaritan saw the flares and reported to Coast Guard Sector Key West watchstanders the Santa Maria crew's distress. The good... [Read More...]

    • Cabana, Canyon Lady, Showtime/Remix: Weekend Tournament Winners

      Cabana, Canyon Lady, Showtime/Remix: Weekend Tournament Winners

      Annual Gold Cup Team Fishing Tournament First Place: Canyon Lady, Capt. Bill Davis Second Place: Ditch Digger, Capt. Jon Brooks Third Place: Miss Texas, Capt. Matt Bierley Operation Sailfish – 1st leg of “Quest for the Crest” Sailfish Series First Place: Showtime/Remix, Capt. Nick Carullo Second Place: TEAM HMY, Capt. Trey Claus Third Place: Goin' Raptor, Capt. Paul Sabayrac Pelagic... [Read More...]

    • Miss Texas Wins Silver Sailfish Derby, Waterman Wins Pelican Yacht Club Invitational

      Miss Texas Wins Silver Sailfish Derby, Waterman Wins Pelican Yacht Club Invitational

      Silver Sailfish Derby  First Place Most Releases Overall: Miss Texas Second Place: Priceless Third Place: Doing It All/Hardway Fourth Place: Gator One Top Individual Angler: Mike Simko with 9 releases Top Meat Fish: George Moss, Lunático, with a 32.8 lb kingfish Top Lady Angler: Carly Desmond, DaySea  Pelican Yacht Club Invitational First Place: Waterman, Capt. Kevin Paul Second Place: Dakeri,... [Read More...]

    • Canceled Plans, More Time Brought New Wave of Boaters, Anglers in 2020, Study Finds

      Canceled Plans, More Time Brought New Wave of Boaters, Anglers in 2020, Study Finds

      Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 16, 2020—With COVID-19 transforming Americans' recreational habits, a new study from the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) has found that millions of new or returning participants have taken up fishing & boating. Particular increases were seen among nontraditional participants, signaling the activities' increasing appeal among new audiences. Titled Who's On Board: Keeping New Anglers & Boaters Hooked,... [Read More...]

    Captain of the Year Cup Standings

    Captain of the Year Cup Standings Logo

    View the current standings for InTheBite's Captain of the Year Cup... Leaderboard »

    Search InTheBite

    Copyright © 2021 InTheBite, LLC · All Rights Reserved.

    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.