Fishermen are compelled to target different species at various times of year in order to achieve a steady income throughout the year. The targeting by fishermen of different fish species at certain times of year is necessitated by the varied seasonal migratory and foraging habits of each species. Seasonal nature of the fisheriesĪs is typical in most fisheries and due to the seasonal nature of all fisheries, vessels in the artisanal General Category opportunistically target, in season, Atlantic bluefin tuna or Atlantic bigeye, albacore or yellowfin tuna and, at other times during the year target other species of fish such as swordfish, haddock, pollack, monkfish, striped bass, fluke, lobster, dolphinfish (mahi), golden/blueline tilefish or mackerel. In season, Atlantic bluefin tuna inhabits the cooler waters of the Continental Shelf of the northeast coast of the US and the tropical tunas inhabit the warmer waters adjacent to the Gulf Stream further offshore. In 2015, bluefin tuna landings by the General and Harpoon Categories represented 88% of the total amount of Atlantic bluefin harvested by U.S. (Southern bluefin tuna is a bluefin stock that inhabits the Indian Ocean and waters south of the South China Sea.). According to NOAA, approximately 70% of all bluefin sold in the US is Atlantic bluefin tuna, the balance coming from the other two major bluefin stocks, Pacific and Southern bluefin. Therefore, in recent seasons, approximately 14% of the total number of artisanal General Category permits issued are responsible for 100% of the US Atlantic bluefin tuna catch recorded under these fishing permits. In recent years, only approximately 600 of the 3,800 vessels with permits in this category landed Atlantic bluefin tuna. is the only country in the world that does not allow harvesting of bluefin when they are spawning and this contributes significantly to the continued health of the west Atlantic bluefin fish stock. to not allow harvesting of Atlantic bluefin when they are spawning is driven by the need to conserve and allow the rebuilding of this fish stock. The Gulf of Mexico is the pre-eminent spawning grounds for west Atlantic bluefin stock. Gulf of Mexico, and this includes Artisanal General Category and Harpoon Category vessels. East Coast and Gulf of Mexico for targeting bigeye, albacore and yellowfin tuna, the “tropical tunas”, and for targeting Atlantic bluefin tuna on the US East Coast.Ĭommercial harvesting of Atlantic bluefin tuna is not allowed in the U.S. commercial fishing vessels operating on the U.S. The General and Harpoon Categories are artisanal fisheries, in accordance with UNFAO and ICCAT definitions, and are comprised of small vessels usually no more than approximately 42 ft in length.Īpproximately 3,800 open access General Category permits have been issued each year in recent years to U.S. General Category permit holders are authorized to fish for bluefin, bigeye, skipjack, albacore and yellowfin tuna whereas Harpoon Category permit holders are authorized to fish only for bluefin tuna. Fishermen who fish exclusively with Harpoon are issued a Harpoon Category permit and those who use rod and reel and/or greenstick gear or those who use harpoon at certain times during the season and rod and reel and/or greenstick gear at other times are issued a "General Category" fishing permit by NOAA. These are referred to as the General and Harpoon Categories. to fish with the exclusive intent to sell their catch. In the US Atlantic bluefin, bigeye, albacore and yellowfin tuna fisheries, there are two categories of fishermen who are allowed to target these species for commercial purposes i.e. The common thread between all these groups is the desire to conserve the resource and preserve U.S. The American Bluefin Tuna Association represents the four major categories of fishermen who harvest Atlantic bluefin, bigeye, albacore and yellowfin tuna using conventional hook and line, harpoon, handline and greenstick gear.
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