January 2018 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 13. Commercial Fishing News


delegates representing 47 members gathered to discuss a number of important measures that advance the sustainable management of these valuable species. New Scientifi c Advice Considered ICCAT members considered new scien-


tifi c advice regarding the conservation and management of shared stocks of Atlantic tunas, sharks and swordfi sh, and the United States proposed several measures that would ensure their sustainable management based on that advice. ICCAT adopted a measure for western


Atlantic bluefi n tuna with a catch limit of 2,350 mt, which results in a 17% quota increase for U.S. fi shermen. This level of catch has a high probability of avoiding overfi shing in the next three years and pro- vides for the sustainability and stability of the fi shery. A measure for eastern Atlantic/ Mediterranean increases allowable catch levels for 2018-2020, while maintaining fi shery monitoring and control measures. For North Atlantic albacore, the U.S. quota will increase by 20% in 2018. Advice received in October from a


new stock assessment conducted by IC- CAT’s scientifi c committee concluded that the North Atlantic shortfi n mako stock is overfi shed and overfi shing is occurring. In response, the United States introduced a proposal to end overfi shing in 2018 and be- gin rebuilding the stock with a time horizon that takes into account the biology of this late-maturing species. The fi nal agreement focuses on measures to reduce fi shing mor- tality and eff orts to further strengthen data collection, while protecting opportunities for U.S. recreational and commercial fi sh- ermen to retain small amounts of shortfi n mako sharks. The agreement also calls for additional scientifi c advice on biologically important areas and the eff ectiveness of various mitigation measures in increasing the survivability of shortfi n mako sharks, including circle hooks. Finally, the agree- ment requires the Commission to establish a rebuilding plan with a high probability of avoiding overfi shing and rebuilding the stock to Bmsy (biomass maximum sustain- able yield) when it convenes in 2019. Latest Developments and Actions With several co-sponsors, the United


States proposed a suite of bycatch mitigation requirements that are proven to protect sea turtles, measures that are already in use in


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U.S. pelagic longline fi sheries. Although it received signifi cant support, consensus could not be achieved. The United States and several other parties urged the development of stronger measures to protect juvenile yellowfi n and bigeye tunas that recruit to U.S. recreational and commercial fi sheries. The management of tropical tunas will be revisited by ICCAT as a priority in 2018. A U.S. proposal to ensure the safety of scien- tifi c observers in ICCAT’s regional observer programs was designed to support data col- lection programs that benefi t the science but did not achieve consensus. It will continue to be considered intersessionally in 2018. Members reached an agreement for


North Atlantic swordfi sh that lowers the total allowable catch slightly, as advised by scientists, to ensure that this stock remains at a healthy level, while protecting the historical U.S. quota share of this fi shery. The United States continued its eff orts to strengthen ICCAT’s compliance review process and take meaningful actions in re- sponse to non-compliance. A U.S. proposal to combat illegal, unreported and unregulat- ed (IUU) fi shing through establishment of a pilot scheme for the exchange of inspectors among ICCAT members to cooperate in high seas boarding and inspection activities will be considered in 2018. After a seven year process, and with


leadership from the United States, the Com- mission is nearing the fi nal stage of negoti- ations of amendments to the 1969 ICCAT Convention that refl ect more modern prin- ciples of fi sheries management, such as the precautionary and ecosystem approaches to fi sheries management. The amendments will also clarify the scope of Commission’s management authority, particularly for sharks, and improve the governance of the Commission.


2017 Atlantic Bluefi n Tuna General Category Fishery Closes on December 6, 2017


NOAA Fisheries closes the General


category fi shery for large medium and giant Atlantic bluefi n tuna eff ective 11:30 p.m. local time, Wednesday, December 6, 2017, through December 31, 2017. The base quota for the General cate- gory is 466.7 metric tons. To date this year, NOAA Fisheries has adjusted the General category base quota for 2017 three times,


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including a transfer of 40 metric tons from the Reserve category eff ective March 2, a transfer of 156.4 metric tons from the Reserve category eff ective September 28, and a transfer of 25.6 metric tons from the Harpoon category eff ective December 1. The third transfer resulted in an adjusted General category December subquota of 12.7 metric tons and an adjusted 2017 Gen- eral category quota of 688.7 metric tons. Based on the best available BFT landings information for the General category BFT fi shery, NOAA Fisheries has determined that the available December subquota of 12.7 metric tons has been reached, as has the overall adjusted General category quota of 688.7 metric tons. Therefore, retaining, possessing, or landing large medium or giant BFT by persons aboard vessels permitted in the Atlantic tunas General and HMS Charter/Headboat categories (while fi shing commercially) must cease at 11:30 p.m. lo- cal time on December 6, 2017. The General category will reopen automatically on Janu- ary 1, 2018, for the January through March 2018 subperiod. The intent of this closure is to prevent overharvest of the available December subquota and the adjusted 2017 General category quota. Who is aff ected? This closure applies to vessels permit- ted in the commercial Atlantic tunas Gener-


al category and the HMS Charter/Headboat category. More information on BFT fi shing regulations, including recreational size and retention limits, is available on the HMS Permits page. Fishermen may catch and release or


tag and release BFT of all sizes, subject to the requirements of HMS catch-and-release and tag-and-release programs. NOAA Fish- eries regulations require that all BFT that are released be handled in a manner that will maximize their survival, and without removing the fi sh from the water. For addi- tional information on safe handling, see the Careful Catch and Release brochure. NOAA Fisheries will continue to mon-


itor the BFT fi sheries closely. Dealers are required to submit landing reports within 24 hours of a dealer receiving BFT. Late reporting by dealers compromises NOAA Fisheries’ ability to timely implement actions such as quota and retention limit adjustment, as well as closures, and may result in enforcement actions. General and HMS Charter/Headboat 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 the HMS Permits page or by using the HMS Catch Reporting


Continued on Page 20.


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