Search Results for keywords:"overfishing prevention"

NMFS, a branch of NOAA within the Commerce Department, announced a temporary closure of the Atlantic bluefin tuna trophy fishery in the southern region for 2025. This closure affects recreational fishing for bluefin tuna measuring over 73 inches in length, as the quota for this category has been reached and exceeded. Fishing in the designated area must stop from February 28, 2025, until the end of the year to prevent further overfishing. While fishing is closed, anglers can still catch and release bluefin tuna, ensuring the fish are handled properly to maximize their survival.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is temporarily adjusting the 2025 recreational fishing season for gag fish in the South Atlantic to protect the fish population. This rule means the fishing season will start on May 1, 2025, but will close early on June 26, 2025, after projections showed the catch limit would be reached by that date. During this closure, anglers cannot catch or keep any gag fish until the new season begins on May 1, 2026. The decision aims to prevent overfishing as it did in 2024 and was not subject to public comment because the necessary rules were already established.

The National Marine Fisheries Service, part of the NOAA, has released an interim final rule to lower the 2025 Atlantic herring fishing limits across four management areas. This adjustment is based on new scientific studies showing the herring stock is overfished and aims to prevent overfishing and support the rebuilding of the herring population by 2028. To ensure the reduced limits are in place at the start of the 2025 fishing season, NMFS is bypassing the usual public comment period. The overall catch limits for 2025 have been significantly reduced to protect the fishery from further decline.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is proposing Amendment 35 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (PCGFMP). This amendment aims to define specific fish stocks that need conservation and management, as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Amendment 35 targets eight fish species prioritized for stock assessments due in 2025 or 2027 and is mainly administrative. It does not change fishing schedules or locations but helps in preventing overfishing, rebuilding depleted fish stocks, and achieving optimal yields. Public comments on the amendment are invited until May 4, 2025.