Atlantic Highly Migratory Species: Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fisheries; Closure of the General Category September Fishery for 2026

What it does

• •Closes the Atlantic bluefin tuna General category fishery for the remainder of September 2026, effective 11:30 p.m. local time on September 24, 2026, through September 30, 2026.
• •Prohibits retention, possession, or landing of large medium and giant bluefin tuna (73 inches or greater curved fork length) by General category and HMS Charter/Headboat permitted vessels during the closure period.
• •Waives previously scheduled restricted-fishing days (every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday) for the remainder of September; allows tag-and-release of bluefin tuna of all sizes during the closure.
• •Reopens the fishery automatically on October 1, 2026, for the October-November time period with previously scheduled restricted-fishing days resuming.

Why it matters

• •The September time period subquota of 216.1 metric tons for the General category is projected to be reached shortly based on recent landings reports, necessitating immediate closure to prevent quota overharvest.
• •Quota overages in the General category could result in future quota reductions for other bluefin tuna categories or the 2027 General category quota.
• •The closure is implemented under international fishery management obligations through the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and domestic law.

Who is affected

• •Commercial fishing vessels permitted in the Atlantic Tunas General category and HMS Charter/Headboat permitted vessels with commercial sale endorsements fishing for bluefin tuna.
• •Dealers required to report bluefin tuna landings within 24 hours and vessel owners required to report catch within 24 hours of landing or end of trip.

What happens next

The fishery will automatically reopen on October 1, 2026; NMFS will continue monitoring bluefin tuna fisheries and may publish additional adjustments in the Federal Register if needed after the reopening based on fishing effort and catch rates.