EDITOR’S LETTER
The National Marine Fisheries Service has determined that the recreational landings limit for Atlantic blue marlin, white marlin, and roundscale spearfish has been reached and exceeded for 2020, based upon a review of landings data. Therefore, NMFS is prohibiting retention of Atlantic blue marlin, white marlin, and roundscale spearfish in the
Atlantic HMS recreational fisheries.
Fishing for these species will be limited to catch-and-release only for the remainder of 2020.
That decree rippled through the billfishing community in mid-September like shock waves from an exploding warhead. Many were not even aware that we have a limit of 250 billfish—blue marlin, white marlin and roundscale spearfish— allotted to the recreational sector each year. One reason is that we have never exceeded that number in the past. Ever.
Rick Weber, tournament director of the Mid-Atlantic in Cape May, New Jersey, had this to say: “I feel the numbers are accurate and there is no conspiracy. This year, the tournaments in the Northeast saw an unusually high number of landings of white marlin and roundscale spearfish. In fact, before my event ended, I had already spoken to RFA, TBF and IGFA, and then I alerted NMFS early the following week. As tournament operators, we wanted folks to know that we were seeing the trend and were committed to addressing it. The leading tournaments are self-reporting, self-regulating, responsible members of the community.”
When asked why—and how—this increase may have happened, Weber felt there was no clear reason. Participation was up, but not dramatically over last year. “Most likely it was a combination of biologic and oceanographic factors—the result of years of conservation work by TBF and others, the switch to circle hooks, and a very strong overall release ethic. In a recovery, the first thing we would expect to see is some long lanky fish as a year class reaches the legal minimum size. It is possible this slug of fish is a sign of good things to come. It is also possible it was just an anomaly of local abundance. We simply won’t know for a year or two.
“Regardless of the cause, it is clear we must get back to our agreed-upon ICCAT number of 250, and also pay back this year’s overage,” Weber continued. “Further arguing the origin of the 250-fish limit—or its relevance to conservation—is a waste of time. The US takes its international agreements very seriously, and this is no different. It’s just another way 2020 will cast a shadow over the next few years.”
As Weber points out, NMFS must deduct this year’s overage from next year’s limit. As of this writing, the situation remains quite fluid, but expect to see some rule changes for tournaments in the Northeast next season.