THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 25, 1995 TAG: 9507250269
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
Although federal fisheries officials have decided to increase the amount of bluefin tuna that commercial watermen can catch annually, Outer Banks fishermen said they will not benefit from the updated rules.
On Friday, officials with the National Marine Fisheries Service increased the Atlantic Coast quota for bluefin tuna by 76 metric tons - to 1,311 metric tons for the 1995 season.
That increase will be placed in the reserve category, as will 51 metric tons that have been reallocated from the purse seine category.
North Carolina's commercial fishermen had hoped that the National Marine Fisheries Service would re-distribute annual quotas so part of the catch could be landed between December and April, when the giant fish swim off Carolina's coast.
Instead, the federal fisheries service voted to divide the quota into four calendar categories. Watermen will be allowed to catch 88 metric tons of bluefin tuna from June to July; 175 metric tons in August; 131 metric tons in September and 44 metric tons in October.
``These controls address concerns about the past distribution of fishing opportunities, should lengthen the season, and are expected to increase average prices,'' says a statement from the NMFS. ``In addition, the final rule restricts fishing on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and certain other days to coincide with Japanese market holidays.''
The world's highest priced tuna, bluefins can fetch up to $30,000 each at Japanese sushi markets. The 500- to 1,000-pound fish have been schooling off North Carolina's coast for three years. This winter, hundreds of the giant oceandwellers were tagged and released off Hatteras Island.
But because the Tar Heel State has never had a history of commercial catches, the federal agency has not allocated any legal catch during the winter when bluefin tuna swim off the Carolina coast.
Long-liners can sell one bluefin tuna a day if they accidentally catch it while fishing for shark. But if additional bluefin are caught, they have to be thrown overboard or given to food banks. Watermen are not allowed to target the tuna during the months that they congregate off Carolina's coast.
``The northeast has got the historical background for the bluefins, so it looks like they'll get to keep catching them all,'' Manteo commercial waterman Glen Hopkins said Monday. ``It's not going to do anything for us unless we get to fish for them between December and April.
``I don't believe these changes are going to do a bit of good for this area.''
With a special permit, recreational anglers and charter boat parties can keep one bluefin per day if it is under 70 inches. But recreational and charter boat fishermen can't sell bluefins.
Under another rule change adopted Friday, charter and head-boat vessels permitted in the angling category will be allowed to catch and keep two bluefin per angler per trip from among the large school size class, plus one fish per vessel per trip in the small/medium size class. Captains and mates on these boats will now be allowed to be counted as anglers for the bag limits.
Federal fish regulators also had proposed imposing a recreational catch limit for yellowfin tuna for the first time this year. Some suggested limiting recreational anglers to 10 yellowfin tuna per person per day. Most local charter boat captains opposed such a plan, saying they already limited their parties to four fish a day - so an increased limit would be unnecessary.
On Friday, the NMFS decided not to impose a recreational limit on yellowfin tuna. ILLUSTRATION: COPY OF RULES
To obtain a copy of the new National Marine Fisheries Service rules
regarding bluefin and yellowfin tuna catches, call Richard Stone at
(301) 713-2347 or write the the Highly Migratory Species Division,
FCM-4, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Md., 20910-3282.
by CNB