Bluefin tuna off limits for recreational and charter anglers due to federal shutdown
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ordered the closure, citing the need to stay within international conservation limits.
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If you were hoping to catch and keep a bluefin tuna off the coast of Long Island this summer, you’re out of luck. A new federal shutdown of the bluefin tuna fishery for recreational and charter anglers is now in effect — and it’s already having a ripple effect across the local fishing industry.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ordered the closure, citing the need to stay within international conservation limits.
“This inseason action is needed to ensure the United States Atlantic bluefin tuna quota is not exceeded and is consistent with the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) requirements,” a NOAA spokesperson said in a statement.
While commercial bluefin fishing can continue, the shutdown applies to all recreational and charter boat fishing. That means charter captains like Greg Gargiulo, of Patty Ann Charters based at the Captree Boat Basin, will have to drastically shift their business model by targeting yellowfin tuna instead, which are farther off shore.
“It’s going to hurt my bottom line for sure,” Gargiulo said. “Now we’ve got to go 70–80 miles offshore instead of going 30 to 50 miles offshore.”
With bluefin typically abundant in the region through December, Gargiulo said the new rules also shorten the fishing season. “The yellowfin [tuna] are only here for a short period. By October, they’re gone.”
For other charter operators, the impact is already being felt. John McMurray, who runs One More Cast Charters in Oceanside, said the closure has led to cancellations and confusion.
“I’ve had half a dozen cancellations already,” said McMurray, who has spent years working with conservation groups and cannot understand why the fish are suddenly off limits. “It’s more abundant than any of us have ever seen it. This is my 25th year in business and we’ve never had this many fish around.”
Despite the restrictions, anglers can still catch and release bluefin tuna — they just can’t keep them. The shutdown is expected to remain in place for the rest of the year.
