December 2, 2014 — The Atlantic bluefin tuna gained protections from overfishing in the Gulf of Mexico and the waters off North Carolina under a federal rule published on Tuesday to better regulate a species coveted by sushi lovers.
The regulations, effective in January, restrict the use of certain longline fishing gear in parts of the Gulf of Mexico during April and May, when the species spawns in the region.
Off North Carolina, regulators are closely monitoring fishermen and tightening enforcement of quotas for the species. High numbers of bluefin tuna have been fatally snared in fishing lines set to catch swordfish, regulators said.
Many of the dead bluefin tuna were being dumped back into the ocean under current regulations.
"That is a waste," said Margo Schulze-Haugen, division chief of highly migratory species management for NOAA Fisheries, a federal agency. "The fish that are caught that are dead will come to shore, and they will be used," she added.
Read the full story at Reuters