April 15, 2025 — Island fishermen will likely need to pay close attention to their false albacore and Atlantic bonito catches this summer as Massachusetts regulators, for the first time ever, are poised to set a new, 16-inch length minimum and a combined, five-fish daily catch total for the two species.
The Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission approved the recommendation in late March in a 5-2-1 vote; final regulations are expected to be in place before the albie and bonito arrive to Vineyard waters in the summer.
The state’s division of Marine Fisheries has stated that the measures are precautionary, as there is no formal stock assessment for either species of fish. But while no formal study, the state has noted that recreational fishing of the two species has increased over the last few years across New England, and that is leading advocates to push for precautionary measures. State officials say that Atlantic bonito landings spiked this past year in Massachusetts, nearly six-fold the time-series median. The increase, state officials have noted, could be driven in part by a changing environment and warmer water temperatures increasing their local summertime availability, while other species have become less abundant.
While many Island fishermen are understanding of the Division of Marine Fisheries move to protect both of the species — two of the most popular sport fishes locally — some are questioning why the two are combined under one regulation and are pushing for bonito and albie to have individual sets of regulations.
Read the full article at MV Times