April 8, 2025 — Massachusetts is poised to become the first East Coast state to set regular fishing limits on false albacore and Atlantic bonito.
Though there aren’t clear numbers about the abundance of either fish, fishermen have urged the state regulators to set precautionary limits to prevent the stocks from getting depleted. It’s somewhat unusual; often, the fishing community pushes back against new regulations.
“I think a lot of the guides and charter boat captains are really trying to protect the golden egg here,” said Chris McGuire, director of the Massachusetts Ocean Program at the Nature Conservancy. “Things are seemingly good right now. And if there’s a way of putting precautionary management in place to maintain the status quo, that would be amazing.”
The regulations establish a minimum size limit for both species at 16” and a combined bag limit of 5 fish per angler. There are some exemptions for the mackerel fishery and the weir fishery.
In letters to the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), many fishermen voiced their support.