RIN Data

Atlantic tunas are managed under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., and the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA), id. 971 et seq. Consistent with the existing regulations at 50 CFR 635.23(a), NOAA Fisheries uses restricted-fishing days (RFDs, see definition at 635.2) to extend fishing opportunities for bluefin tuna General category participants through a greater portion of the category’s subquota time-periods while also ensuring the bluefin tuna quota is harvested. This action codifies a schedule of restricted-fishing days (RFDs) for the 2024 fishing year and future fishing years; and clarifies the existing regulations, including on the General category default retention limit for bluefin tuna, the process of scheduling RFDs, and bluefin tuna dealer tag application on RFDs. In 2021, bluefin tuna landed under the General category quota brought in $10.2 million in ex-vessel revenues. This action does not change the amount of bluefin tuna that can be landed under an RFD schedule.