Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; North Atlantic Swordfish, South Atlantic Swordfish, North Atlantic Albacore, and Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Quotas
Key claim: NOAA is raising the U.S. Atlantic bluefin tuna catch limit and resetting 2026 swordfish, albacore, and bluefin quotas to match international agreements and unused 2025 catch, then splitting those limits among existing fishing categories.
Abstract
(Rule · Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) In this final rule, NMFS is implementing binding recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) on quotas for North Atlantic swordfish, South Atlantic swordfish, North Atlantic albacore tuna (northern albacore), and Atlantic bluefin tuna, including aspects of the management procedures for North Atlantic swordfish and northern albacore. For bluefin tuna, this action implements the increased U.S. baseline quota adopted by ICCAT in 2025, dividing it among the established regulatory domestic subquota categories, and implements changes to the bluefin tuna quota associated with pelagic longline bycatch adopted by ICCAT in 2025. Finally, this action transfers 30.8 metric tons (mt) of bluefin tuna quota from the Longline category to the Reserve category and temporarily adjusts the baseline quotas for U.S. North and South Atlantic swordfish, northern albacore, and the Atlantic bluefin tuna Reserve category for 2026 based on 2025 underharvests and applicable international quota transfers.
Why this matters
Annual HMS quota rules directly determine how much bluefin tuna, swordfish, and albacore U.S. commercial and recreational fleets can land, shaping revenue for a specialized fishery and dockside supply for high-value seafood markets. Raising the bluefin limit and rolling over unused 2025 catch expands near-term fishing opportunity while keeping the U.S. within its international ICCAT obligations. Effects on consumer prices are marginal in the broader food system but material for domestic tuna and swordfish supply.