Data / Federal rules / 2026-21450

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fisheries; Closure of the General Category October Through November Fishery for 2026

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published this final rule in the Federal Register on October 20, 2026. It took effect on October 17, 2026.

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What the agency says

NMFS closes the General category fishery for Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) for the remainder of the October through November time period. The General category may only retain, possess, or land large medium and giant (i.e., measuring 73 inches (185 centimeters (cm) curved fork length (CFL) or greater) BFT when the fishery is open. This action also waives the previously scheduled restricted-fishing days (RFDs) for the remainder of the October through November time period. With the RFDs waived during the closure, fishermen aboard General category permitted vessels and HMS Charter/Headboat permitted vessels may tag and release BFT of all sizes, subject to the requirements of the catch-and-release and tag-and-release programs. On December 1, 2026, the fishery will reopen automatically.

Key facts

Document number: 2026-21450
Type: Final rule
Action: Temporary rule; closure
Agency: Commerce Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Published: October 20, 2026
Takes effect: October 17, 2026
Dates: Effective 11:30 p.m., local time, October 17, 2026, through November 30, 2026.
Docket: Docket No. 260813-0186; RTID 0648-XG124
Code of Federal Regulations: 50 CFR 635
Pages: 3

The document on federalregister.gov PDF

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Everything from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration · Published in October 2026

Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.