In typical NOAA fashion, the recreational limits for the upcoming opener were adjusted from a meager one fish (under 73") per vessel for the angler category to the standard two fish at 27-47" and one fish at 47-73". This adjustment came a bit later than usual, leaving many anglers feeling anxious.
Additionally, the latest general/CHB (Charter Head Boat) category has been bumped to three over 73" per day. With the limited quota and the already large number of fish in the Northeast, we’ll see just how long that lasts.
On May 1, the angler category trophy fish slot was closed. This raises questions: if the commercial categories are getting a bump in retention, why is the trophy class shut down? Scientists have been hinting at record numbers of bluefin tuna in the Northeast fishery, and fishermen have been witnessing it, yet NOAA quotas remain limited, and anglers are denied their one-per-year trophy fish. Seems fishy.
If the angler trophy class remained open, wouldn’t this leave more quota for the actual commercial fishermen? Many anglers fishing for giants are just looking for that one trophy fish, wanting the Instagram kill shot. It seems logical to let them have their fun once a year and leave the quota to the professionals. What do you think?