National Fisherman

Yellowfin Tuna

NOAA Fisheries is proposing new gear options for qualifying USVI commercial fishermen, including spearfishing for yellowfin and other tuna species and powered assistance for buoy gear. Photo courtesy of Jeff Muir / NOAA Fisheries

Proposal could expand fishing options for USVI commercial fleet

NF Staff

Initially established under President Bush in 2009, the no-fishing zone around Wake, Johnston and Jarvis in the Pacific Islands Heritage Monument was extended to 200 miles by President Obama in 2014. Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council gra

Trump moves to reopen Pacific remote waters for fishing

NF Staff

NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement officer conducts an IUU inspection. Photo courtesy of NOAA Fisheries

NOAA cracks down on mislabeled dolphin-safe tuna imports

Carli Clancy

Photo courtesy of NOAA Fisheries

Global tuna transparency effort

NF Staff

A shrimp boat at Brunswick, Ga. Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

NOAA extends Southeast vessel and dealer permits during shutdown

NF Staff

Photo courtesy of NOAA Fisheries

Tuna partnership boosts transparency in supply chains

NF Staff

The Wanchese commercial fleet has been shrinking for years, but Mark Vrablic at Willie Etheridge Seafood believes that if Trump administration starts telling Americans about the value of domestic seafood it could strengthen US fisheries. Paul Molyneaux ph

Fighting for a fishing future

Paul Molyneaux

Aboard his 43-foot tuna longliner, the Provider II, Marty Scanlon, president of the Blue Water Fishermen’s Association and past National Fisherman Highliner, talks about the challenges the East Coast tuna fleet faces. Paul Molyneaux photo.

Tuna meltdown

Paul Molyneaux

An April 2025 proclamation by President Trump opened the waters between 50 and 200 miles around Johnston, Wake, and Jarvis islands, and U.S. fishermen are hoping the waters around the other monuments will also soon be open. Eric Kingma photo.

Reopening the Pacific Monuments

Paul Molyneaux

The Itasca leaving San Diego and bound for her home port of Honolulu after what owner Peter Webster calls “a shave and a haircut.” Webster spends around 300 days a year at sea, longlining tuna, often hundreds of miles from any land. Peter Webster photo.

Boat of the Month: Itasca

Paul Molyneaux

This 42' tuna boat at Samoset Boatworks has tuna storage with a below-deck 3'-square live well that will come up to the underside of the cockpit sole. Next to it will be be an insulated tuna coffin next to that another live well. Samoset Boatworks photo.

Michael_Crowley

A pair of New England tuna boats

Michael Crowley