NOAA TO KEATING: ATLANTIC BLUEFISH TUNA OVERHARVEST WILL BE STOPPED AT 11:30PM TONIGHT
Washington, DC – Congressman Bill Keating (MA-09) received an email from NOAA this evening that the overharvesting of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna in the mid-Atlantic, to the detriment of northeast recreational tuna fishermen, will be halted at 11:30PM this evening. This email was a partial response to a letter sent to NOAA on February 12 demanding a closure of the fishery.
“While I am glad that the negative impacts on local commercial and recreational fishermen and our economy have been stopped, I am deeply disappointed that this situation was allowed to occur in the first place,” said Congressman Bill Keating. “This is why Elon Musk’s ‘move fast and break things’ approach doesn’t translate to running government. Make no mistake, fishermen and their families have been hurt by this decision, and it remains to be seen what further damage to our local economy will occur as a result of Trump’s executive orders and cuts to NOAA staff.”
The overfishing was the result of a Trump executive order that prevented NOAA from publishing the fishery closure in the Federal Register. After NOAA scientists determine the total quota for the fishery, it is divided into sub-quotas between the mid-Atlantic and northeast. Normally, once the quota is reached for the mid-Atlantic, the fishery is closed until the tuna migrate north, when the fishery is then reopened. With no ability to close the fishery, NOAA was forced to sit on the sidelines while mid-Atlantic fishermen exceeded their quota and reduced the available quota for northeast fishermen.
Congressman Keating sent a letter to Acting NOAA Administrator Nancy Hann on February 13thdemanding a closure of the fishery after prior communications with the NOAA Congressional Liaison went unanswered. A partial response was received on Friday evening, along with a note that the Congressional Liaison had been terminated as a result of President Trump’s decision to fire all probationary federal employees.
A copy of Congressman Keating’s letter to NOAA is here.