What: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that the advisory committee to the U.S. Section to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) will meet on April 27-28, 2026.
Why: Atlantic bluefin tuna are regulated both nationally and internationally. The international regulation of Atlantic bluefin tuna is overseen by the ICCAT. Conservatively, small businesses estimate this fishery has an economic impact of $500 million and helps to support commercial vessels, boat builders, marinas, tackle shops, fuel distributors, as well as charter and recreational fishing.
Small businesses have told the Office of Advocacy (Advocacy) that over time, lower U.S. quotas and stricter domestic regulations were met with significant increases in landings for other ICCAT participating countries. To level the regulatory playing field between U.S. fishermen and the rest of the nations in the ICCAT, Advocacy has recommended that NOAA both increase the U.S. catch limit for Atlantic bluefin tuna and increase the U.S. allocation within the ICCAT.
Action: Open sessions of the committee meeting will be held in person at:
International Game Fish Association
300 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, FL 33004.
Open Sessions
April 27, 2026, 8:30 AM – 3:45 PM ET
April 28, 2026, 10:15 AM – 4:00 PM ET
Closed Sessions
April 27, 2026, 3:45 PM – 6:00 PM ET
April 28, 2026, 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM ET
MEETING NOTICE:
ADVOCACY’S LETTER OF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Recommendations for Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness
CONTACT:
Nick Goldstein
EMAIL:
Regulatory Alerts
NOAA
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