Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Fisheries; Longline Category Quota Transfer

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 635 [Docket No. 220919-0193; RTID 0648-XF427] AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ( printed page 5856) ACTION: Temporary rule; quota transfer. SUMMARY: NMFS is transferring 30.8 metric tons (mt) of Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) quota from the Reserve category to the Longline category. With this transfer, the adjusted Longline category quota for the 2026 fishing season is 240.1 mt and the adjusted Reserve category quota is 7.4 mt. The 2026 BFT Longline category is open until December 31, 2026, or until the Longline category quota is reached, whichever comes first. NMFS will distribute the transferred quota to permitted Atlantic Tunas Longline vessels with recent fishing activity. As a result of this transfer, each associated Individual Bluefin Quota (IBQ) account will receive 893 pounds (lbs) (0.4 mt) of IBQ. Note that NMFS intends to take separate action as soon as possible in 2026 to consider modifying the baseline BFT quota consistent with the quota adopted at the 2025 International Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) annual meeting. DATES: The quota transfer is effective February 9, 2026, through December 31, 2026. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Redd, Jr., ( larry.redd@noaa.gov ), Ann Williamson ( ann.williamson@noaa.gov ), Tobey Curtis ( tobey.curtis@noaa.gov ), or Brad McHale ( brad.mchale@noaa.gov ) b…