2006 Washington State Recreational Albacore Fishery

Albacore tuna (Thunnas alalunga) is one of the most sought after fish around the world, both commercially and recreationally, and are classified as a Highly Migratory Species (HMS). On the West Coast, they are managed federally through the Pacific Fishery Management Council process by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in cooperation with state fish and wildlife agencies.

While albacore fishing opportunity is important to Washington anglers and charter vessel operations, Washington’s recreational catch represents less than 1% of the total albacore catch in the Pacific. There are about 28 nations that fish for albacore Pacific-wide, and the United States is engaged in international arenas that develop recommendations for the conservation of tunas throughout their range.

Federal regulations for HMS fisheries were developed in response to a need to coordinate state and federal management of HMS stocks and to help promote international efforts for long-term conservation and sustainability of HMS species.

In 2004, NMFS adopted a federal regulation requiring all charter vessels to obtain an HMS permit before chartering for albacore and to comply with logbook and observer requirements.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) administered the logbook and observer programs for the Washington recreational charter fleet. In Washington, recreational tuna anglers catch albacore tuna almost exclusively. The occurrence of other HMS, such as bluefin tuna, in the recreational fishery is minimal, although blue shark is also commonly caught on albacore trips. Chartered tuna trips typically last 24 to 48 and strategies for catching albacore include trolling jigs and drifting using live anchovies as bait and chum. On average, a tuna charter takes 6 to 10 passenger, depending on the size of the vessel.