Outer Banks Bluefin Tuna Fishing Run Stopped by Officials
Eugene L. 04.17.25
On the last day of March and the first few days of this month, there was a historic run of nearshore bluefin tuna at Nags Head, North Carolina. Off Jennette’s Pier on the Outer Banks, a school of large bluefin tuna came within casting distance for pier anglers. While Bluefin catches are nothing new in the Outer Banks, catching them right off the beach is pretty much unheard of. Several of these large tuna were hooked up on the pier and promptly released pier side, and a few were even landed right off the pier from kayaks and boats. Stefan Turko landed a 140 lb bluefin in his kayak on April 4th, and on April 5th, Aki Min landed a 154 lb bluefin off his kayak. Then, on April 7th, another bluefin was landed on a boat that was fishing right off the end of the pier.
Unfortunately, this flurry of bluefin landings off the beach would not last. Within a couple of days, this was over, but not because the school of bluefin moved offshore. Instead, it was because NOAA officials got involved, advising the management that fishing for and retaining bluefin tuna from the pier was illegal. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna are considered a highly migratory species, so they require a federal HMS permit to be fished or harvested. However, the permit is only attached to vessels and not the fishermen, so shore-based anglers cannot even acquire the permit. While there is an effort to try to get the HMS permitting system changed, as of now, the crazy bluefin bite off the pier is over.
“No Bluefin Tuna Fishing — A NOAA law enforcement officer visited Jennette’s Pier this morning and advised management that it is illegal for our customers to fish for bluefin tuna.“It is a violation to fish for, catch, possess, retain, or land Atlantic bluefin tuna, blue marlin, white marlin, or roundscale spearfish without a valid permit or endorsement.” The first violation carries a $2,000 fine.We were advised to remove all references to the bluefin bite from our social media platforms because it is considered promoting an illegal activity.We apologize for any inconvenience.” – Jennette’s Pier Facebook Page
