U.S. secures major win for bluefin tuna fishery at 2025 ICCAT annual meeting

By noaa.gov, Published in noaa.gov.

The United States delegation to the 2025 annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in Seville, Spain, secured the largest single-year increase in U.S. bluefin tuna quota in the history of the fishery. U.S. negotiators, led by NOAA’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for International Fisheries Andrew Lawler, successfully advocated for an additional allocation of 231 metric tons of Atlantic bluefin tuna — a 17% increase in baseline quota and allowances for U.S. fishermen. This increase represents a significant step forward for the domestic fishing industry, which had been suffering under restrictive quota limits and unfair international competition for years. U.S. fishermen will see an increase in total allowable catch beginning in 2026.

Negotiations required unanimous consensus from all 55 ICCAT Parties across the Atlantic basin. U.S. negotiators also secured a commitment from all Parties to discuss the natural distribution and mixing of the Mediterranean and Gulf of America bluefin tuna stocks at an upcoming meeting in March, with discussions centered around the incorporation of advanced genomics research and tagging studies into bluefin tuna management strategies. These scientific advancements are expected to rebalance the outdated ratio between the eastern and western bluefin tuna total allowable catches.

“We are very pleased with the successful results of our negotiations for both our recreational and commercial fisheries,” said Neil Jacobs, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “We are proud of the work our team has done to provide a voice for America’s fishermen.”

The ICCAT meeting took place November 17–24 in Sevilla, Spain, with 55 nations working together on management agreements for Atlantic tuna, swordfish, billfish, sharks, and protected species. In addition to U.S. wins on bluefin tuna, the Commission adopted a management procedure for Western skipjack tuna that keeps this important species on a path toward stability and sustainability.

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A group photo of the U.S. delegation to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) meeting in Seville, Spain (November 17-24, 2025). Included in the photo are NOAA’s Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries Service and acting assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere (front row, 3rd from right); and Drew Lawler, principal deputy assistant secretary for NOAA International Fisheries (front row, 2nd from left). (Image credit: NOAA)