US fishing boats in the Pacific now have hard limits on striped marlin catches

US regulators are proposing new rules that set annual catch limits for striped marlin in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. If fishing boats hit this limit, they will be banned from catching more marlin for the rest of the year.

For years, fishing for striped marlin in the Pacific has been managed with recommendations, not hard caps. This change means that for the first time, US longline fishing boats will face a hard stop if they catch too many marlin. This could force a shift in fishing practices and reduce the overall catch of a species that has been overfished.