Ireland closes northern albacore tuna fishery for trolling and long-line boats

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has closed the northern albacore tuna fishery for Irish sea-fishing boats authorised to use trolling and surface long-lining gear, with effect from 11:51 hours on 22 August 2026. The measure is set out in Fisheries Management Notice No. 51 of 2026 (the 2026 Northern Albacore Tuna Supplementary Quota Closure Notice), published in Iris Oifigiúil No. 68 of Tuesday, 25 August 2026. The closure remains in force until 31 December 2026.

Legal basis and scope

The Notice is issued by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in exercise of the powers conferred by section 12 of the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 (No. 8 of 2006). It was given under the Official Seal of the Minister on 21 August 2026 at 11:51 hours and authenticated by Anna O’Sullivan, a person authorised to authenticate the Official Seal.

Under the Notice, the master of an Irish sea-fishing boat authorised under section 13 of the Act to use “Trolling and Surface Long-Lining” gear shall not engage in, or cause or permit any person on board to engage in, fishing activity for northern albacore tuna in the specified area from 11:51 hours on 22 August 2026.

Definitions and area covered

The Notice defines the key terms of the closure:

• Northern Albacore Tuna means Thunnus alalunga.
• Specified area means the Atlantic Ocean, north of 5° N.

The closure applies to all Irish sea-fishing boats authorised to fish for northern albacore tuna using trolling and surface long-lining gear. It complements an earlier measure, Fisheries Management Notice No. 50 of 2026 (the 2026 Northern Albacore Tuna Closure Notice for vessels fishing by means of “Pair – Pelagic” fishing gear), which remains in effect.

Impact on the fleet

With both Notices in force, fishing for northern albacore tuna is now prohibited by all Irish sea-fishing boats, whether operating with trolling and surface long-lining gear or with pair-pelagic gear. The supplementary closure reflects the exhaustion of the national quota for the species and affects the commercial fishing sector, which must cease targeting northern albacore in the specified area for the remainder of the 2026 season.

The measure is identified by the official reference FMN 2026/51 and is accompanied by an explanatory note clarifying that it is not part of the instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.

Relevance for readers

The closure is significant for the Irish commercial fishing fleet, which must immediately halt northern albacore tuna fishing under the affected gear types or face enforcement under the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act. For the wider public, the Notice signals that the national quota for the species has been reached for 2026, underscoring the management of shared Atlantic tuna stocks and the seasonal limits placed on Irish vessels.

Source: Iris Oifigiúil, No. 68, 25 August 2026, Notices (official reference: Fisheries Management Notice No. 51 of 2026, FMN 2026/51).