Antigonish, Nova Scotia (NS) – June 26, 2026 - Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) wishes to advise Gulf Nova Scotia (GNS) tuna licence holders that the Bluefin tuna fishing season will open on July 1, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. (ADT). The fishery will remain open until the quota is harvested or until 11:59 p.m., December 31, 2026, whichever comes first.
NEW in 2026
- Communal Commercial Indigenous licence holders fishing in the Maritimes Region (4WD and Ex-Sector) must hail out to a Dockside Monitoring Company (DMC). Details are specified below under the Hail Out requirements section.
- There will be a Catch & Retain fishery option for participants to choose when hailing out to fish in 4RST through the Vessel Hail System “Answer 365”.
Individual Shares (IS) Tuna Pilot Project
- An Individual Shares (IS) pilot project was approved in 2022 to provide an opportunity for licence holders to try a different management approach over a five year period. As outlined in the Pilot’s Terms of Reference, a comprehensive evaluation will be conducted following the 2026 fishing season. DFO will announce its decision regarding the management approach for 2027 before the start of the next fishing season. Participants in the IS pilot are advised to manage their quota with the understanding that continuation of the pilot beyond 2026 has not yet been determined. If the pilot is extended, any quota carry forwards or quota overruns will be reconciled within the IS portion of the GNS quota. If the pilot is discontinued, any unused IS quota carried forward from the previous season will be rolled into the GNS fleet allocation for 2027, up to a maximum of 10% of the fleet’s initial allocation. Any carry-forward amounts exceeding this threshold will be transferred to the Canadian quota, in accordance with established rules. Conversely, any overrun from 2026 associated with the IS pilot will be deducted from the overall GNS fleet allocation.
- IS pilot participants will have the same access to the Mexican quota transfer as other members of the fleet through the Gulf Nova Scotia Tuna Association. For more details, please contact your association representatives.
- IS pilot tags will be allocated based on each fisher's initial quota, carry forward amounts, and overruns from 2025 if applicable. Should you wish to make a quota transfer and/or tag transfer during the season to another participant in the IS pilot project, please notify Nadia MacInnis by email at Nadia.Macinnis@dfo-mpo.gc.ca. If you plan to transfer your full quota amount and do not wish to receive tags this season, you can contact Nadia MacInnis to have the tag fees removed from your National Online Licencing System (NOLS) account.
Established Commercial Fishery
- There will be 138 tags available to the Established Commercial fishery. Tags will be allocated using the GNS tuna licence holder revolving tag list. The revolving tag list will be resumed if additional tags are available upon review of landings as the season progresses. The initial 138 tags available must be paid for by October 1, 2026.
- Tag transfers are permitted during the 2026 season. Tuna tag transfers will continue to be initiated and processed through NOLS. Tuna tag transfers will not be done in person at the GNS Area Office in Antigonish, NS. Until September 30, licence holders may receive or transfer a maximum of four tags. Until this date, a Bluefin tuna licence holder can only do one of the following, not both:
- Transfer tag(s) to another licence holder
- Receive tag(s) in a transfer.
- Starting on October 1, 2026, there is no limitation on the number of tuna tags a licence holder may receive or transfer during the season, and a tuna licence holder can do both of the following:
- Transfer tag(s) to another fisherman;
- Receive tag(s) in a transfer.
- The catch limitation in the Established Commercial fishery is two fish per calendar day per licence.
Hail Out Requirements
Fishing in 4T
When fishing in 4T, licence holders/operators are required to call DFO's contracted Vessel Hail System "Answer 365" at 1-833-699-2013 or at 1-506-431-3223 (satellite phone only) at least one hour prior to the planned departure for any fishing trip.
Fishing in 4WD and Ex-Sector
Commercial licence holders/operators are required to obtain a hail-out reference number from the DFO "Just Talk" hail-out system at 1-866-665-4451 or 1-866-665-4452 for French at least six hours prior to the planned departure for any fishing trip.
Due to technical limitations of the Just Talk System, licence holders/operators must choose an At-Sea Observer company, however no observer will be deployed.
Communal Commercial licence holders/operators are required to obtain a hail-out confirmation number from a DMC designated by DFO for the Maritimes Region. The confirmation number is to be entered on the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Log document in the appropriate space provided. The licence holder/operator must call the DMC at least six hours prior to the planned departure for any fishing trip.
Tags
- Tag(s) fees will be available for payment through the fish harvester's NOLS account.
- Starting June 24, 2026 tags will be available for pick up at the GNS Area Office, Antigonish, NS, Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Tuna tags must be paid for online through the fish harvester's NOLS account prior to pick up. Once tuna tags are paid for, the payment receipt is sent to the licence holder's e-mail address. We recommend that fish harvesters check for a receipt to ensure the transaction was completed successfully.
- Allow 48 hours after payment is made before pick-up to ensure that tags have been processed.
- If licence holders prefer to have tuna tags sent directly to them, they are to advise DFO at the following e-mail address: DFO.GNS-GNE.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca. Any arrangements and costs associated with this method of tuna tag delivery will be incurred by the licence holder.
- Dart tags are available from Gulf Nova Scotia Tuna Association executives. Dart tags shall be recorded in the Record of Tags, along with DFO-issued tags, prior to any fishing activity.
2026 Mexican Quota
Upon any quota transfer from Mexico to Canada, Gulf Nova Scotia Tuna Association members will be eligible to participate in the draw for Mexican quota tags. Please contact association representatives for more details.
Charter Fisheries
Vessels participating in Bluefin tuna charter fisheries must be certified with Transport Canada under the Small Vessel Compliance Program.
Catch & Release Charter Fishery
- Participants must be a GNS commercial Bluefin tuna licence holder and have completed a DFO Catch & Release training session.
Catch & Retain Charter Fishery
- Eligible licence holders licensed to charter clients in the Bluefin tuna fishery will be permitted to catch and retain tuna using their initial commercial tag(s) in the fishery. Any tags that are transferred between licence holders are not authorized to be used in the Catch & Retain fishery.
- There will be 100% Electronic Monitoring System (EMS) coverage. Fishers are required to contact their local Conservation & Protection office at least 72 hours prior to departure to ensure installation of a camera.