The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission is taking a clear, common-sense step forward at its May 2026 meeting. The proposed rule for Atlantic bonito (15A NCAC 03M .0524) is exactly the kind of proactive management we need more of on the Atlantic coast.

North Carolina currently has no rules in place for Atlantic bonito. No size limit. No bag limit. No stock assessment. Meanwhile, recreational landings have been climbing steadily since 2017 and now exceed the long-term average. North Carolina alone accounts for 22 percent of all coastwide recreational bonito harvest. That is a massive share of a coastal migratory resource, and the trend is unmistakable.