{"id":1096,"date":"2026-10-17T22:37:58","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T22:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/bluefin-tuna-season-gibraltar-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-10-17T22:38:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T22:38:45","slug":"bluefin-tuna-season-gibraltar-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reelzy.co\/blog\/bluefin-tuna-season-gibraltar-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Bluefin Tuna Season in Gibraltar 2026: Dates, Rules and What It Means for 2027"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2026 bluefin tuna season in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters opened on Tuesday 16 June<\/strong> and ran in two parts: 16 June to 25 July<\/strong>, then 6 August to 14 October<\/strong>. It is now closed. The Government of Gibraltar set a total allowable catch of 30 tonnes, split 27 tonnes for the first period and 3 tonnes for the second, with one bluefin per day per licence holder and vessel<\/strong>, a minimum size of 30 kg and 130 cm fork length<\/strong>, and every tuna reported and weighed at the landing point on the North Mole. If you are reading this in the autumn, the next chance at a Gibraltar bluefin is the summer of 2027, and the dates for that season come in a new notice.<\/p>\n

This post sets out what the 2026 rules said, what they mean for you as a guest on a charter boat, and how to plan a tuna trip for next year without wasting a day of your holiday.<\/p>\n

The 2026 season at a glance<\/h2>\n

All of the figures below come from the government notice for the 2026 open season<\/a> (press release 456\/2026, dated 12 June 2026, from the Department of the Environment, Sustainability, Heritage and Climate Change).<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
What<\/th>\n2026 rule<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Season, first part<\/td>\n16 June to 25 July, or earlier if 27 tonnes are reached<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Season, second part<\/td>\n6 August to 14 October, or earlier if 3 tonnes are reached<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Total allowable catch<\/td>\n30 tonnes, after a review of the ICCAT quota increase for 2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Licence<\/td>\nClass K licence needed to fish for bluefin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bag limit<\/td>\n1 fish per day per licence holder and vessel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Minimum size<\/td>\n30 kg and 130 cm fork length<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Landing<\/td>\nReported and weighed at the North Mole landing station (No. 1 Jetty)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

The split matters more than the total. Almost the whole quota sits in the early summer window, when the big fish push through the Strait. The second part is small, and the government can close either part early once its share is caught. If a skipper tells you a date is “subject to quota”, that is why.<\/p>\n

Why the season is so short<\/h2>\n

Atlantic bluefin tuna are managed internationally by ICCAT, the commission that sets catch limits for tuna across the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Gibraltar’s own catch limit follows from that, and the 2026 figure was set after ICCAT raised its quota for the year. The fish themselves set the rest of the calendar. Bluefin move through the Strait of Gibraltar on their way into the Mediterranean to spawn, so the giants pass in early summer, and smaller fish come and go later in the year.<\/p>\n

The Gibraltar boat on Reelzy that fishes only for bluefin, Blue Horizon Tuna Fishing Gibraltar<\/a>, describes the same pattern from the deck. It gives 16 June to 16 July<\/strong> as its prime season for giant bluefin, with hookups almost daily in that window last season, and 16 August to 16 October<\/strong> for smaller bluefin that arrive in bursts. Those are the captain’s dates, not the law, but they sit inside the legal windows and tell you where the real chances are.<\/p>\n

What the rules mean for you on a charter<\/h2>\n

You do not need to learn the regulations by heart to book a tuna trip. The skipper works under them every day. It still helps to know what they mean in practice, because they change what a good day looks like.<\/p>\n

One fish per day.<\/strong> The bag limit is one bluefin per day per licence holder and vessel. A day on a tuna boat is about one fish, and the fight for it, not about a full fish box.<\/p>\n

Big fish only.<\/strong> Anything under 30 kg and 130 cm fork length cannot be taken. Fork length is measured from the tip of the snout to the fork of the tail. A tuna that size is a heavy fish on any rod, which is why the gear on a dedicated tuna boat is heavy too.<\/p>\n

Every fish is reported.<\/strong> All tuna and billfish catches must be reported and weighed at the North Mole landing point. In 2026 it was manned from 09:00 to 14:30, Monday to Saturday, with on-call staff for catches landed later and on Sundays and public holidays. The landing staff must be told as soon as a vessel catches a bluefin. Towing a live fish into the landing station is strictly prohibited and can cost the boat its licence.<\/p>\n

The licence.<\/strong> A Class K licence is required to fish for bluefin. Before you book, ask the skipper how the boat’s licence covers its guests and whether you need anything in your own name. Do not assume a licence from Spain or the UK applies in Gibraltar waters.<\/p>\n

Dolphins come first.<\/strong> The Bay of Gibraltar is home to resident dolphins, and the 2026 notice is clear about them. Popping for tuna, a surface lure method that has injured dolphins, is not allowed inside the Dolphin Protection Zone, roughly north of Rosia Bay. Casting near dolphins can cost an angler the licence. Under the Cetacean Protocol, boats keep at least 60 metres from any dolphin or whale and slow to a low, constant speed within 500 metres of them. If your skipper moves away from a pod with tuna feeding nearby, that is the law working as it should, not a missed chance.<\/p>\n

Billfish too.<\/strong> Recreational catches of billfish such as Mediterranean swordfish must also be reported. Swordfish are locally classed as a species in need of strict protection, and the minimum size given in the notice is 100 cm without the sword.<\/p>\n

What a Gibraltar tuna trip looks like<\/h2>\n

Blue Horizon Tuna Fishing Gibraltar is a private trip from the Queensway area, with a 06:00 departure and a choice of 4 or 8 hours. The listing is blunt about what it is: a day for one species, not a sightseeing cruise. Rods, reels and lures are on board, and full days include fuel, snacks, water and soft drinks.<\/p>\n

Expect long stretches of searching and waiting, then a fight that can take a long time on heavy tackle. Bring a hat, a long-sleeved top, sun cream and something warm for the 06:00 start. If you have a choice between the short and the long trip during the prime weeks, the long one gives the tuna more time to show.<\/p>\n

If you want a feel for the whole Gibraltar year, not only the tuna weeks, our Gibraltar boat fishing calendar<\/a> goes month by month.<\/p>\n

Missed the 2026 season? What you can fish now<\/h2>\n

The bluefin season closed on 14 October, but the boats did not stop. Late October to February is little tunny season on the Strait, a small, very fast member of the tuna family that hits lures at speed and fights far above its weight on light spinning gear. Blue Horizon Small Game Gibraltar<\/a>, the same skipper’s light tackle trip, fishes for little tunny in those months and says there are no quota limits on them. Mackerel are on the list all year, and the harder targets are red snapper, dentex, groupers and amberjack, plus octopus, squid and cuttlefish. It also leaves at 06:00, as a private 3 or 6 hour trip.<\/p>\n

For an angler visiting Gibraltar between now and spring, that is the trip to book. It is also a good way to meet the crew before you come back for a tuna in summer.<\/p>\n

How to plan a bluefin trip for 2027<\/h2>\n

The 2027 dates and limits will come in a new notice. In 2026 it was published on 12 June, four days before the season opened, so do not expect the exact rules months ahead. You can still plan sensibly now.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Aim for the middle of June to the middle of July.<\/strong> That is where the 2026 quota sat and where the tuna skipper on Reelzy puts the giant fish. The first part of the 2026 season was 16 June to 25 July.<\/li>\n
  2. Keep two or three days flexible.<\/strong> The east wind, the Levanter, can make the eastern side of the Rock rough, and a tuna trip is a long day offshore. One spare day turns a cancelled morning into a postponed one.<\/li>\n
  3. Ask about the quota on booking.<\/strong> If the season closes early because its share is caught, the boat cannot fish for bluefin. Ask the skipper how it handles a closure, and read the cancellation policies<\/a> so you know where you stand.<\/li>\n
  4. Decide what you want from the day.<\/strong> If you want to fight one big fish, book the tuna trip. If you want steady action for a mixed group or children, the small game trip is the better day.<\/li>\n
  5. Check the 2027 notice in June.<\/strong> When the government publishes it, compare the dates and limits with this page. We will write the 2027 version then and link it from here.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Gibraltar or the Spanish side?<\/h2>\n

    Gibraltar’s rules apply only in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. A few miles away, on the Spanish side of the Strait and along the Costa del Sol, Spanish rules apply, and they are not the same. If you are comparing a Gibraltar tuna trip with one from a Spanish port, read our guide to fishing licences in Spain<\/a> first, and see the bluefin tuna charters in Spain<\/a> for what boats there offer. You can also compare all bluefin tuna fishing charters<\/a> across our markets.<\/p>\n

    Who this is for<\/h2>\n

    This page is for anglers who want a Gibraltar bluefin and are deciding when to come. The next step is simple: if you are here this winter, book a morning of light tackle fishing for little tunny; if you want the tuna, put mid June to mid July 2027 in your calendar, then message the skipper on the Gibraltar charters page<\/a> to ask about dates.<\/p>\n

    FAQ<\/h2>\n

    When is bluefin tuna season in Gibraltar?<\/strong> In 2026 it ran from 16 June to 25 July and from 6 August to 14 October, unless the quota for each part was reached earlier. The 2027 dates will be set by a new government notice.<\/p>\n

    How many bluefin tuna can you keep in Gibraltar?<\/strong> In 2026, one fish per day per licence holder and vessel, with a minimum size of 30 kg and 130 cm fork length.<\/p>\n

    Do you need a licence to fish for bluefin tuna in Gibraltar?<\/strong> Yes. A Class K licence is required. On a charter, ask the skipper how the boat’s licence covers its guests.<\/p>\n

    Where are bluefin tuna landed in Gibraltar?<\/strong> All tuna and billfish catches must be reported and weighed at the landing station on the North Mole (No. 1 Jetty).<\/p>\n

    Can you go tuna popping in Gibraltar?<\/strong> Not inside the Dolphin Protection Zone, roughly north of Rosia Bay. The 2026 notice bans popping for tuna there because it has injured dolphins.<\/p>\n