As the recreational fishing season for highly migratory species (HMS) begins, NOAA Fisheries wants to remind recreational fishermen that the two new regulations for anglers and charter boat operators who target highly migratory species in federal waters of the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Caribbean are in effect as of March 2, 2003. These conservation measures involve a recreational retention limit for swordfish, an inclusive recreational permit to fish for Atlantic tunas, swordfish, sharks, billfish, and a new reporting system to monitor landings of certain highly migratory fish.

These conservation measures are crucial for keeping the rebuilding programs for these species on track. They allow NOAA Fisheries to gather critical information needed to make more informed management decisions about HMS stocks. Recreational fisheries and tournaments are big business in the economies of the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico, with the potential for hundreds of thousands of participants. It is imperative that NOAA Fisheries and the recreational community work collectively to rebuild these big game fish and monitor their populations. While NOAA Fisheries continues to work with representatives of the recreational fishing industry to further clarify the permitting and reporting requirements of the rule, the agency is encouraging fishermen who are intending to fish for Atlantic highly migratory species to secure a permit by going to http://www.nmfspermits.com

Briefly, the regulations involve: (1) swordfish catch limit of one per person, up to three per boat, per day; (2) an HMS Angling permit for $22 that can be obtained by calling 1-888-872-8862 or online at http://www.nmfspermits.com ; and (3) new reporting requirements for billfish and swordfish that require recreational fishermen to report within 24 hours all landings of Atlantic blue and white marlin, sailfish and North Atlantic swordfish, including those landed on charter/headboats, by calling NOAA Fisheries at 1-800-894-5528. Landings are considered those fish killed and brought to shore. The toll-free call will take less than five minutes. Individual anglers participating in tournaments do not need to report landings if the tournament operator is already reporting to NOAA Fisheries. For more information go to: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/hmsdocuments.html#swordfish