A SHORT SUMMARY OF THE
RECREATIONAL FISHING REGULATIONS FOR
HIGHLY MIGRATORY SPECIES
The following information is a brief summary of the recreational fishing regulations found in 50 CFR part 635 and does not cover all the regulations. Additional regulations may apply and regulations are continually subject to change. For a comprehensive list of updated Atlantic HMS regulations, please refer to the ELECTRONIC CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS ( http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/ ). If there is a discrepancy between this summary and the regulations in 50 CFR part 635, the regulations will take precedence.
For updates on tuna regulations, such as retention and size limits, anglers may visit www.hmspermits.gov or call the Atlantic Tunas Information Line at (888) 872-8862. For further information on tunas, contact the HMS Management Division located in Gloucester , Massachusetts at (978) 281-9260.
For further information on swordfish, billfish, or sharks, anglers may call the HMS Information Line at (800) 894-5528 or the HMS Management Division located in Silver Spring , Maryland at (301) 713-2347.
To receive email updates on HMS management, sign up for the HMS listserve at: http://www.nmfs.noa.gov/sfa/hms/newslist . Alternatively, information about all Federal fisheries, including the shark fishery, can be obtained electronically via FISHNEWS. Please see www.nmfs.noaa.gov to sign up for this service.
PERMITTING
Recreational vessel owners fishing for Atlantic HMS must hold a valid Atlantic HMS Angling category permit for their vessel. To apply for this permit, please call the Atlantic Tunas Information Line at (888) 872-8862 or visit www.hmspermits.gov . Vessels that are used to take paying passengers out to fish for HMS are required to possess an HMS Charter/headboat permit. A recreational angler aboard a charter or headboat vessel is covered under the Atlantic HMS Charter/headboat permit issued to the vessel operator.
RECREATIONAL REPORTING
Within 24 hours of landing (killing and bringing to shore) any bluefin tuna, blue marlin, white marlin, swordfish, or sailfish that were caught in federal waters, recreational vessel owners must report the landing to NMFS. Landings of billfish, swordfish, and bluefin tuna must be reported via the internet at www.hmspermits.gov or by calling 1-800-894-5528 (quick code: 2-1) to report landings of billfish (blue and white marlin and sailfish) and swordfish, or 1-888-872-8862 to report bluefin tuna landings. Individual anglers participating in registered tournaments do not need to report billfish and swordfish landings if the tournament operator is already reporting to NMFS.
RECREATIONAL BAG LIMITS
Atlantic tunas
• Bluefin tuna: These are variable throughout the season and depend on the size category. Refer to www.hmspermits.gov or call 888-872-8862 for updated information.
• Skipjack tuna: There is no recreational bag limit for this species.
• Albacore tuna: There is no recreational bag limit for this species.
• Bigeye tuna: There is no recreational bag limit for this species.
• Yellowfin tuna: 3 yellowfin tuna per person per trip. Regardless of the length of the trip, no more than 3 yellowfin tuna per person may be possessed on board a vessel.
Atlantic swordfish
• North Atlantic swordfish:
Charter Vessels* - 1 swordfish per paying passenger , up to 6 swordfish per vessel per trip.
Headboat Vessels* - 1 swordfish per paying passenger , up to 15 swordfish per vessel per trip.
Angling Category Vessels - 1 swordfish per person, up to 4 swordfish per vessel per trip.
• South Atlantic swordfish: Recreational fishermen from the United States may not fish for or possess any swordfish in the Atlantic Ocean south of 5 degrees North latitude.
* The captain and crew do not count when determining the per passenger vessel limit.
Atlantic billfish
• Blue marlin: There is no recreational bag limit for this species.
• White marlin: There is no recreational bag limit for this species.
• Sailfish: There is no recreational bag limit for this species.
• Spearfish: Prohibited; no retention of this species is permitted (i.e., the recreational bag limit is zero).
Atlantic sharks
• Authorized species (see table below): Retention limit is 1 shark (of any species, except prohibited species) per vessel per trip; plus 1 Atlantic sharpnose shark per person per trip; plus 1 bonnethead shark per person per trip.
• Prohibited species (see table below): There is no retention permitted for these species (i.e., the recreational bag limit is zero).
NOTE: If you are not sure of the species and whether you may keep it, release it .
RECREATIONAL MINIMUM SIZE LIMITS
Atlantic tunas
• Bluefin tuna: 27 inches (69 cm) curved fork length.
• Skipjack tuna: no minimum size limit for this species.
• Albacore tuna: no minimum size limit for this species.
• Bigeye tuna: 27 inches (69 cm) curved fork length.
• Yellowfin tuna: 27 inches (69 cm) curved fork length.
Atlantic swordfish
• North Atlantic swordfish: 47 inches (119 cm) lower jaw-fork length; or 29 inches (73 cm) cleithrum to caudal keel; or 33 lbs (15 kg) minimum dressed weight.
• South Atlantic swordfish: Recreational fishermen from the United States may not fish for or possess any swordfish in the Atlantic Ocean south of 5 degrees North latitude.
Atlantic billfish
• Blue marlin: 99 inches (251 cm) lower jaw-fork length.
• White marlin: 66 inches (168 cm) lower jaw-fork length.
• Sailfish: 63 inches (160 cm) lower jaw-fork length.
• Spearfish: Prohibited; no retention of this species is permitted.
Atlantic sharks
• Authorized Species (see table below): The minimum size is 54 inches (4.5 feet) fork length; no minimum size for Atlantic sharpnose and bonnethead sharks.
• Prohibited species (see table below): There is no retention permitted for these species
LANDING RESTRICTIONS
Atlantic tunas
Bluefin, bigeye, and yellowfin tuna must be landed round with fins intact, or eviscerated with the head removed, but with one pectoral fin and the tail remaining attached through offloading. Tunas harvested from the management unit cannot be filleted or cut into pieces at sea.
Atlantic swordfish
Swordfish must be landed in round or dressed form through offloading. “Dressed” indicates a headed/gutted fish with some or all fins removed. Swordfish harvested from the management unit cannot be filleted or cut into pieces at sea.
Atlantic billfish
Atlantic billfish must be landed with head, fins, and bill intact through offloading. Billfish harvested from the management unit cannot be filleted or cut into pieces at sea.
Atlantic sharks
All sharks must have all fins naturally attached through offloading. Sharks may be eviscerated, but heads and tails must remain on. Sharks harvested from the management unit cannot be filleted or cut into pieces at sea.
AUTHORIZED SHARK SPECIES
The following shark species are authorized for recreational harvest subject to the retention limits, minimum size and landing requirements outlined above. Authorized species include non-ridgeback large coastal species (blacktip, bull, great hammerhead, lemon, nurse, scalloped hammerhead, smooth hammerhead, spinner sharks), tiger sharks, small coastal sharks (Atlantic sharpnose, blacknose, bonnethead, and finetooth) and pelagic sharks (blue sharks, common thresher, oceanic whitetip, porbeagle, shortfin mako). Prohibited species ( see table below ) cannot be possessed or retained.
Atlantic sharpnose |
Rhizoprionodon terraenovae |
Blacknose |
Carcharhinus acronotus |
Blacktip |
Carcharhinus limbatus |
Blue |
Prionace glauca |
Bonnethead |
Sphyrna tiburo |
Bull |
Carcharhinus leucas |
Common thresher |
Alopias vulpinus |
Finetooth |
Carcharhinus isodon |
Great hammerhead |
Sphyrna mokarran |
Lemon |
Negaprion brevirostris |
Nurse |
Ginglymostoma cirratum |
Oceanic whitetip |
Carcharhinus longimanus |
Porbeagle |
Lamna nasus |
Scalloped hammerhead |
Sphyrna lewini |
Shortfin mako |
Isurus oxyrinchus |
Smooth hammerhead |
Sphyrna zygaena |
Spinner |
Carcharhinus brevipinna |
Tiger |
Galeocerdo cuvier |
The following sharks cannot be possessed or retained. If you catch a shark on this list, you must release it immediately into the water with minimal injury and in a manner that maximizes the survival of the shark. Recreational anglers may fish for white sharks using rod and reel but must release white sharks to the sea in a manner that minimizes injury to the shark.
Atlantic angel |
Squatina dumerili |
Basking |
Cetorhinus maximus |
Bigeye sand tiger |
Odontaspis noronhai |
Bigeye sixgill |
Hexanchus vitulus |
Bigeye thresher |
Alopias superciliosus |
Bignose |
Carcharhinus altimus |
Caribbean reef |
Carcharhinus perezi |
Caribbean sharpnose |
Rhizoprionodon porosus |
Dusky |
Carcharhinus obscurus |
Galapagos |
Carcharhinus galapagensis |
Longfin mako |
Isurus paucus |
Narrowtooth |
Carcharhinus brachyurus |
Night |
Carcharhinus signatus |
Sandbar |
Carcharhinus plumbeus |
Sand tiger |
Odontaspis taurus |
Sevengill |
Heptranchias perlo |
Silky |
Carcharhinus falciformis |
Sixgill |
Hexanchus griseus |
Smalltail |
Carcharhinus porosus |
Whale |
Rhincodon typus |
White |
Carcharodon carcharias |
