The state Division of Marine Fisheries announced Tuesday that it is shutting down its more than 25-year-old catch reporting program for bluefin tuna and billfish.
The division on Tuesday discontinued its Highly Migratory Species Catch Card Program in light of the fact that the federal electronic reporting system is “more efficient,” according to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
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North Carolina fishers who have federal Highly Migratory Species Angling, HMS Charter/Headboat and Atlantic Tuna permits have been notified by mail of the change.
HMS permit holders should report their landings and dead discards directly to the National Marine Fisheries Service within 24 hours of finishing a fishing trip.
Reports may be submitted online at the HMS Permit Shop, the HMS Catch Reporting smartphone app, or by calling the HMS Permit Shop customer service line at 888-872-8862.
The division started the program more than two decades ago to help with federal data collection, which at the time was not gathered through an electronic reporting system.
“Anglers are still required to hold a valid Atlantic HMS permit to fish for or keep Atlantic tunas, billfishes, swordfish and sharks in federal and state waters,” according to the division.
Atlantic HMS permit holders who also have Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office or Southeast For-Hire permits that require them to submit vessel trip or logbook reports are now exempt from submitting separate HMS catch reports if they use either of the two following reporting platforms:
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- ACCSP’s SAFIS eTrips – for both GARFO and Southeast For-Hire permit holders.
- Bluefin Data LLC’s VESL program – for Southeast For-Hire Permit holders only.
Trip reports must be submitted within 24 hours of competing a trip.
Those who report using SAFIS eTrips must list each harvested swordfish or billfish, each caught bluefin tuna, whether landed or discarded dead, and report the weight of each fish in pounds rather than number caught. Bluefin tuna dead discards must also be reported individually.
Additional information on reporting requirements may be found at the HMS Permits website or at the Atlantic HMS Reporting website. For questions, contact Dallis Tucker at Dallis.Tucker@deq.nc.gov or 252-948-3816.
