Recreational fishermen, as of Monday, must report when they harvest five fish species, and commercial fishermen must now report their entire harvest, whether or not they sell it to a seafood dealer.
The North Carolina General Assembly established the new rules through a 2023 law and charged the Division of Marine Fisheries with enforcing the requirements that went into effect Monday.
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The recreational harvest of red drum, spotted seatrout, striped bass, weakfish and flounder must be reported to the Division of Marine Fisheries using the online Mandatory Harvest Reporting webform or a Paper Report Card once the fishing trip is complete.
For commercial fishermen, all harvest of finfish, shellfish and crustaceans must be reported through the North Carolina Trip Ticket Program using a licensed seafood dealer.
If the catch is sold, the dealer reports it as usual. The new rules require that any commercial catch that is not sold, such as kept for consumption, it must be reported through a dealer, who will mark a trip ticket as an “unsold harvest.” The harvest must be reported through a licensed seafood dealer within 48 hours of landing for a commercial fishing operation.
Officials said Monday that the Mandatory Harvest Reporting program will not replace the Marine Recreational Information Program, or any of the other creel surveys the division conducts. Information collected through the new program will be used in conjunction with data collected by existing surveys to better inform fisheries management.
More information, including a Frequently Asked Questions webpage, can be found in the Mandatory Harvest Reporting section of the Division of Marine Fisheries website.
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