Bluefin Tuna Reporting Requirements

RFA is reminding all private anglers and charter/headboats who fishing for under HMS Angling and Charter/Headboat permits that they are required to report the catch of landed and dead discarded bluefin tuna within 24 hours of landing or the end of each trip. NOAA Fisheries implemented this reporting require three years to comply with the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) recommendations that contracting parties must report both landings and dead discards.

At a recent HMS meeting, it was disclosed that compliance with this regulation has been extremely low, less than 20%. To address this noncompliance, the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement has indicated that it will begin being issuing more warning and fines for those who do not report their bluefin landings and dead discards. RFA is reaching out to recreational angles and HMS/Charter operators to remind them of regulations so they can comply with the regulation and avoid possible warnings or fines. Complying with reporting requirements also benefits efforts to monitor landings as well as assess the Western Atlantic bluefin stock.

Fishermen can report through several options; by accessing the HMS Permit Website or by calling customer service at 888-USA-TUNA (1888 872-8862) Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm EST. NOAA has recently made it simpler for fishermen to report by using a new, free app (iOS, Android) called, "Catch Reporting". The phone app enables the fisherman to input their report while at sea where there is no cell service and the app will retain and automatically transmit the report as soon as the phone is within range of cell service.