North Wake News

The reporting requirements for anglers in North Carolina who catch Bluefin tuna and billfishes have changed, as the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Marine Fisheries announced the end of its Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Catch Card Program.

Going forward, Federal HMS Angling, HMS Charter/Headboat, and Atlantic Tunas permit holders in North Carolina are directed to report their landings and dead discards directly to the National Marine Fisheries Service. They must use one of the electronic options specified and complete reporting within 24 hours after finishing their fishing trip. The options include reporting online via the HMS Permit Shop, using the HMS Catch Reporting smartphone app, or calling the HMS Permit Shop Customer Service Line at (888) 872-8862.

The change was communicated to HMS permit holders in North Carolina through mail notifications. This decision marks the end of a program that has been operational for over 25 years, initially set up by the NCDEQ Division of Marine Fisheries to assist in federal data collection. The transition has been enabled by the efficiency of the existing federal electronic reporting system.

Despite these changes, anglers are still obligated to carry a valid Atlantic HMS permit for fishing or retaining Atlantic tunas, billfishes, swordfish, and sharks in both federal and state waters.

Furthermore, Atlantic HMS permit holders who also hold Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) or Southeast For-Hire permits and are required to submit vessel trip or logbook reports can forgo separate HMS catch reports. They must use the pre-approved reporting platforms and ensure submission within 24 hours of completing their trip. The platforms include ACCSP’s SAFIS eTrips for both GARFO and Southeast For-Hire permit holders, and Bluefin Data LLC’s VESL program specifically for Southeast For-Hire Permit holders.

For those using SAFIS eTrips, it's necessary to report each harvested swordfish or billfish, and each Bluefin tuna caught individually, whether landed or discarded dead, and indicate the weight in pounds. Anglers must adjust the Unit of Measure from Count to Pounds when making these reports.

Detailed HMS reporting requirements are available online at the HMS Permits and Atlantic HMS Reporting websites. For further inquiries, individuals may reach out to Dallis Tucker via email at Dallis.Tucker@deq.nc.gov or by phone at 252-948-3816.