66" from lower jaw to fork of tail

Offshore anglers fishing for Atlantic tunas, swordfish, sharks, blue & white marlin, sailfish & spearfish.
New angling permit to fish for HMS; mandatory vessel-owner reporting of swordfish, white & blue marlin, sailfish & bluefin tuna landings within 24-hours (non-tournament); swordfish bag limit of one per person, up to three per boat, per day.

These regulations pertain to recreational fishing for highly migratory species in U.S. federal waters of the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, ans U.S. Caribbean. NOAA Fisheries has implemented these regulations to help rebuild and properly manage highly migratory species. The HMS angling permit and mandatory reporting program for landings will help the agency gather information that is critical to make informed management decisions about these stocks. The angling bag limit will reduce fishing mortality consistent with the swordfish rebuilding plan.

• Brad McHale (pertaining) at: 978-281-9260
• Russ Dunn (swordfish bag limit reporting) at: 727-570-5447