Swordfish and Billfish - Internet and IVR reporting

Message 2000: REPORTING CATCH for swordfish and billfish;

1-800-894-5528

Hello, you have reached the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species catch reporting line.

NOAA Fisheries maintains an internet-based reporting system for recreational non-tournament landings of North Atlantic swordfish and billfish at http://www.hmspermits.gov. All recreational non-tournament landings of swordfish and billfish, including those landed on a charter or headboat, must be reported. Recreational non-tournament landings must be reported by the permitted owner of the vessel landing the fish, or their designee. A landed fish is a fish that is kept and has been brought to shore. All billfish and swordfish landed during a tournament must be reported by the tournament operator directly to the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center on forms available from the Center.

Vessels landing billfish and swordfish in North Carolina and Maryland must report their landings through the landing cards provided by those states, and do not have to report landings through this system. All other states, including Puerto Rico and the U.S.Virgin Islands, must report using the internet reporting site or this call-in system within 24 hours of landing.

To report a swordfish or billfish landed in the non-tournament recreational fishery via the internet, please go to http://www.hmspermits.gov, select landings reports, and fill in the required landings information as prompted. NOAA Fisheries maintains and monitors the current toll-free reporting line as a backstop to the internet reporting site and also to assist those vessel owners who do not have access to the internet.

It is extremely important to provide a contact name and number so that NOAA Fisheries can conduct a follow-up call to validate reports and provide you with a confirmation number. Please note a landings report is not considered complete unless you have received a confirmation number from NOAA Fisheries for each individual fish landed. If you have additional questions about reporting your billfish catch, please call (727) 824-5399.

This program complies with the Paperwork Reduction Act and is authorized by the Office of Management and Budget. The OMB control number and expiration date for this data collection may be obtained by calling the HMS Management Division at (301) 427-8503.