Atlantic Tunas and Atlantic HMS Permit Application

[OMB# 0648-0327 EXP 03-31-2012]
N AT IO N AL O C E AN I C & AT M O S PH ER IC AD M INIST R AT IO N
A T L A N T I C T U N A S & AT L AN T I C H I G H L Y M I G R A T O R Y S P E C I E S
P E R M I T AP P L I C AT I O N
(READ INSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO COMPLETING THE INITIAL APPLICATION)

SECTION 1 – OWNER INFORMATION

Owner Type (choose one):

Individual

Partnership

Corporation

Owner or Corporation Name (if more than one
individual, circle name of primary contact):
Street Address:
City:

State

Daytime Phone:

Zip

Evening Phone:

Fax:

Email Address:
SECTION 2 – VESSEL INFORMATION

Vessel Name (if vessel is unnamed, write “unnamed”):
Coast Guard Documentation Number:

State Registration Number:

Home Port:

Principal Port, if different:
(City, State)

(City, State)

Vessel Length:

Year Built:
(to nearest foot)

Wood

Crew Size:

Construction:

Gross Tonnage:

Propulsion:

Main Engine Horsepower:

Hold Capacity, if applicable:

Fiberglass

Gasoline

Steel

Diesel

Other

Other
(pounds)

Number of Passengers licensed to carry for Charter/Headboat:

6 or less

OR Number, if more than 6: ___________

SECTION 3 – ATLANTIC TUNAS & HMS CATEGORY INFORMATION

Category (check only one)
Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat……..
Atlantic HMS Angling (Recreational)..
Atlantic Tunas General……………….
Atlantic Tunas Harpoon………………
Atlantic Tunas Trap ………………….

Primary Gear Type (check only one)
Rod & Reel
Handline
Bandit gear
Speargun
Rod & Reel
Handline
Speargun
Rod & Reel
Handline
Harpoon
Bandit gear
(Harpoon only)
Pound Net
Fish Weir

Green stick
Green Stick

SECTION 4 – OWNER’S SIGNATURE The undersigned is the owner or legally-authorized agent of the owner of the vessel named in

Section 1 above. Issuance of a permit in one of the commercial categories (categories other than Angling) subjects a vessel to
applicable requirements of the Fishing Vessel Safety Act of 1988 (46 CFR 25.28). Call the U.S. Coast Guard for details (see
instructions for phone numbers).
Signature:
Date:

Print Name:

SECTION 5 – PAYMENT/DELIVERY INFORMATION: There is a $20.00 fee for the Atlantic tunas & Atlantic HMS permits. Note

delivery surcharge below. Mail this application and payment to: NOAA Permits, P.O. Box 979016, St. Louis, MO 63197-9000
Check if paying by money order/check (Make payable to NMFS Permits) * Please see notice at end of application.
Check if paying by credit card and fill out the information below:
Credit Card Type (check one):

Visa

MasterCard

Discover

American Express

Account Number:

Expiration Date (MM/YY):

Card Holder Name:

Signature:

Billing address for credit card, if different than address above:

Date:

DELIVERY OPTIONS (CHECK ONE):
Send permit by Priority Mail at additional charge of $4.95

Fax permit to number indicated in Section 1
Send permit by regular mail
I will print my permit from the Internet once processed

[OMB# 0648-0327 EXP 03-31-2012]
FEDERAL ATLANTIC TUNAS & ATLANTIC HMS CHARTER/HEADBOAT PERMIT APPLICATION
INSTRUCTIONS
An Atlantic tunas permit is required to fish commercially for bluefin, yellowfin, bigeye, albacore, and skipjack tunas. An
Atlantic HMS Angling permit is required for all owners/operators of recreational vessels fishing for and/or retaining
regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including
the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. An Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat permit is required for all charter or headboat
vessels fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of
Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Please complete the attached application/renewal form and return to the address indicated at
the bottom of the form. If your application/renewal, including payment, is complete, your permit will be mailed, faxed, or
available to print (depending on your preferred delivery method) within 3 business days. Questions on the permit
application/renewal process, call (888) USA-TUNA (872-8862); for tuna fisheries regulations: (978) 281-9260; for Fishing
Vessel Safety Act regulations see phone numbers below.
The following information is provided to help you complete the application/renewal form.
You may select only ONE permit category per permit. You may change this category when: a) renewing a permit; or b) within
10-calendar days from the date of issuance to correct any potential errors in the permit category. Therefore, once you have
obtained your permit check it immediately to ensure it’s accuracy.
A permit may be owned by more than one person, but the owner information should match the owner information on the vessel’s
state registration or U.S. Coast Guard documentation. If more than one person is listed, please indicate the person who will be the
primary point of contact for the permit.
If you would like your permit faxed, please indicate the appropriate fax number in Section 1 and select the fax option in Section 5.
If you would like to print your permit from your printer via the Internet (www.hmspermits.gov) once the permit is processed
(approximately 3 business days), select the print option in Section 5.
If your vessel is unnamed, write “unnamed” in the space for Vessel Name in Section 2.
The vessel’s home port refers to the port where the vessel is located for most of the year. The principal port refers to the port where
the majority of the vessel’s landings occur. The vessel’s home and principal port may be different.
If your vessel is constructed of more than one material, choose “other”. Please check only one box.
You do not need to submit copies of state registration or U.S. Coast Guard documentation as NMFS no longer requires submission
of copies with the permit application. However, a copy of the vessel's valid U.S. Coast Guard documentation or, if not documented,
a copy of its valid state registration must be carried on board the vessel and must match the information on the Atlantic tunas or
Atlantic HMS permit.
For vessels owned by a partnership or corporation, you do not need to submit a copy of the letter of partnership or articles of
incorporation, but you are advised to maintain the corporate or partnership document in your files and must furnish the document to
NOAA Fisheries Service upon request.
For Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat permits, you do not need to submit a copy of a captain’s license as NOAA Fisheries Service no
longer requires submission of a copy with the permit application. However, while persons aboard a vessel that has been issued an
Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat permit are fishing for or are in possession of Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish, and/or billfish, the
operator of the vessel must have a valid Merchant Marine License or Uninspected Passenger Vessel License, issued by the U.S.
Coast Guard; this license must be carried on board the vessel.
Commercial vessels are subject to the Fishing Vessel Safety Act of 1988. For information, contact the U.S. Coast Guard office in
your district:
Maine to New York
(617) 223-8315
South Carolina to Florida
(305) 415-6868
New Jersey to North Carolina
(757) 398-6554
Gulf of Mexico
(504) 589-4554

INFORMATION REGARDING CATEGORIES:
COMMERCIAL CATEGORIES: Commercial size tuna taken under any of these categories may be sold.
Minimum sizes for sale: Atlantic bluefin tuna: 73 inches total curved fork length (CFL)
Yellowfin and bigeye tuna:
27 inches CFL Other tunas: no minimum sizes
ATLANTIC HMS CHARTER/HEADBOAT: Owners of charter boats or headboats used to fish for, take, retain, or possess Atlantic
tunas, sharks, swordfish, and billfish must obtain this permit. For bluefin tuna, anglers aboard Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboatpermitted vessels may collectively fish under either the Angling or General category daily retention limit, but not both on the same
day. Commercial size tunas taken aboard vessels permitted in the Atlantic HMS Charter/ Headboat category may be sold to licensed
dealers only. Authorized gear: rod & reel (including downriggers), handline, bandit gear, green-stick, and spearguns (recreational
only, no bluefin).

ATLANTIC TUNAS TRAP: Vessel owners who conduct trap operations that may result in the incidental taking of large medium
and giant BFT must obtain this permit. Note that only one bluefin per year may retained. Authorized gear: pound nets and fish weirs.
ATLANTIC TUNAS GENERAL: Vessel owners who harvest Atlantic tunas, including large medium and giant bluefin, by handgear
and plan to sell the tuna must obtain this permit. Authorized gear: rod & reel (including downriggers), handline, harpoon, greenstick,
and bandit gear.
ATLANTIC TUNAS HARPOON: Vessel owners who conduct a commercial harpoon fishery only for Atlantic tunas, including
large medium and giant bluefin, must obtain this permit. Vessels permitted in the Harpoon category may not participate in the General
category fishery. Authorized gear: Harpoon.
RECREATIONAL CATEGORY. Atlantic HMS taken under the Angling category size and retention limits MAY NOT be sold.
Minimum sizes for possession:
Atlantic bluefin tuna:
27 inches CFL
Yellowfin and bigeye tuna:
27 inches CFL
Other tunas: no minimum sizes
Sharks: 54 inches FL
Swordfish: 47 inches LJFL
Blue marlin: 99 inches LJFL
White marlin: 66 inches LJFL
Sailfish: 63 inches LJFL
ATLANTIC HMS ANGLING: Private recreational vessels used to fish for, take, retain, or possess Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish,
and billfish must obtain this permit. All bluefin must be reported within 24 hours of landing to NMFS by calling (888) 872-8862 or
accessing the www.hmspermits.gov website. If bluefin are landed in the states of North Carolina or Maryland, they should be reported
to a reporting station prior to removing fish from the vessel. Information about the state harvest tagging programs, including reporting
station locations, can be obtained in North Carolina by calling (800) 338-7804, and in Maryland by calling (410) 213-1531.
Authorized gear: rod & reel (including downriggers), handline, and spearguns (except for bluefin).
For further information regarding Tuna or HMS permits please call the Northeast Regional Office HMS Division at (978) 281-9260.
PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT: Collection of information through annual permitting serves three purposes: (1) it
provides current information on the vessel owners participating in the Atlantic tuna fisheries; (2) it provides an up-to-date sampling frame
that is the basis for fleet size calculations used for catch and effort estimates in fisheries that do not require mandatory reporting, thus
enabling the U.S. to meet international obligations to report catch statistics for Atlantic tunas; and (3) aids NOAA Fisheries Service in the
enforcement of fishery regulations. Public reporting burden for this initial permit application of information is estimated to average 30
minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining data needed,
and completed & reviewing the collection of information. Permit renewals are accomplished by using an automated phone system at
(888) 872-8862 or by accessing the web site at www.nmfspermits.com. Public reporting burden for renewal by telephone or web is
estimated to average 6 minutes per response. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of
information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to: National Marine Fisheries Service, F/SF1, 1315 East West Highway,
Silver Spring, MD 20910. Providing the requested information in the permit application is mandatory for managing the Atlantic tuna
fisheries in accordance with the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.) and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). It is agency policy not to release confidential information, other than in aggregate form,
as the Magnuson-Stevens Act protects (in perpetuity) the confidentiality of those submitting information. Summaries of permit
information by category may be released. Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall
any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork
Reduction Act, unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. This is an approved information
collection under OMB #0648-0327 and expires March 31, 2012.

Notice to Customers Making Payment by Check
If you send us a check, it will be converted into an electronic funds transfer (EFT). This means we will
copy your check and use the account information on it to electronically debit your account for the amount
of the check. The debit from your account will usually occur within 24 hours, and will be shown on your
regular account statement.
You will not receive your original check back. We will destroy your original check, but we will keep the
copy of it. If the EFT cannot be processed for technical reasons, the copy will be processed in place of
your original check.