2021 NC Letter

2021 North Carolina Catch Card Program for Recreational Landed Bluefin Tuna, Swordfish, Billfishes, and Sharks
As part of the coastal effort to improve estimates of recreational catches of Atlantic bluefin tuna, blue marlin, white marlin, roundscale
spearfish, sailfish, and swordfish, the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries designed a Catch Card Program to monitor these
species. This program requires mandatory reporting using a catch card and tag for all bluefin tuna, blue marlin, white marlin, roundscale
spearfish, sailfish, and swordfish recreationally landed in North Carolina and all dead bluefin released. Sharks are voluntarily reported at
this time.
• Your vessel must have a valid Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) permit from the National Marine Fisheries Service to fish for or
keep Atlantic bluefin tuna, blue marlin, white marlin, roundscale spearfish, sailfish, and swordfish. A person with an HMS permit for
their vessel cannot transfer the fish to another vessel without a permit.
• Anglers are required to complete a North Carolina Billfish, Shark and Tuna Catch Card and tag their catch. Catch cards and HMS tags
are available from reporting stations (see below). Anglers who arrive to the dock after business hours may use the After Hours
Reporting hotline (1-800-682-2632). The HMS tag must be affixed to the bluefin tuna, blue marlin, white marlin, roundscale spearfish,
sailfish, and swordfish prior to its removal from the vessel. Bluefin tuna, blue marlin, white marlin, roundscale spearfish, sailfish, and
swordfish aboard trailered vessels are required to have the tag affixed to the fish before the vessel is removed from the water.
Completing a catch card is fast. Most information can be copied from your Highly Migratory Species Permit. The catch card is perforated
down the middle to provide the angler with a receipt.

REPORTING SITE

Anchorage Marina
Captain Stacy Fishing Center
Chasin Tails Outdoors
Seawater Marina
Olde Towne Yacht Club
Town Creek Marina
Hurricane Fishing Center
Harker's Island Fishing Center
Hatteras Harbor Marina
Oden's Dock
Teach's Lair Marina
Holden Beach Marina
Oregon Inlet Fishing Center
Pirate's Cove
Shallowbag Bay Marina
Carolina Princess
Portside Marina
Ocean Isle Fishing Center
Anchorage Marina
Southport Marina
Outer Banks Marina
Bridge Tender Marina
Creekside Yacht Club

LOCATION

Atlantic Beach
Atlantic Beach
Atlantic Beach
Atlantic Beach
Beaufort
Beaufort
Calabash
Harker's Island
Hatteras
Hatteras
Hatteras
Holden Beach
Manteo
Manteo
Manteo
Morehead City
Morehead City
Ocean Isle
Ocracoke
Southport
Wanchese
Wrightsville Beach
Wrightsville Beach

NC Recreational Highly Migratory Species Reporting Requirements:
http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/hms-reporting-requirements
Identification Information: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/find-species

TELEPHONE
252-726-4423
252-726-4675
252-240-3474
252-726-1637
252-726-3066
252-728-6111
910-579-3660
252-728-3907
252-986-2166
252-986-2555
252-986-2460
910-842-5447
252-441-6301
252-473-3906
252-305-8726
252-726-5479
252-726-7678
910-575-3474
252-928-6661
910-457-9900
252-473-9991
910-256-6550
910-350-0023