Billfish and Swordfish Catch Reports

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.