John Nicholson Chief Deputy Secretary | North Carolina Department Of Environmental Quality
John Nicholson Chief Deputy Secretary | North Carolina Department Of Environmental Quality
Anglers in North Carolina no longer need to report their catches of Bluefin Tuna and billfishes to the state. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries ended its Highly Migratory Species Catch Card Program as of April 1, 2025.
The change means that Federal HMS Angling, HMS Charter/Headboat, and Atlantic Tunas permit holders must now report landings and dead discards directly to the National Marine Fisheries Service. Reports must be submitted within 24 hours of completing the fishing trip. Reporting can be done online at the HMS Permit Shop, through the HMS Catch Reporting smartphone app, or by calling the HMS Permit Shop Customer Service Line at (888) 872-8862.
The NCDEQ Division of Marine Fisheries began the HMS Catch Card Program over 25 years ago to aid federal data collection. Since then, the electronic reporting system has become more efficient, rendering the state program unnecessary. Permit holders in North Carolina have been informed of the change by mail.
Anglers still need a valid Atlantic HMS permit to fish for or keep Atlantic tunas, billfishes, swordfish, and sharks in federal and state waters.
Additionally, Atlantic HMS permit holders possessing Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) or Southeast For-Hire permits must submit vessel trip or logbook reports. The requirement for separate HMS catch reports is waived if the reports are submitted within 24 hours using ACCSP’s SAFIS eTrips or Bluefin Data LLC’s VESL program, provided by the platforms for Southeast For-Hire Permit holders.
Atlantic HMS permit holders using SAFIS eTrips should list each harvested swordfish, billfish, or caught Bluefin tuna (landed or discarded dead) individually. They must report the weight in pounds, not the number caught, requiring a change in the Unit of Measure from Count to Pounds in SAFIS eTrips.
More details on HMS reporting requirements can be found online at the HMS Permits website or the Atlantic HMS Reporting website. For any inquiries, Dallis Tucker can be contacted at Dallis.Tucker@deq.nc.gov or 252-948-3816.
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