Virginia Saltwater Fishing

NOAA Fisheries Service has developed a brochure that offers guidelines on how to increase the survival of  hook-and-line caught, large pelagic species.

The objectives of careful catch and release include reducing stress and minimizing injury to a fish caught on hook-and-line, and assisting in its recovery prior to release.

These objectives are especially challenging for large highly migratory species such as tuna, swordfish, and sharks, because of the size and potentially dangerous features (e.g., teeth and swords) of these species.

The brochure provides guidelines for careful catch and release in four topic areas: planning ahead, gear, play and handling, and release and revival.

The information in this brochure will assist anglers in following NOAA Fisheries regulations, which require that any Atlantic highly migratory species that is caught and released, be released in a manner that maximizes its probability of survival.

To obtain the document, visit http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/ and click on the brochure to download it, or call 301-713-2347.

NOAA Fisheries Service reminds tournament operators to register their Atlantic HMS tournaments for 2011

NOAA Fisheries Service is again reminding tournament operators to register their Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) tournaments for 2011. This includes tournaments occurring on the U.S. East Coast, in the Gulf of Mexico, and in the U.S. Caribbean.

According to NOAA. registering HMS tournaments help with the collection of important recreational catch and effort information which is used to analyze the impacts of potential fishery management actions, assess the status of Atlantic HMS, and to assist the United States in complying with international fishery management obligations.

Federal regulations require that all tournaments awarding points or prizes for Atlantic HMS, including tunas, sharks, swordfish, and/or billfish, register with NOAA Fisheries Service at least four weeks prior to the start of the fishing tournament.

For more information or to register tournaments, see:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/newslist/2010/12-09-10_2011_HMS_Tournament_Registration_Reminder.pdf

source: NOAA Fish News

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is scheduled to hold a meeting of the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP) on May 11-13, 2010, in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The purpose of the meeting is to consider alternatives for the conservation and management of Atlantic tunas, swordfish, billfish, and sharks.

For more information, visit to the HMS Division website at:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Advisory%20Panels/Advisory_Panel.htm