Effective July 5, 2022, no shortfin mako sharks may be landed or retained in any U.S. Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) fishery until further notice, according to NOAA Fisheries. NOAA’s final rule establishes a shortfin mako shark retention limit of … Continued
A 708-pound bluefin tuna, caught on February 16, 2020 by Jake Hiles, of Virginia Beach, has been certified as the new Virginia State Record by the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament’s Director Lewis Gillingham. Hiles catch surpasses the previous state record … Continued
The 2019 Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation Report for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species, better known as the SAFE Report, is now available online. The latest SAFE report provides the public with information on the status of Atlantic HMS stocks and … Continued
In December, NOAA Fisheries released the findings of two studies on the expenditures associated with Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) recreational fisheries. When combined with related findings from other recent assessments, these studies show that HMS recreational fishing contributes an … Continued
A 70-pound 11-ounce longfin albacore tuna caught on September 22, 2019 by Wendy Brockenbrough of Virginia Beach, VA, has been certified as a Virginia State Record by the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament. Brockenbrough caught the record tuna while deep dropping … Continued
A 466-pound swordfish, caught on August 16, 2019 by Tony Gower Jr. of Virginia Beach, VA, has been certified as the new Virginia State Record by the Director of Virginia’s Saltwater Fishing Tournament. Gower’s catch surpassed the existing record of … Continued
A new Mackerel and Tuna Identification Guide is available from NOAA Fisheries. The guide includes key characteristics that will help captains and anglers distinguish between these species when filling out vessel trip reports (logbooks) or completing recreational angler surveys. NOAA … Continued
Updated Atlantic HMS Recreational and Commercial Fishery Compliance Guides are now available. The new guides are designed to help fishermen comply with federal regulations for tunas, swordfish, sharks, and billfishes in the U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Carribean. The … Continued
After responding to over 700 false alerts in 2018, the U.S. Coast Guard is urging anyone with an emergency position indicating radio beacon to properly register their device. An EPIRB is a device that transmits a distress signal to a … Continued
Beginning January 1, 2019, all Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) tournaments will be required to submit catch summaries, according to NOAA Fisheries. An Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) tournament is a tournament that awards points or prizes for catching Atlantic … Continued