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
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
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
NOAA Fisheries has released its 2017 Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) Report for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species. The 2017 SAFE report reviews the status of highly migratory Atlantic tunas, swordfish, billfishes, and sharks. The report also updates constituents on … Continued
6th Annual Billfish Symposium September 14-17 International Game Fish Association (IGFA) Headquarters 300 Gulf Stream Way Dania Beach, Florida 33004 The 6th International Billfish Symposium (IBS) will be held September 14-17, 2016 at the International Game Fish Association’s (IGFA) headquarters … Continued
NOAA’s Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Management Division recently announced that the 2016 Atlantic Tunas and Atlantic HMS Permitting System is now operational. NOAA is issuing vessel open access permits to those fishing commercially for Atlantic Tunas and Swordfish, recreationally … Continued
NOAA Fisheries will hold a 3-day Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP) meeting in March 2015. The meeting is open to the public. The AP meeting and webinar will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on … Continued
A new stock assessment conducted in September 2013 by the scientific committee of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) concluded that the stock of North Atlantic swordfish remains rebuilt at a sustainable population level. The assessment … Continued
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 … Continued
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. … Continued