Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Exempted Fishing Permits
An overview of highly migratory species exempted fishing permits.
Exempted Fishing Permits, Scientific Research Permits, Display Permits, and Letters of Acknowledgement
NOAA Fisheries issues Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) exempted fishing permits (EFPs), scientific research permits (SRPs), display permits, and letters of acknowledgement (LOAs) under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) and/or Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA). EFPs, SRPs, and display permits may be required in situations where scientific research activities or collection for public display would normally be prohibited by HMS regulations. This could include:
Conducting scientific research on certain prohibited shark and billfish species
Collecting HMS for public education or display, including prohibited species during fishery closures
Investigating bycatch, economic discards, or regulatory discards in HMS fisheries
Collection of HMS under EFPs, SRPs, and display permits represents a small portion of the overall fishing mortality for HMS, and NOAA Fisheries counts this mortality against the relevant quota, as appropriate and applicable. The terms and conditions of individual permits are unique; however, all permits include reporting requirements, limit the number and/or species of HMS to be collected (if appropriate), and only authorize collection and/or other research activities in federal waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of America, and Caribbean Sea (for Atlantic tunas, we may authorize the activities all the way to the shore).
HMS EFPs, SRPs, display permits, and LOAs are described below.
EFP: NOAA Fisheries issues EFPs for scientific research activities conducted from commercial or recreational fishing vessels.
SRP: NOAA Fisheries issues SRPs for scientific research related to HMS from bona fide research vessels for species managed under ATCA (i.e., swordfish, tunas, and billfish).
Display: NOAA Fisheries issues display permits for the collection of HMS for public display.
LOA: NOAA Fisheries issues LOAs for scientific research activities conducted by a scientific research vessel involving species that are only regulated under the Magnuson-Stevens Act (e.g., most species of sharks) and not ATCA. Although LOAs are not required, they are strongly recommended to document NOAA Fisheries concurrence that the proposed activity meets the definition of scientific research and is therefore exempt from regulation.
Application Form and Submission
To apply for an HMS EFP, SRP, display permit, or LOA, submit a complete HMS EFP application with all required information to nmfs.hms.efps@noaa.gov.
Reporting Requirements
NOAA Fisheries monitors all HMS landings and mortality that occur under EFP, SRP, and display permits against the appropriate quota. NOAA Fisheries may stop issuing EFPs, SRPs, and display permits if the applicable quota(s) are reached.
NOAA Fisheries requires the permit holder to report all target and incidental catch to the HMS Management Division via submission of interim and annual reports. LOA holders are encouraged, but not required, to report their target and incidental catch via the interim and annual reports.
Interim reports capture trip, species, and environmental information. Permit holders must submit interim reports within 5 days of completion of a fishing or collection trip.
Interim “no-catch” reports indicate months when no HMS are captured, either in or outside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Permit holders must submit an interim “no-catch” report within 5 days of the last day of the month.
Annual reports summarize the disposition status of all fish collected under the authority of the permit. Permit holders must submit their annual report within 30 days of the expiration date of the permit.
Reports should be submitted to the HMS Management Division electronically. We strongly encourage permit holders to submit interim reports with the information specified in the online forms via our HMS EFP Electronic Reporting website.
Copies of the interim and annual reports are also available for download and may be submitted electronically to nmfs.hms.efps@noaa.gov. Do not submit your own forms to meet these requirements.
For more information, please contact the HMS Management Division at (301) 427-8503.
Shark Research Fishery
NOAA Fisheries implemented the shark research fishery in Amendment 2 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery Management Plan. NOAA Fisheries conducts this research fishery under the auspices of the HMS EFP Program.
Shark research fishery participants assist NOAA Fisheries in collecting valuable shark life history and other scientific data required in shark stock assessments. Since NOAA Fisheries established the shark research fishery, the research fishery has allowed for:
- Fishery-dependent data collection for current and future stock assessments
- Cooperative research to meet NOAA Fisheries' ongoing research objectives
- Collection of updated life-history information used in the sandbar shark (and other species) stock assessments
- Data collection on habitat preferences that might help reduce fishery interactions through bycatch mitigation
- Evaluation of the utility of the Mid-Atlantic closed area on the recovery of dusky sharks
- Collection of hook-timer and pop-up satellite archival tag information to determine at-vessel and post-release mortality of dusky sharks
The shark research fishery allows selected commercial fishermen the opportunity to earn revenue from selling additional sharks, including sandbar sharks. Only shark research fishery participants are authorized to land sandbar sharks subject to the sandbar quota available each year. The selected shark research fishery participants will also be allowed to land other shark species consistent with any restrictions established on their shark research fishery permit. Generally, the shark research fishery permits are valid only for the calendar year for which they are issued.
NOAA Fisheries requires 100-percent observer coverage on shark research fishery trips. The specific trip limits and number of trips per month will depend on the availability of funding, number of selected vessels, the availability of observers, the available quota, and the objectives of the research fishery, and will be included in the permit terms at time of issuance.
Application Form and Submission
Commercial shark fishermen who are interested in participating in the shark research fishery must submit a completed shark research fishery application with all required information to nmfs.research.fishery@noaa.gov during the open period (typically late fall).
For more information, please contact the HMS Management Division at (301) 427-8503.
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