Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops

NOAA Fisheries requires certain highly migratory species permit holders to attend educational workshops. Shark and swordfish permit holders that use longline or gillnet gear are required to attend safe handling, release, and identification workshops.

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Southeast

Some shark and swordfish limited access permit holders must attend safe handling, release, and identification workshop.

This workshop is designed to educate longline and gillnet fishermen on the proper techniques for safe handling and release of entangled or hooked protected species, such as sea turtles, marine mammals, smalltooth sawfish, Atlantic sturgeon, and prohibited sharks. In an effort to improve reporting, identification of protected species and prohibited sharks is also taught at these workshops.

Instructors: Angler Conservation Education (ACE) | dehooker@gmail.com | (386) 682-0158

Requirements

Required Attendance

Are you a commercial vessel owner or operator?
Do you use longline or gillnet gear?
Do you hold one or more of the following permits?
- Shark directed limited access permit
- Shark incidental limited access permit
- Swordfish directed limited access permit
- Swordfish incidental limited access permit

If you answered "yes" to 1, 2, and 3, then you are required attend this workshop and obtain a workshop certificate before you can operate under any of these commercial shark or swordfish limited access permits. All workshop certificates must be renewed every three years, prior to renewing your permit. A copy of both a valid vessel owner and operator certificate must be possessed on board the vessel.

If you answered "no" but would still like to attend a workshop, please contact Angler Conservation Education at (386) 682-0158 to check for availability.

Workshop Certificate

Submit a copy of the workshop certificate with your shark or swordfish permit renewal application each year.
Keep a copy of the workshop certificates on board your vessel as proof of certification.

Dates and Locations

Upcoming workshops are listed below. Workshops are scheduled quarterly in many locations in the Atlantic and Gulf states. For more information please see the Federal Register Notice.

All workshops will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

September 2019

*September 4 (Cancelled)

Hilton Garden Inn
1 Thurber Street
Warwick, RI 02886

September 17

Hilton Garden Inn
1101 North U.S. Highway 231
Panama City, FL 32405

September 23

Hilton Garden Inn
1 Thurber Street
Warwick, RI 02886

October 2019

October 16

Holiday Inn
151 Route 72
Manahawkin, NJ 08050

October 18

Holiday Inn
10120 South U.S. Highway 1
Port Saint Lucie, FL 34952

November 2019

November 4

Holiday Inn
99701 Overseas Highway
Key Largo, FL 33037

November 19

Hilton Garden Inn
5353 North Virginia Dare Trail
Kitty Hawk, NC 27949

December 2019

December 6

Hilton Hotel
901 Airline Drive
Kenner, LA 70062

December 17

Marriott Courtyard
5000 Express Drive South
Ronkonkoma, NY 11779

Registration

Sign up for a Workshop

It is free to attend a workshop. Please contact Angler Conservation Education (ACE) by phone at (386) 682-0158 to reserve a space at a workshop. A reservation is not required but is recommended.

Prepare for a Workshop

To prepare for the workshop, please fill out the correct form below* and e-mail it to ACE, fax it to (386) 437-8115, or bring it to the workshop.

Owner/Permit Holder Registration Form (PDF, 1 page).
Operator Registration Form – Download File (PDF, 1 page).

To ensure your workshop certificate is linked to the correct permit, please bring the following materials with you to the workshop:

Vessel Owner

Proof of identification.
A copy of the permit(s).
A copy of the vessel registration or documentation.

Representative of a Business or Co-Owned Vessel

Proof of identification.
A copy of the permit(s).
Proof that the participant is a co-owner of the business or vessel.

Vessel Operator

Proof of identification.

*There are three ways you can fill out a form:

If you have the full version of Adobe Acrobat (Standard or Professional), you can download the form, type in the fields, save the form, and e-mail it to ACE.
If you only have Acrobat Reader you can type in the fields and send the form using Reader, or you can print the form and fax it to ACE or bring it to the workshop.
If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Professional or Adobe Reader simply print out the form, write in the spaces, and either fax it to ACE or bring it to the workshop.

Videos

Removing Fishing Gear from Longline Caught Sea Turtles (25:02)

Leatherbacks Abroad (9:03)

Handouts

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species