NOAA Fisheries will issue exempted fishing permits, scientific research permits, display permits, and shark research fishery permits for the research and collection of Atlantic highly migratory species in 2021.
Exempted fishing permits and related permits authorize collection of a limited number of tunas, swordfish, billfishes, and sharks from federal waters in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico for the purposes of scientific data collection, bycatch research, public display, and to evaluate the efficacy of environmental clean-up efforts. Letters will be issued that recognize scientific research activity is being conducted aboard a scientific research vessel. The shark research fishery assists NOAA Fisheries in collecting valuable shark life history and other scientific data required in shark stock assessments.
NOAA Fisheries receives fewer than 50 applications annually and issues the appropriate permit with most relating to scientific sampling and tagging of Atlantic HMS by scientists. NOAA Fisheries intends to issue these types of permits without opening public comment beyond what is provided in the Federal Register notice, but will open public comment for applications outside of this scope.
For more information, please see the Federal Register notice.
