went out last Thursday ,had a good day despite the weather we managed to put 8 dolphin in the boat and jump a sail off by 11;30 the weather was picking up more and more as time went on so we decided to pack it in , we pulled up to the ramp and put the boat on the trailer . we were packing up the boat and here comes a federal NOAA agent , he came up and asked us how we did and we told him what we caught and he asked about our HMS permit ( highly migratory species) come to find out if you are going outside of state waters to target bill fish , tuna , or sharks you have to have a HMS permit to target those fish , im probobly the only one who did not know about it but just letting yall know to save from a ticket.
You also can not boat a billfish (including swordfish)you do not intend to land, and if you do land a legal size fish you have 24 hours to report to NMFS. All this is included in the terms and conditions of the permit. They track landings for ICCAT quota compliance and the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico recreational maximum catch of 250 Blue Marlin per calendar year. See blondestranger’s recent post in offshore report for what unless it was landed and reported would be an illegal act.
Did you receive a ticket? If so, would you mind sharing the details of that? I’m curious.
May all your favorite bands stay together…
I wouldn’t think so, dolphin are not on the list. Probably lucky he didn’t have a tuna in the box though:face_with_head_bandage:
Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper
quote:
Originally posted by Cracker LarryI wouldn’t think so, dolphin are not on the list. Probably lucky he didn’t have a tuna in the box though:face_with_head_bandage:
Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper
You don’t need the permit for blackfin or little tunny. That being said – the HMS permit is cheap, so there’s really no reason not to get one. It’s like 25 bucks, which is well worth it for that 1% chance you have of catching a yellowfin or killing a billfish during a fight.
I got mine when I had a bigger boat because I hated the thought of having to throw a dead sailfish to the sharks, or having to release a yellowfin.
1994 Hewes Redfisher 18, 2004 Yamaha 150 VMAX
Malibu X-Factor Kayak
In addition I have encountered this uniformed NOAA officer in several situations over the last year and he usually gives the angler the benefit of the doubt unless the violation is flagrant. Wish I could remember his name.
You DO need the permit for Skipjack!
26 Seahunt
Angler’s Dream
Dang, is there anything you DON’T need permission from the government to do? I don’t know how you offshore guys keep track of what you can and can’t catch, etc…
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?
quote:
Originally posted by JordanOnaYakYou DO need the permit for Skipjack!
26 Seahunt
Angler’s Dream
You’re right – my mistake! I’ll correct my previous post.
1994 Hewes Redfisher 18, 2004 Yamaha 150 VMAX
Malibu X-Factor Kayak
quote:
the HMS permit is cheap, so there's really no reason not to get one. It's like 25 bucks
Yes, very cheap, compared to the fines. What the heck, $25 won’t hardly buy lunch. One good yellowfin could easily make that worthwhile!
Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper
It is very clear that if you are fishing for (pursuing) any HMS species you must have the permit. End of story, this is very simple and cheap.
The best part about it is their FAQ:
https://hmspermits.noaa.gov/faqs
Q:What do I get when I pay for my permit?
A:Unlike many state permit programs, the permit fees go directly to the General Treasury and not to the managing agency (NMFS). The fee is set, in accordance with the procedures of the NOAA Finance Handbook, to recover the cost of administering the permit program, including maintenance of the public website and the toll-free phone system.
So, what does this tell you? How does this MONEY that you are paying get spent to help our fishery? It doesn’t!!! It’s used to fund the permit program!!! Basically, they are collecting money, to pay for the labor used to collect money! Not a dime goes into our fishery… So, why in the heck do we need this to begin with???
quote:
So, what does this tell you? How does this MONEY that you are paying get spent to help our fishery? It doesn't!!! It's used to fund the permit program!!! Basically, they are collecting money, to pay for the labor used to collect money! Not a dime goes into our fishery...
It doesn’t help anything except to keep the bureaucracy flowing.
quote:
So, why in the heck do we need this to begin with????
- Because the King said so, that’s why! Stand up and bow.
HMS permits have been in effect for several years, I forget how many, but the first couple I bought only cost $10 a year. I reckon they gave themselves a good raise since then.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper
When you look at all the government agencies aand what they control it seems it will only be a matter of time before everyone will work for the government and then where will we be . I don’t know but for sure we won’t be a free nation anymore .
Try looking all the Gov agencies , you will be surprised .
quote:
I don't know but for sure we won't be a free nation anymore
I’m pretty sure we already aren’t.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper
It’s been around for more than a decade, but reminders are always good.
It’s no problem fishing without one. Just don’t bring any of the listed species back to the dock.
quote:
Originally posted by cape_fishermanIt’s been around for more than a decade, but reminders are always good.
It’s no problem fishing without one. Just don’t bring any of the listed species back to the dock.
I haven’t looked at the regs/rules since they first introduced it, but I always understood it to mean if you have a chance at even hooking one of the fish it covers, you need it.
It is needed …really bad. Just like 5 black fish limit, 3 silver limit, 0 snapper limit, etc. Needed badly.
quote:
It's no problem fishing without one. Just don't bring any of the listed species back to the dock
And don’t take a picture of it holding it out of the water and post it on the internet. I would really dislike having to release a nice yellowfin because I didn’t have the permit, or get caught keeping it. I Don’t really like the rules, but the permit is cheap enough and much cheaper than paying the fines.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper
Wanna laugh skinnee? Figure your gross tonnage for your boat. (required for a permit)
2005 Sea Hunt 212 Triton
“Head East”