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. East Coast, in the Gulf of Mexico, and in the U.S. Caribbean.
According to NOAA. registering HMS tournaments help with the collection of important recreational catch and effort information which is used to analyze the impacts of potential fishery management actions, assess the status of Atlantic HMS, and to assist the United States in complying with international fishery management obligations.
Federal regulations require that all tournaments awarding points or prizes for Atlantic HMS, including tunas, sharks, swordfish, and/or billfish, register with NOAA Fisheries Service at least four weeks prior to the start of the fishing tournament.
For more information or to register tournaments, see:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/newslist/2010/12-09-10_2011_HMS_Tournament_Registration_Reminder.pdf
source: NOAA Fish News