NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) is offering an online option to register Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) tournaments and report HMS tournament catch on the new Atlantic Tournament Registry and Reporting (ATR) System. 

To View the Official Notice on the NOAA Web page, Click here.

Atlantic HMS tournament registration and reporting is important for the management of swordfish, billfishes, tunas, and sharks because it characterizes a portion of the recreational fishing effort on these species, including general location and targeted species, and provides catch and landings data that are used for stock assessments and monitoring of landings under international requirements. The ATR System allows electronic registration and reporting and emails confirmation that NOAA Fisheries has reviewed the registration application, or reporting information, and determined that the entry is complete. Online registration provides an additional, easy option for tournament registration and reporting along with the existing options of mailing, e-mailing, and faxing. For more information about Atlantic HMS tournament registration and reporting, please go to http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/compliance/tournaments/index.html.

This notice is a courtesy to Atlantic HMS fishery participants to help keep you informed about the fishery. For further information on Atlantic HMS ATR System, contact Nicolas Alvarado (concerning registration) at 727-824-5399 or Arietta Venizelos (concerning reporting) at 305-361-4214.