Tilefish Reporting/Permitting for Recreational Anglers

[Lido-Gambler]

Recreational Tilefish Permitting and Reporting from the Greater Atlantic Region

Reminder: If you own or operate a private recreational vessel and target blueline or golden tilefish from Virginia northward, you must have a GARFO issued private recreational tilefish permit and submit an electronic vessel trip report (eVTR) within 24 hours of completing a trip. These requirements extend to for-hire or commercial vessels when fishing in a private recreational capacity even if HMS species were also targeted.
https://apps-garfo.fisheries.noaa.go...ce=govdelivery

Recreational Tilefish Permit
If you don’t have a 2024 Private Recreational Tilefish Permit for your vessel, visit the NOAA Fisheries’ Fish Online website to apply for a permit.
Electronic Vessel Trip Reports (eVTR)
Trips on which Blueline or Golden Tilefish are targeted and in which no other species were caught may use the eFin Logbook application.
If you catch species other than Blueline or Golden Tilefish on a trip, you should use any of the other GARFO approved eVTR reporting applications.
Note: Trips for tilefish and HMS species can be submitted on one report for those using SAFIS eTRIPS.
Submit key information after each trip such as:
Number of anglers
Time spent fishing
Number of tilefish kept/discarded
Note for trips targeting tilefish and HMS species:
For private trips that include both tilefish and HMS, those should be reported separately with eFIN and HMS.
For those who also have a commercial or for-hire permit, SAFIS eTRIPS can be used to submit one report for all species on a private recreational eVTR.
Submit reports within 24 hours of returning from any trip on which tilefish were targeted, even if none were caught or kept.
https://www.harborlightsoftware.com/efin-logbook

Visit the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Recreational Tilefish Permitting and Reporting page to learn more.
https://www.mafmc.org/rec-tilefish-e...ce=govdelivery

Questions?
Media: Contact GARFO Public Affairs at nmfs.gar.pa@noaa.gov

[Gerry Zagorski]

I hope this doesn't go the same way all the other fisheries they manage went.

[Broad Bill]

Opposing argument is maybe this could replace MRIP which is a complete disaster with something more accurate and quantifiable. Recreational anglers could also underreport discard percentages just as commercials do now on their vessel trip reports. At least it would even the playing field. Flip side to that thought is NMFS would probably fudge the numbers anyway if it contradicted historical landings, discard and fishing effort statistics if it didn't favor the commercial sector or support the narrative they want.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Broad Bill

Opposing argument is maybe this could replace MRIP which is a complete disaster with something more accurate and quantifiable. Recreational anglers could also underreport discard percentages just as commercials do now on their vessel trip reports. At least it would even the playing field. Flip side to that thought is NMFS would probably fudge the numbers anyway if it contradicted historical landings, discard and fishing effort statistics if it didn't favor commercial harvest or support the narrative they want.

I hope it helps but everything they get involved in seems to go the wrong way...

[Broad Bill]

Could not agree more, just playing devil's advocate.

[Jigman13]

My dad's shaking his fist and cursing up a storm from the heavens!

[bulletbob]

I dunno, is there really that much recreational pressure on Tilefish throughout there range?.. They are out of reach for most fishermen,except for professional charters and a few private guys with the means and equipment to target them. Probably 99% or more of recreational salt water fishermen will never catch one. I would think commercials that can trawl net or long line them in large quantity would be the ones to keep an eye on.. I guess it just doesn't work that way... bob

[Broad Bill]

Bob excellent point. Just looked at the last Golden Tile stock assessment. Between 2005 and 2022, commercial landings, relative to total landings for both recreational and commercial combined, has ranged from a low of 96.3% to a high of 99.7%. The average appears to be in the 98- 99% range. Why would there be any studies involving recreational landings or fishing effort for a stock if landings from that sector are that negligible? Why not focus on where the problem lies if there is in fact even a problem? Unfortunately we all know the answer to that question. Regulate, control and dedicate the fishery to the sector that generates the most revenue and fees so the politicians can line their pockets. Fisheries management 101.

[Jigman13]

The goal is eventually minimize what recs can take, and allow for more comm harvest. We recs don't have the lobby or resources to fight back. Never have and never will.

They slapped limits on blue lines at 3 pp from May thru Oct. Now there's limits on goldens of 8 pp year round. I expect that year round part to get smaller, and the creel to shrink to 5, then 3, etc.

Many times tiles have saved offshore trips when I fished with my dad. Continued decreases in creel and season will make that harder and harder.

[Lido-Gambler]

Originally Posted by Jigman13

The goal is eventually minimize what recs can take, and allow for more comm harvest. We recs don't have the lobby or resources to fight back. Never have and never will.

They slapped limits on blue lines at 3 pp from May thru Oct. Now there's limits on goldens of 8 pp year round. I expect that year round part to get smaller, and the creel to shrink to 5, then 3, etc.

Many times tiles have saved offshore trips when I fished with my dad. Continued decreases in creel and season will make that harder and harder.

The Mid Atlatic Council is diverse now including myself and those from the recreational and for hire sectors. We are totally ignoring MRIP data BTW and encouraging use of this new methodology as interest in tilefish is growing especially in May before sea bass and before ocean fluke is an option. -Lido