Current Bluefin Tuna Regs

[dfish28]

Originally Posted by Suckafish

Do I need a permit to catch and keep bluefin as a recreational fisherman on my boat

You need an HMS permit, and if I read right which i probably haven't if your vessel is registered as commercial/charter fishing , recreationally of course... you can keep 1under and 1over other private vessels are only allowed one over 27 unless you get an over 73 trophy, one per year ...
Technically you even need one if you plan on trolling Albies and bonito... FYI , it's late I'm sure I'm wrong somewhere but I got heatstroke... That's my excuse!!

[barbarian]

call custumer service number on the permit, tuna office gloucester 978-281-9260 their more than happy to explain and answer any of your question

[Sharkyispy]

Originally Posted by GregW93

What Bernie and Carl have said is correct. With your permit,You declare what you are fishing for by the first fish you kill. If you kill one under 73" you are recreational fishing. If you kill on over 73" you are commercial fishing, unless you claim it as your trophy fish. You can only sell fish over 73" if you have the commercial general category or the head boat/charter boat permit. It is illegal to sell any Bluefin under 73" regardless of what permit you have. Hope this helps!

Dave from Tuna.com outlines this for his trips. The charter has to make the decision whether to keep the small one, making it recreational or go for the larger size tuna and retain those. He would be a great resource for you Gerry.

[Gerry Zagorski]

OK let's see if I have this correct...

If I own a boat and I have or am a licensed captain, I can get a fore hire permit and can keep an under and an over daily and one trophy fish over 72 once a year.

If I own a boat and am not or dont have a licensed captain I get a recreational permit and can keep one fish up to 72 dialy and one fish over 72 once a year.

Now let's talk about commercial. It's my understanding that these licenses are more expensive, they stay with the boat and the boat needs to have life rafts, survival suits etc.

When Bernie and Greg say a for hire like me can choose if im fishing recreational or commercial based on what I kill, this assumes I have a commercial license too?

Pass the popcorn please

[Sharkyispy]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

OK let's see if I have this correct...

If I own a boat and I have or am a licensed captain, I can get a fore hire permit and can keep an under and an over daily and one trophy fish over 72 once a year.

If I own a boat and am not or dont have a licensed captain I get a recreational permit and can keep one fish up to 72.

Now let's talk about commercial. It's my understanding that these licneses are more expensive, they stay with the boat and the boat needs to have life rafts, survival suits etc.

When Bernie and Greg say a for hire like me can choose if im fishing recreational or commercial based on what I kill, this assumes I have a commercial license too?

Pass the popcorn please

Gerry, I believe you are spot on now, the key being the commercial license possession. I'll defer to Dave C.(in between video shoots) for confirmation but that's how I'm reading it all.

[Fish Head]

Gerry your latest post is spot on....to my knowledge unless something has changed.?? The original post was regarding "Commercial" so it seemed confusing. Most of us are eaither just Rec or Charter/Headboat permitted.

Now go catch em!

[Gerry Zagorski]

Thanks guys.... Can you please email my wife and let her know that I was finally right about something

[dfish28]

Lol ^^^^^^^^^^^ just one more inch and your perfect

[capt. carl]

Yes Gerry....
Also....remember...the vessel can't be registered under 2 permits. If you get the Hms Charter/Headboat permit, there has to be a licensed captain onboard.....if no captain shows, you cant just switch over to the Angling catagory for the day.
And if you fish commercially, yes you need commercial safety gear onboard just like all the big commercial boats have.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Thanks Captain Carl....

So it looks like you can't switch back and forth between charter head boat and recreational angling permits...

Bernies post would indicate if you had a charter head boat permit and commercial you could choose which one to use, right??

So as an expample, I go out and decide to keep a 73 inch tuna. If could then keep another over 73 under the commercial permit and not keep anything under 73. Or I could keep the 1 73 as my once a year fish under the charter headboat permit and then keep an over and under fish??