All tunas must be landed with at least the tail and one pectoral fin attached. The upper and lower lobes of the tail may be removed for storage purposes as long as the fork of the tail remains intact.
Any Atlantic tuna that is caught but not kept must be released immediately, without removing it from the water, to improve its chances of survival.
Anglers must report all recreational tuna landings. Report all non-tournament recreational Atlantic tuna landings to NMFS within 24 hours by calling
1-800-894-5528 or
hmspermits.noaa.gov.
You must report recreational landings of tuna in North Carolina by calling
1-800-338-7804.
You must report recreational landings of tuna in Maryland by calling
1-410-213-1531.
All highly migratory species require an HMS Angling Permit from NOAA Fisheries. Permits are available by calling
1-888-872-8862, or by visiting
hmspermits.noaa.gov. No sale permitted for HMS species caught under an HMS Angling Permit.
For complete HMS regulations contact NOAA Fisheries HMS Management Division at
1-301-427-8503 or visit
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/atlantic-highly-migratory-species