Federal Register #2026-08547

NOAA Seeks Comment on HMS Tournament Registration and Reporting Information Collection

NOAA is seeking public comment on a proposed revision and extension of its Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Tournament Registration and Reporting information collection. - Government Buyer: - Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - National Marine Fisheries Service - No OEMs or commercial vendors are involved, as this is an information collection activity - Requested Activity: - Tournament operators must register Atlantic HMS tournaments (swordfish, sharks, billfish, tunas) at least four weeks in advance - Registration requires providing contact information, tournament dates, locations, and target species - Selected operators must submit a summary report within seven days after the tournament, including catch data by species and size class, and vessel effort by state residency - Notable Requirements: - Mandatory registration and post-tournament reporting - Data is used to estimate annual HMS catch and assess tournament impacts - Collection is authorized under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act

Description

The Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is requesting a revision and extension of a currently approved information collection related to Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Tournament Registration and Reporting. Operators of tournaments involving Atlantic HMS such as swordfish, sharks, billfish, and tunas must register four weeks in advance and provide details including contact information, tournament dates, locations, and target species. Selected operators are required to submit a tournament summary report within seven days after the tournament ends. The data collected is used to estimate the total annual catch of HMS and assess the impact of tournament operations relative to other fishing activities.

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