Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Electronic Dealer Reporting Requirements

This final rule will require that Federal Atlantic swordfish, shark, and tuna dealers report receipt of Atlantic sharks, swordfish, and bigeye, albacore, skipjack, and yellowfin (BAYS) tunas to NMFS through an electronic reporting system on a weekly basis. At this time, Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) dealers will not be required to report bluefin tuna through this electronic reporting system, as a separate reporting system is currently in place for this species. This final rule changes the current definition of who is considered an Atlantic HMS dealer and will require Atlantic HMS dealers to submit dealer reports to NMFS in a timely manner in order to be able to purchase commercially-harvested Atlantic sharks, swordfish, and BAYS tunas. Any delinquent reports will need to be submitted by the dealer and received by NMFS before a dealer can purchase commercially- harvested Atlantic sharks, swordfish, and BAYS tunas from a fishing vessel. These measures are necessary to ensure timely and accurate reporting, which is critical for quota monitoring and management of these species.