2017
Maryland Catch Card Program for Landed Bluefin Tuna, Swordfish, Billfishes, and
Sharks
As
part of the coastal effort to improve estimates of recreational catches of
bluefin tuna, swordfish, billfishes, and sharks, the Maryland Department of
Natural Resources and National Marine Fisheries Service has designed a Catch
Card Program to monitor these species. This program requires mandatory
reporting using a catch card and tag for all bluefin tuna, swordfish, billfishes and sharks (except spiny dogfish) recreationally landed in Maryland.
- If you are fishing in the exclusive economic zone (three to 200 miles offshore), someone on your vessel must have a highly migratory species permit from the National Marine Fisheries Service to fish for or keep bluefin tuna, swordfish, billfishes, or sharks.
- Anglers are required to complete a Maryland Bluefin Tuna Catch Card; Maryland Billfish Catch Card; or Maryland Shark Catch Card. Catch cards are available from reporting stations or online; return the completed card(s) to a reporting station in the Ocean City area to obtain a landing tag. This tag must be affixed to the bluefin tuna, swordfish, billfish, or shark prior to its removal from the vessel. Bluefin tuna, swordfish, billfishes, or sharks on board trailered vessels are required to have the tag affixed to the fish before the vessel is removed from the water. If you land a shark from the surf, please visit the nearest reporting station for a card and tag. Kiosks have only cards available. Angler’s keep the receipt and drop the completed card in the locked mailbox. The kiosk at the Colonel Jack Taylor Boathouse is to be used only after the marinas are closed.
Completing
a catch card is fast. Most information can be copied from your Highly Migratory
Species Permit. The edge on all landing cards includes a receipt that can be
removed for the permit holder. PDFs of the catch cards are
available online. You can fill it out on the way to the
reporting station to get your tag and save time.
Billfishes, Bluefin Tuna and Sharks
-
Atlantic Tackle on Sunset Ave 410-213-0421
-
Bahia Marina on Herring Way 410-289-7438
-
Fisherman's Marina on Sunset Ave 410-213-2478
-
Ocean City Fishing Center on Inlet Isle Lane 410-213-1121
-
Pines Point Provisions and Seafood on Yacht Club Drive 410-641-2248
-
Sunset Marina on Sunset Ave 410-213-9600
-
Talbot Street Pier & Marina on Talbot Street 410-289-9125
-
White Marlin Marina on Somerset Street 410-289-6470
Sharks Only
-
Alltackle on Ocean Gateway 410-213-2840
-
Assateague Island on National Seashore Lane 410-641-3030
-
Buck's Place on Assateague Rd 443-513-4661
- George Island Landing at end of Route 366
Note: There are two boxes at the top right corner of all landing cards for the number of live releases and the number of dead releases. There is no penalty for dead releases. This information meets a reporting requirement to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas If turning in several catch cards for the same vessel/per day, please fill in the two boxes on only one of the cards per species.
Identification Information: Tunas | Atlantic swordfish and billfishes | Sharks
Dusky, sandbar, and many other sharks are prohibited. If you cannot identify the species, let it go.
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