All recreational vessels fishing for blueline or golden tilefish must now have a permit and report catch within 24 hours of returning to port.

Who Does This Impact?

• Vessels fishing for or retaining tilefish from Virginia to Maine.
• For-hire vessels holding an existing GARFO permit who take private recreational tilefish trips.
• States may have additional permitting or reporting requirements for recreational fishing.

What Do I Need To Do? 

• Obtain a Private Recreational Tilefish Permit from the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO).
• Report your trip with one of the available reporting options.

How Do I Get a Permit?

• Start by registering an account on GARFO Fish Online.
• Create a user name and password.
• Existing permit holders may apply through their current Fish Online account.
• Click Initial Private Recreational Tilefish Permit.

How Do I Report? 

• You must report all trips that either targeted or retained tilefish to GARFO within 24 hours of returning to port using an approved electronic vessel trip reporting (eVTR) system.

More information on recreational tilefishing can be found on our recent Bulletin.