Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Permit Family of Forms

This request is for the revision and extension of a current information collection. This collection is being revised to remove the option to apply for an Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) open access vessel permit by mail. Individuals applying for HMS permits will be required to do so via the online HMS Permits Shop website where they will also be required to set up a user account. The option to apply for HMS permits online has been available for over two decades, and in recent years the percentage of permit applications completed online has exceeded 98 percent. Per Amendment 13 to the Consolidated Atlantic HMS Fishery Management Plan, we have discontinued the Atlantic Tunas Purse Seine category, and are no longer issuing these permits. The collection consists of vessel permits, which are part of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) program to manage Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) including tunas, billfish, sharks, and swordfish. The HMS fishery management program is implemented under the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA) (16 U.S.C. 971) and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) (16 U.S.C. 1801), through the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic HMS Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and implementing regulations at 50 CFR part 635.

The latest form for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Permit Family of Forms expires 2027-12-31 and can be found here.

Vessel Permits: Initial Application - Atlantic tunas, HMS charter/headboat

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Natural Resources - Conservation, Marine and Land Management

Review document collections for all forms, instructions, and supporting documents - including paper/printable forms.