The following is from an email from Jackie Wilson (jackie.wilson@noaa.gov), Fisheries Management Specialist, HMS Management Division, NMFS (Wednesday, August 08, 2012 11:29).
… here is an electronic copy of the final rule that published today regarding the electronic dealer reporting requirements for HMS dealers (attached). These regulations will not be effective until Jan 1, 2013. Until then, dealers are to keep reporting as they have been. Also, these regulations apply to sharks, swordfish, and bigeye, albacore, skipjack, and yellowfin (BAYS) tunas; bluefin tuna reporting will not be affected by this. The highlights include:
-all HMS dealers will be required to report HMS purchases electronically through an electronic reporting system (but, as I said above, this does not include bluefin tuna at this time)
-all HMS dealers will have to report purchases on a weekly basis (right now HMS dealers report twice a month unless they have permits requiring more frequent reporting). As of Jan. 1, 2013, the weekly reporting will consist of purchases from Sunday through Saturday required to be reported by midnight of the Tuesday.
-a person who takes possession for commercial purposes, any BAYS tunas, swordfish, or shark or parts of those species by purchasing, trading, or bartering once it is offloaded from the vessel owner or operator of a fishing vessel will be required to obtain the corresponding federal HMS dealer permit. Entities that only transport HMS will not be required to obtain an HMS dealer permit.
-HMS dealers are not authorized to purchase any HMS product if they have not submitted the required reports.
