The NMFS is opening what they are terming a “Research Fishery” for LCS in the Atlantic and Gulf.  Don’t get too excited, they intend to issue “apporoximately 10″ of these permits, but if you qualify you may well want to apply.

NMFS Requests Applications for Participation in the Atlantic Highly
Migratory Species 2008 Shark Research Fishery
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) requests applications for participation in the 2008 shark research fishery. The shark research pennits would authorize participation in the shark research fishery and the collection of sandbar and non-sandbar large coastal sharks (LCS) from Federal waters in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea for the purposes of scientific data collection subject to 100 percent observer coverage. Generally, these pennits will be valid through December 31,2008, unless otherwise specified, subject to the tenns and conditions of individual pemits. .

It seems all you have to do is toe the line, comply with what used to be a voluntary program (the USCG inspection stickers), and have not done anything in the past to have pissed anyone at NMFS off in any way…and they will consider giving you a permit to participate in this “Research Fishery”.  You will have to agree to full observer coverage and apparently anything else anyone involved with NMFS feels like putting in the rule book, but you may well be able to get a permit to engage in some sort of limited opening extremely restricted entry fishery.

Qualified applicants are those that:

  • possess a valid directed or incidental shark permit;
  • possess a valid United States Coast Guard (USCG) safety inspection decal;
  • have not been charged criminally or civilly (i.e., issued a Notice of Violation and Assessment (NOVA) or Notice of Permit Sanction) for any HMS related violation;
  • have complied with NMFS observer programs and are able to take a NMFS-approved observer; and,
  • submit a completed application by July 15, 2008

No telling what other conditions they will impose based on language like this:

“NMFS will randomly select approximately 10 qualified applicants to participate in the 2008 shark research fishery based on the temporal and spatial needs of the research objectives, the available quota, and the availability of the qualified applicants.”

The line forms here:

The NMFS’s proposal is here: NMFS Request for Applications

Federal Register Notice is here.

And the Shark Research Fishery Application Form is available here.