Contact:  Scott Smullen           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                  7/9/98

The National Marine Fisheries Service is reminding fishing vessel operators fishing under the Angling category quota to report their recreational bluefin tuna catch by calling a toll-free telephone reporting system within 24 hours of ending their fishing trip. The automated catch reporting system, at 1-888-USA-TUNA, gathers information that helps the agency assess the pace of the fishing effort and reduce the chance that anglers might overfish the quota.

"It is extremely important that anglers call in their recreational bluefin landings within 24 hours of completing their fishing trip, even if they were interviewed by agency fishing survey specialists at dockside," said Dr. Rebecca Lent, chief of the Fisheries Service's Highly Migratory Species Management Division. "We only need information on Atlantic bluefin tuna that are landed. We don't need reports on fish that were caught and released."

In addition to the toll-free telephone reporting system, the Fisheries Service continues to operate the Large Pelagic Survey to collect weekly and seasonal landing and effort information about the recreational bluefin tuna fishery. Vessel operators are reminded that they are required to provide catch and effort information in this survey through dockside interviews and telephone surveys. Dockside survey interviewers also collect biological samples of bluefin tuna, which are passed to scientists working to address some of the biological questions regarding this commercially and recreationally important fish.

A one-page fact sheet describing the reporting process is available by fax to reporters who call (301) 713-2370 to request a copy. Brochures further describing these regulations as well as waterproof reporting reminder cards are available from the Highly Migratory Species Management Division at (301) 713-2347.