Learn All About Federal Permits For Commercial Fishing in Each Region

If you are looking to file for federal permits for commercial fishing, you will need to look for permits specific to your region. Here’s a quick guide for you to figure out what divisions your operation falls under.

Federal Permits For Commercial Fishing

As you are probably aware, federal permits for commercial fishing are categorized by region, which means that each state will have particular regulations at a federal level depending on what category they fall in. Let’s take a look at these divisions.

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States, as well as one of the most biodiverse and ecologically fragile. Because of this, it has a whole set of federal permits for commercial fishing that specifically target the state’s needs on top of the statal permits.

Southeast

The next category within the federal delineations of commercial fishing permits is the Southeast. The states of Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina all fall within this group, so pay attention to the specific requirements for federal permits for commercial fishing if your operation is active in any of these states.

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Next we have the New England and Mid-Atlantic region, which also deals with all sorts of different inland and marine fishing areas, including Lake Michigan. Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. all fall under this designation.

West Coast

Across the country, we have the West Coast division of federal permits for commercial fishing. This covers Pacific coastline states such as Washington, Oregon, and California, as well as Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Idaho. If your fishery operates commercially within any of these states, you will have to look at the West Coast federal fishing permits in order to obey regulations and fish without problem.

Pacific Islands

Then you have the Pacific Islands region, which, of course, covers the state of Hawaii. The Hawaiian islands have a very delicate ecosystem, which is why the federal fishing permits necessary to operate there are very particular. On top of that, you will have the state permits which you will also have to pay attention to.

Atlantic Highly Migratory Species

Beyond the regional designations of federal permits, you also have an important division: the one that regulates highly migratory species in the Atlantic Ocean. This means that if you are planning to fish in any state that borders the Atlantic, you will need to look at a whole additional slew of permits. This includes Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.

Apply For a Federal Fishing Permit

Given all the different kinds of permits, licenses, and stamps available for both residents and non-residents, it’s understandable that the application process can get confusing or complicated. Don’t worry, though, because that’s what the Federal Commercial Fishing Permits Center is here for. Our team can help you with any application process so that you can easily submit it to the corresponding authorities and receive the permit that you need. For more information about this process, or to inquire about any of the applications, feel free to reach out to us via phone or email. We are here to make it all easier for you.