What to Know About Atlantic Commercial Fishing Permits?

It is not difficult to appreciate the simplicity of commercial fishing. After all, catching and selling fish is one of the oldest professional practices there is. At a fundamental level, it also does not take much beyond a body of water and hook and line. In 2022, however, commercial fishing is a major global business, with hundreds of billions of dollars changing hands annually. With so much at stake, financially speaking, technology and industrial fishing practices have become fairly advanced in their scope. Still, there remains room for the average one-boat operation, and in certain places on the east coast, there is plenty of third- and fourth-generation fishermen. If you are thinking about trading in the office rigamarole for the outdoor commercial fishing lifestyle, you will need to do some preparatory work. One item in particular that will need to be taken care of is obtaining the proper Atlantic commercial fishing permits, and by using a private service such as ours, you can do this online.

One of the most alluring things about commercial fishing is that you get to work with your hands outside, which is a far cry from shuffling paperwork at a desk. However, as you will be managing a business, you will need to handle some bureaucratic matters from time to time. On top of managing payroll for your crew, one of the more important tasks in this vein is maintaining the proper state and federal commercial fishing permits. These licenses serve an important purpose in that they assist in regulating our fisheries. At the end of the day, you are extracting a natural resource for profit, so it stands to reason that there would be some rules involved. By issuing permits, state and federal agencies can prevent overfishing, which can ensure the viability of our fisheries in the future.

Which Atlantic Commercial Fishing Permits Do You Need?

In determining which commercial fishing permits you will need for the Atlantic Ocean, you should first think about where you will be fishing. If you are working inland, or in the area between zero and three nautical miles from shore, you will be within state jurisdiction. In this event, you would want to check with your state’s agency about what types of licensing you will need to obtain.

Should you find yourself beyond state jurisdiction, you will likely be in federal waters. This is technically the area between three and 200 nautical miles out from land. Federal commercial fishing permits are issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NOAA, as they have a lot of territories to monitor, breaks out their permit offerings by region, and in the Atlantic, there are two: the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. 

Getting Your Commercial Fishing License Online

NOAA permits are species-specific. For instance, if you are fishing for Tuna off the coast of the southeast, or trapping American lobster in Maine, there are individual permits for those practices. At the Commercial Fishing Permits Center, we can help you apply for the permits you need online. Simply select your region from our navigational menu and you will be brought to a landing page containing all of our forms. If you have any questions, please contact one of our customer service agents by email today