FISHERMANS HANDBOOK

The Division of Fish and Wildlife monitors the commercial fishery, collects data, and liaises with commercial fishers under the Fisheries Cooperative Statistics Program (CSP), funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA Fisheries).

Our knowledgeable team of Fisheries Biologists and Port Samplers monitor the health of fishery resources in the U.S. Virgin Islands using commercial catch reports (CCRs) submitted by licensed commercial fishers. These forms collect information about fishing activity and all information is maintained in a confidential database. Accurate data is essential to fisheries management. Inaccurate or incomplete CCRs provide misleading data that may generate undue concern over a fishery resource. CCRs must reach DFW within two weeks after the close of the month. Even if no fishing took place for the month, a CCR indicating “Did Not Fish” for the specified month must still be submitted to DFW. CCRs must be submitted in person or dropped at one of the drop boxes around each island.

Current locations of the drop boxes are:

St. Thomas

• DFW Red Hook Office
• DFW Tropical Marine Office
• Gustave Quetel Fish House (Frenchtown)
• Hull Bay Hideaway (Hull Bay)
• Department of Agriculture (Estate Dorothea)
• Neptune Fishing Supplies (Red Hook)

St. John

• Connections St. John (Cruz Bay)

St. Croix

• DFW Mars Hill Office
• La Reine Fish Market
• Gallow’s Bay Marine
• DPNR Division of Environmental Enforcement Office (Anna’s Hope)