A summary of fishing regulations within territorial and federal waters, including closed seasons, species-specific regulations, and catch limits, is presented in the U.S. Virgin Islands Commercial & Recreational Fishers’ Information Handbook.

USVI Territorial Waters (0 – 3 nm from shore)

USVI territorial waters extend from land to 3 nautical miles offshore and are managed by the USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources. Official fishing regulations for USVI territorial waters are presented in the Virgin Islands Code (http://www.lexisnexis.com/ hottopics/vicode/). For additional and updated regulations concerning USVI territorial waters, contact the USVI Division of Environmental Enforcement at 340-774-3320 (St. Thomas/St. John) or 340-773-5774 (St. Croix).

Federal Waters (3 – 200 nm from shore)

Federal waters around the USVI are those from 3 nautical miles to 200 nautical miles offshore. Regulations pertaining to federal waters are presented in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (https://gov.ecfr.io/cgi-bin/ECFR). For current and specific regulations for fishing in federal waters, fishers should contact the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) Southeast Regional Office at 727-824-5305 or consult official sources of information, such as the Federal Register. Fishers with questions about Atlantic Highly Migratory Species should call the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Management Division at 727-824-5399 (Spanish or English) or 301-427-8503 (English only).

Fishing regulations are subject to change. It is your responsibility to become familiar with the latest territorial and federal regulatory updates and to comply with the current official regulations.

Possession of a USVI recreational fishing license does not exempt you from any federal permit requirements for fishing in federal waters, such as Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Permits (https://hmspermits.noaa.gov).

Possession of USVI recreational fishing license does not permit you to sell your catch. Only licensed commercial fishers may sell their fish in the USVI.