NOAA Fisheries Proposes Electronic Vessel Trip Reporting for Commercial Vessels

NOAA Fisheries Proposes Electronic Vessel Trip Reporting for Commercial Vessels

NOAA Fisheries has published a proposed rule to implement a framework jointly developed by the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils which would require federally permitted commercial fishing vessels to submit vessel trip reports electronically within 48 hours of the end of a trip.

This action also proposes to extend this requirement to vessels issued for-hire (charter/party) permits for New England Council-managed fisheries (i.e., Northeast multispecies).  Vessels issued a Mid-Atlantic Council for-hire permit have been required to submit vessel trip reports electronically since March 2018.

For more details, please read the rule as filed in the Federal Register. Comments must be submitted by August 17, 2020 through the online e-rulemaking portal.

Additional information about electronic vessel trip reporting is available at https://www.mafmc.org/evtr.

Source: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council