Reminder: VTRs Will Be Required To Be Reported Electronically Starting November 10

Reminder: VTRs Will Be Required To Be Reported Electronically Starting November 10

Beginning November 10, 2021, GARFO-permitted commercial fishing vessels will be required to have an electronic device onboard the vessel at the time of the trip and submit with that device a completed report electronically within 48 hours of the end of a trip. This also applies to vessels holding a NEFMC for-hire permit. This does not apply to vessels holding only an American lobster permit.

• Paper vessel trip reports packages will no longer be distributed by GARFO.

• After November 10, VTRs will only be accepted electronically.

• If you have any delinquent VTRs, please mail them as soon as possible for processing before the deadline.

See GARFO’s webpage for more information on the requirements, and use this decision tree to help you decide if you need to use eVTR. Additional resources are available on the Council’s Commercial eVTR page.

How to Report

Vessel operators have several NOAA Fisheries-approved eVTR applications to choose from. Visit the NOAA Fisheries eVTR Software Options page for detailed information about approved applications and other aspects of electronic reporting. NOAA Fisheries has also developed a Decision Tree to help permit holders to determine which reporting applications will best meet their needs. Many commercial operators have chosen the SAFIS eTrips/mobile 2 or the NOAA Fish Online programs.

• Frequent Questions: Electronic Vessel Trip Reporting – A series of questions and answers that will help make the transition to electronic Vessel Trip Reporting easier in the Greater Atlantic Region.

Training Opportunities

• MAFMC Electronic Reporting Software Demo Webinar – Tuesday, November 2, 2021, 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM

• MAFMC Electronic Reporting Q&A Session – Thursday, November 18, 2021, 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM

The Council and GARFO have both hosted eVTR training webinars. Recordings from those webinars are available at the links below.

• MAFMC Training Webinar: eTrips/mobile 2 Demo and Q&A

• GARFO Instructional Webinar Series (scroll down to the “Dates” section and click on the Recording links)

Additional eVTR Resources

Commercial fishermen are encouraged to transition to electronic reporting before the November 10 implementation date. The pages and videos linked below provide information to help get you started.

General

• MAFMC Commercial eVTR Page

• NOAA Fisheries eVTR Software Options

• Vessel Trip Reporting in the Greater Atlantic Region

• Deciding Which eVTR Option Works for You

• Frequent Questions: eVTR

eVTR Tutorials

eTrips/Mobile 2 Tutorials:

• VIDEO: Downloading the Application to your phone – Apple, Android

• VIDEO: Downloading the Application – from the Windows Store

• VIDEO: Setting up favorites on your phone – Apple, Android

• VIDEO: Setting up favorites in Windows 10

• VIDEO: Entering and submitting a trip on your phone – Apple, Android

• VIDEO: Entering and submitting a trip in Windows 10

NOAA Fish Online Tutorials

• NOAA Fish Online for iOS App How-To Card

• VIDEO: How to download the FOL app to an iOS device

• VIDEO: How to create a FOL account using an IOS device

• VIDEO: Submitting a commercial eVTR using the FOL iOS app

• VIDEO: Submitting a commercial eVTR using the FOL web app

Source: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council