South Atlantic Headboat Reporting Requirements

NOAA Fisheries is publishing a final rule for the For-Hire Reporting Amendment to modify headboat reporting requirements on December 27, 2013.

The For-Hire Reporting Amendment includes:

 - Amendment 31 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region.

 - Amendment 6 for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic.

 - Amendment 22 for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.

The regulations in the final rule are effective on January 27, 2014.

The rule requires headboat vessels to submit fishing records to the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) on a weekly basis, or at intervals shorter than a week if notified by the SEFSC Research Director. The current requirement is to submit fishing records on a monthly basis.

The rule changes the current method of submitting by paper and mail to submitting them electronically (i.e., internet).

Headboat owners and operators who are delinquent in submitting reports would not be allowed to fish until all required reports have been submitted.

For more information, visit:

http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/s_atl/2013/for_hire_reporting/index.html

or

http://www.safmc.net/

source: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council