Northwest
VMS - Compliance Guide for Pacific Coast Ground Fishery
VMS Program
Declaration Reports
Who must send declaration reports?
Limited entry vessels with trawl endorsements, and open
access or tribal vessels using trawl gear are required
to send a declaration report before the vessel is used
to fish in any trawl RCA or the CCAs in a manner that is
consistent with the requirements of the conservation areas.
Limited entry vessels with longline and pot endorsements,
must send a declaration report before the vessel can be
used to fish in any non-trawl RCA or the CCAs.
When are declaration reports required?
Declaration reports must be submitted before the vessel
leaves port on the trip in which it’s used to
fish in an RCA or a CCA.
How long are declaration reports valid?
A declaration report will be valid for that gear on that
vessel until a new declaration report is received by
NMFS or until a declaration report to cancel fishing
in a conservation area is received by NMFS Office of
Law Enforcement (OLE).
When do I cancel or revise a declaration report?
A declaration report needs to be cancelled when a new
gear type that is no longer consistent with the RCA
requirements will be used by the vessel. A declaration
report needs to be revised before leaving port on a
trip in which the a new gear type is going to be used
to fish in an RCA or the CCA in a manner that is consistent
with the requirements.
How do I submit a declaration report?
Declaration reports will be submitted by using an Interactive
Voice Response (IVR) phone-in system. The phone-in system,
can be accessed by dialing 1-888-585-5518, toll-free.
The caller is asked a series of questions and uses the
touch-tone key pad on the phone to respond. The phone-in
system allows vessel operators to submit their report
24 hours a day.
With a phone-in system, what proof will I have that
I sent a declaration report?
The phone-in system will provide a confirmation number
that can be used to verify a report was sent.
What does NMFS require in a declaration report?
NMFS has prepared an example worksheet to help callers
organize report information. A copy of this worksheet
can be printed from the NMFS Northwest Region web page
listed on the back of this brochure.
Vessel Monitoring System (VMS)
Who is required to have VMS?
As of January 1, 2004, VMS requirements affect commercial
fishing vessels registered for use with a Pacific Coast
groundfish limited entry permit that fishes in state
or Federal marine waters off the states of Washington,
Oregon, or California.
Which VMS transceiver units and communications service
providers can I use?
NMFS OLE tests and approves VMS transceiver units and
approves communications service providers. A list of
type-approved mobile VMS transceiver units and communications
service providers will be published in the Federal Register.
A copy of the type-approval notices will be posted on
the NMFS Northwest VMS web page. Once this first list
is published in the Federal Register, NMFS will notify
limited entry permit owners by mail of the type-approved
VMS units.
What are the vessel owner’s responsibilities?
The vessel owner’s responsibilities are to install
(according to the manufacturer’s instructions)
and use a type-approved VMS transceiver unit 24 hours
per day; establish a service agreement with a type-approved
communication service provider; send an activation report;
and if position reports are interrupted, follow NMFS
instructions to repair or replace the VMS unit before
the next fishing trip.
What if VMS transmissions are interrupted?
When you become aware that transmissions of automatic
position reports from your VMS have been interrupted,
or when notified by NMFS OLE that position reports
are not being received, contact NMFS OLE and follow
the instructions provided to you.
Who pays for the costs associated with VMS?
The vessel owner or operator is responsible for purchasing
the VMS equipment and paying all charges from the communication
service provider to ensure continuous operation of
the VMS transceiver units.
Can a VMS transceiver unit be registered to more than
one vessel at the same time?
No, a VMS unit may only be registered and used on one
vessel.
Can I have a back-up VMS transceiver unit certified
and ready to go if the first unit fails to operate correctly?
Yes, but the unit must be certified ahead of time and
designated as a back-up unit.
Activation Reports
An
activation report is used by NMFS to verify that a type-approved
unit was installed correctly aboard a vessel
and has been activated. It is also used to match VMS
transceiver unit signals with a specific vessel.
Where do I get an activation report and how do I submit
it?
The installation / activation reports can be obtained
from the NMFS Northwest Region web page http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/1sustfsh/groundfish/VMS/VMS_activation_final.pdf
Due
to the need for the owner’s signature, NMFS will
use facsimile submission for the installation report.
NMFS OLE will accept mailed submissions if the vessel
owner prefers this method.
Exemptions
Can I get an exemption from the VMS requirement?
You can get an exemption by sending an exemption report
when your vessel will be continuously out of the water
for more than 7 consecutive days, or if the vessel
is operating in waters further than 200 nautical miles
off
Washington, Oregon, or California for more than 7 consecutive
days.
How do I send or cancel an exemption report?
You will use the same phone-in system used for making
declaration reports.
Transiting Provisions
What are the regulatory provisions regarding transiting
RCAs and who is affected by them?
Any vessel registered to a limited entry permit with
a trawl endorsement may only be in a trawl RCA for the
purposes of continuous transit and all groundfish trawl
gear must be stowed either 1) below deck; 2) if the gear
cannot readily be moved, in a secured and covered manner,
detached from all towing lines, so that it is rendered
unusable for fishing; or 3) remaining on deck uncovered
with the trawl doors hung from their stanchions and the
net disconnected from the doors. A limited number of
mid-water trawl fisheries identified in groundfish regulations,
such as the primary whiting fishery, will be allowed
to operate in the trawl RCA. NMFS is also considering
a recommendation from the Pacific Fishery Management
Council to prohibit drifting within the non-trawl RCA
by limited entry vessels with longline and pot gear.
