NOAA Fisheries News Releases
NEWS RELEASE
September 16, 2008
Sheela McLean, Public Affairs
(907) 586-7032
NOAA Fisheries dropping old location reporting requirements
With the new era of electronic vessel monitoring, NOAA Fisheries has dropped a redundant system of location reporting for certain boats in Alaskan waters.
“The current system of faxing or e-mailing detailed location reports every time a vessel moves into a new reporting area is no longer needed for some vessels because of the electronic vessel monitoring system,” said Acting Regional Administrator Doug Mecum. “The vessel monitoring system gives fishery managers real time data. Dropping the old requirements where we can reduces time and expense for both the industry and the agency.”
The old ‘checkin/checkout’ reporting requirements end October 16, 2008 for catcher-processors and motherships with vessel monitoring systems (VMS) in the Alaska groundfish fisheries, according to a rule published September 16, 2008 in the Federal Register.
Checkin/checkout reports were originally used to monitor fishing capacity and effort as well as vessel location. The more modern vessel monitoring system reports the location of the ship via satellite at least every half hour. Vessel positions are available to NOAA fisheries managers and law enforcement officers as well as to the Coast Guard.
“VMS has been praised for adding a safety margin, and that’s true. Here’s an example of how it’s also making fisheries monitoring more accurate and more efficient,” said Mecum.
The checkin/checkout system will remain for certain fisheries and for certain vessels that are not required to carry VMS.
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Visit www.noaa.gov. To learn more about NOAA Fisheries in Alaska, visit alaskafisheries.noaa.gov or: www.afsc.noaa.gov.