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Commercial Electronic Vessel Trip Reporting

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Commercial fishing vessels with federal permits for species managed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) and New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) are required to submit Vessel Trip Reports (VTRs) documenting all fishing activity and catches. On November 10, 2021, NOAA Fisheries implemented a new rule requiring all commercial vessels with federal permits for species managed by the Mid-Atlantic or New England Council to submit vessel trip reports (VTRs) electronically as eVTRs within 48 hours of the end of a trip (unless required sooner as with some sector allocations). These requirements also apply to vessels issued for-hire permits for NEFMC-managed fisheries (vessels with for-hire permits for MAFMC-managed species or private recreational tilefish permits already report electronically).

This action does not change any other existing requirements associated with VTRs. These changes were recommended by the MAFMC and NEFMC in order to increase the timeliness and availability of data submitted through VTRs, reduce the reporting burden on commercial vessel operators, and increase the accuracy and quality of data.

Training Opportunities

NOAA Fisheries Webinars

NOAA Fisheries held a series of instructional webinars for vessel operators. Recordings are available on the event page linked below.

Council Webinars

The MAFMC has hosted several eVTR training sessions. Recordings of past webinars are available below. On November 18 the Council will host a Q&A session to address electronic reporting questions.

Deckhand Pro

The Deckhand Pro team has scheduled several webinars to provide a live demo of the software and answer your questions about transitioning to GARFO electronic vessel trip reports using Deckhand Pro. Zoom links are available here. Webinar dates:

  • Wednesday, October 13, 3pm  Eastern

  • Wednesday, October 20, 4pm  Eastern

  • Thursday, October 28, 4pm Eastern

  • Thursday, November 4, 4pm Eastern

  • Monday, November 8, 3pm Eastern

  • Tuesday, November 9, 5pm Eastern

eVTR Software Options

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.

SAFIS eTrips

SAFIS eTrips provides cross-platform electronic reporting of fishing activity data. eTrips offers two different options for electronic reporting: (1) eTrips/mobile v2 for iOS, Android, and Windows 10, and (2) eTrips Online for web browsers.

For assistance or to obtain SAFIS log-in information, call the eTrips Helpdesk at (800) 984-0810 or email SAFIS eTrips Support.

NOAA Fish Online

Fish Online provides cross-platform electronic reporting of fishing activity data. Fish Online offers two different options for electronic reporting: (1) Fish Online eVTR App for iOS, and (2) Fish Online Web App.

For assistance or to obtain NOAA Fish Online log-in information, call (978) 281-9188 or email the GARFO Helpdesk.

Deckhand Logbook

Deckhand Logbook is an electronic logbook app for use on Apple iPads. Deckhand has been in use by commercial fishermen in Australia for over 4 years and was recently approved by NMFS for submission of eVTRs in the Greater Atlantic region.

Other eVTR Software Options

While eTrips and NOAA Fish Online are the most commonly-used electronic reporting applications, commercial operators have several other eVTR apps to choose from. Please visit the eVTR Software Options page for a detailed list of approved applications and related resources. Please note that commercial operators already using an approved application to submit eVTRs, including the Northeast Fishery Science Center’s FLDRS program, should continue to do so. All others may find it helpful to review the FAQs to help you choose a reporting system.

Please note that each software vendor is responsible for providing training and support for their system.

Documents and Related Pages

Contacts

For more information or assistance related to eVTRs, refer to the following contacts:

For questions related to the Council’s role in requiring eVTRs, please contact:

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