Application for Federal Fisheries Permit

Revised: 05/12/11

OMB Control No. 0648-0206
Expiration Date: 04/30/2013

APPLICATION FOR
FEDERAL FISHERIES PERMIT
(FFP)

United States Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) , Alaska Region
Restricted Access Management (RAM)
P.O. Box 21668
Juneau, Alaska 99802-1668
Telephone: (800) 304-4846 toll free or (907) 586-7202 Juneau
FAX: (907) 586-7354

NOTICE: Only persons who are U.S. Citizens are authorized to receive or hold a Federal Fisheries Permit.
TYPE OF FFP REGISTRATION
All applicants who plan to participate in directed fisheries for Pacific cod, pollock, and/or Atka mackerel with any gear
type other than jig gear must also complete Block D.
If ownership in Block A has changed or if this is a permit application for a vessel to which an FFP has never been
issued, documentation of vessel ownership must be provided with this application. To demonstrate vessel ownership
you must provide:
● For US Coast Guard (USCG) Documented Vessels, a copy of the USCG Abstract of Title or Certificate of
Documentation
● For undocumented vessels, a copy of the State of Alaska vessel license or registration.
Indicate the type of request.
[

] New FFP

[ ] Renew FFP

[ ] Amend FFP

[ ] Surrender FFP

If this application is submitted to renew, amend, or surrender an existing FFP, please provide your current
FFP number
__________________
If you are surrendering your FFP, the original must be returned with this application. Vessels eligible to participate in
the GOA Pacific cod fishery can only reactivate a surrendered FFP once in the 3 year FFP cycle.
If you are renewing or amending your permit, refer to the “General Information” section of the attached instructions
that specifies which sections of the application must be completed in addition to the amendments being made.
ATTENTION: Some restrictions apply for amending or surrendering your FFP. See Instructions.

Application for Federal Fisheries Permit
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BLOCK A -- OWNER INFORMATION
2. NMFS Person ID:

1. Owner Name:

3. Business Mailing Address: [ ] Permanent [

5. Business Telephone No.:

] Temporary

6. Business Fax No.:

4. Managing Company Name (if any):

7. Business E-Mail Address (if available)

BLOCK B -- VESSEL INFORMATION
2. Home Port (city and state):
3. ADF&G Processor Code:

1. Vessel Name:

4. Is this vessel a vessel of the United
States?
[ ] YES
[ ] NO

5. USCG Documentation No.

6. ADF&G Vessel Registration No.

7. Length Overall (LOA) in feet:

8. Gross Tonnage:

9. Shaft Horsepower:

___________________

___________________

Registered Length in feet:

___________________

Net Tonnage:

___________________

___________________

BLOCK C -- PERMIT INFORMATION
1. AREA OF OPERATION Check one or both areas of operation, as appropriate.
[

] Gulf of Alaska (GOA)

[ ] Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI)

2. TYPE OF VESSEL OPERATION Indicate below the type(s) of vessel operation you request in the Federal
groundfish fishery. An FFP may be issued for any combination of catcher vessel, catcher/processor, mothership,
and/or tender vessel. In addition, an FFP may also be issued for a support vessel. Vessels eligible to participate the
GOA Pacific cod fishery cannot remove GOA area or operational type endorsements from the FFP.
Check one or any combination of the following operation types that apply:
[

] Catcher Vessel

[

] Catcher/processor

[ ] Mothership

[

] Tender Vessel (buying station)

A vessel permitted as a catcher vessel, catcher/processor, mothership, and/or tender vessel may conduct all operations
authorized for a support vessel.
Or check: [

] Support Vessel

A vessel permitted as a support vessel may not conduct activities as a catcher vessel, catcher/processor, mothership,
and/or tender vessel.

Application for Federal Fisheries Permit
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3. GEAR TYPES (catcher vessels and catcher/processors only)
Check only the gear types used for groundfish fishing:
[ ] Trawl
[ ] Hook-and-line
[ ] Pots
[ ] Jig
[ ] Troll
Harvesting vessels (catcher and catcher/processor vessels) must complete Block D if you plan to participate in
the directed fisheries for Pacific cod, pollock and/or Atka mackerel with any gear other than jig gear.
4. GOA INSHORE PROCESSING ENDORSEMENT (Catcher/processors under 125 ft LOA only)
Catcher/processors under 125 ft LOA that wish to process GOA inshore pollock or GOA inshore Pacific Cod must
apply for a GOA inshore processing endorsement by checking the box below. A catcher/processor with a GOA
inshore processing endorsement is prohibited from processing more than 126 mt of GOA pollock and GOA Pacific
cod, in the aggregate, during any reporting week. Once issued, a GOA inshore processing endorsement cannot be
rescinded for the duration of a fishing year. See application instructions for further explanation.
[

♦

] GOA Inshore Processing Endorsement

BLOCK D -- SPECIES ENDORSEMENTS AND AMENDMENTS
Indicate below whether you plan to participate in any of the following directed fisheries with gear other than
jig gear: (1) Pacific cod; (2) pollock; and (3) BSAI Atka mackerel

♦

Your selections will remain valid until you submit a new FFP application removing those endorsements by
checking “Remove Endorsement(s)” boxes below

♦

Vessels participating in these fisheries must have a vessel monitoring system (VMS) operable at any time
while the directed fishery that the permit is endorsed for is open

♦

See the application instructions for more information on the VMS requirements

♦

Vessels eligible to participate in the GOA Pacific cod fishery cannot remove gear type endorsements
from the FFP
PACIFIC COD

POLLOCK

BSAI
ATKA MACKEREL

GEAR TYPE

GEAR TYPE

GEAR TYPE

[

] Trawl

[

] Trawl

[

] Trawl

[

] Hook-and-Line

[

] Hook-and-Line

[

] Hook-and-Line

[

] Pot

[

] Pot

[

] Pot

[

] Remove Endorsement(s)

[

] Remove Endorsement(s)

[

] Remove Endorsement(s)

BLOCK E -- APPLICANT SIGNATURE
Under penalties of perjury, I hereby declare that I, the undersigned, completed this application, and the information
contained herein is true, correct, and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Applicant Name (please print or type)
Signature
Date

Application for Federal Fisheries Permit
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INSTRUCTIONS
APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL FISHERIES PERMIT (FFP)
Federal Fisheries Permits (FFPs) are required for all vessels used to fish for groundfish in the Gulf of Alaska
(GOA) or Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) or that retain any bycatch of groundfish while
targeting non-groundfish in the 3-200 mile zone off Alaska (see § 679.4). This includes catcher vessels fishing for
groundfish, catcher/processors fishing for and processing groundfish, motherships processing groundfish, tender
vessels (buying stations) tendering groundfish, and support vessels assisting other groundfish vessels (see § 679.4).
Groundfish includes but may not be limited to: pollock, Pacific cod, sablefish, Atka mackerel, rockfish, sharks,
skates, sculpins, octopus, squid, and any species of flatfish except Pacific halibut (see §679.20(a)(2)).
Processing or to process means the preparation of, or to prepare, fish or crab to render it suitable for human
consumption, industrial uses, or long-term storage, including but not limited to cooking, canning, smoking, salting,
drying, freezing, or rendering into meal or oil, but does not mean icing, bleeding, heading, or gutting (see yearly
specifications under §679.20(a)(2)).
PARALLEL FISHERIES
A vessel may not conduct directed fishing for Pacific cod using pot or hook-and-line gear in the State of Alaska
parallel groundfish fisheries, without
LLP
♦

A catcher/processor endorsement on its LLP license;

♦

A catcher/processor Pacific cod hook-and-line endorsement or
catcher/processor Pacific cod pot endorsement on its LLP license;

♦

An Aleutian Islands area endorsement or Bering Sea area endorsement on its LLP license;

♦

A non-trawl endorsement on its LLP license.

FFP
♦

A catcher/processor endorsement on its FFP;

♦

A BSAI designation on its FFP;

•

A pot or hook-and-line gear endorsement on its FFP.

Application for Federal Fisheries Permit
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Note: It is important that all blocks are completed and all necessary documents are attached. Failure to
answer any of the questions, provide attachments, or to sign the application could result in delays in the
processing of your application.
♦

Complete a separate application for each vessel. Application forms and instructions are also available on the
NMFS, Alaska Region website at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov.

♦

If ownership listed in Block A has changed or if this is a permit application for a vessel for which an FFP has
never been issued, documentation of vessel ownership must be provided with this application. To demonstrate
vessel ownership you must provide:
○

For U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Documented Vessels, a copy of the USCG Abstract of Title or
Certificate of Documentation

○

For undocumented vessels, a copy of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G)
vessel license or registration.

♦

Type or print legibly in ink.

♦

Retain a copy of completed application for your records.

Submit completed application
By mail to:

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska Region
Restricted Access Management (RAM)
P.O. Box 21668
Juneau, AK 99802

By fax to:

(907) 586-7354

Or hand deliver to:
Federal Building
709 W. 9th Street, Suite 713
Juneau, AK 99801
Items will be sent to you by first class mail, unless you provide alternate instructions and include a prepaid mailer
with appropriate postage or a corporate account number for express delivery. Additional information is available
from RAM, as follows:
Telephone (toll free): 800-304-4846 (press “2”)
Telephone (in Juneau): 907-586-7202 (press “2”)
Website: http://www.alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/ram/default.htm
E-Mail: RAM.Alaska@noaa.gov
SPECIAL HANDLING OF PERMITS
Please allow at least ten working days for your application to be processed. Do not wait until right before an
opening to apply for your permit, as you may not receive it on time. Items will be sent by first class mail, unless
you provide alternate instructions for NMFS to send by a faster method than regular mail

Application for Federal Fisheries Permit
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eLANDINGS AND LOGBOOKS
All catcher/processors and motherships that are issued an FFP under 50 CFR part 679.4(b) must use a combination
of daily cumulative production logbook (DCPL) and eLandings or other NMFS-approved software to daily record
and report groundfish.
For more information on eLandings, http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/elandings/faq.htm#ecr.
All catcher vessels that are issued a FFP under 50 CFR part 679.4(b) must use a daily fishing logbook (DFL) to
daily record and report groundfish. Two types of catcher vessel DFL are available: one if using trawl gear and one
is using longline or pot gear.
You may request that a logbook be sent to you separately from the permit. The logbook will be sent by regular,
first class mail, unless you indicate another method.
Order a logbook through NMFS Alaska Region website at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov, by telephone at 907586-7228, or by fax at 907-586-7465.

Catcher vessel, trawl gear DFL
Catcher vessel, longline and pot gear DFL
Catcher/processor, trawl gear DCPL
Catcher/processor, longline and pot gear DCPL
Mothership DCPL

Dimensions
(inches)
11 x 12
12 x 17
11 x 12
12 x 17
11 x 12

Weight
(lb,oz)
3.4
4.0
3.0
3.6
3.0

Express Mail. If you would like to have your logbook sent to you by U.S. Postal Express Mail, determine
from the table above the weight and dimensions of the appropriate documents. Send us an express mail
envelope with the correct amount of postage prepaid or send express mail stamps UNATTACHED to an
envelope.
NOTE: If the express mail envelope you send is too small or the postage attached is less than
the amount required, your logbook will be sent to you by regular U.S. mail.
Other Express Carriers. If you would like to have your logbook sent to you by a private express carrier,
e.g., Federal Express, UPS, DHL, etc., submit your account number and name of carrier or a prepaid envelope
with the permit application.

COMPLETING THE APPLICATION
TYPE OF FFP REGISTRATION
Indicate the type of request: New FFP, FFP Renewal, Amended FFP, or Surrendered FFP.

If you are amending or renewing your FFP, enter the permit number where indicated and fill out Block A, the
information you are changing, and sign and date the application in Block E.
If you are surrendering your FFP, complete Block A, Block B, sign the application in Block E, and return the
original permit with this application.

Application for Federal Fisheries Permit
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NOTICE
♦

NMFS will not reissue an FFP to a vessel that has participated as a
catcher/processor directed fishing for groundfish with pot or hook-and-line gear in
the BSAI groundfish fisheries, until the following FFP cycle.

♦

A vessel with a catcher/processor operation type, pot or hook-and-line gear
designation, and a BSAI groundfish endorsement on its FFP, may not amend its
FFP authorizing it to participate as a catcher/processor with pot or hook-and-line
gear in the BSAI.

♦

Vessels participating the Western and Central GOA Pacific cod fishery can only
reactivate a surrendered FFP once in the 3-year FFP cycle.

BLOCK A -- OWNER INFORMATION
1.

Name. Enter the full name(s) of the owner(s) of the vessel listed in Block B.
Note: If there is more than one owner, list the principal owner first. The permit will be issued to the
first owner listed, with et al. notation. The permit MUST be issued to the owner of the vessel, not to
operators or lessees.

2.

NMFS Person ID.

3.

Permanent Business Mailing Address. Indicate whether address is permanent or temporary. Enter your
complete permanent business mailing address, including street or P.O. Box, state, and zip code. Your
permit will be sent to this address, unless otherwise notified.
Temporary Business Mailing Address: Address you want the permit sent if somewhere other than to the
permanent address. Include street or P.O. Box number, city, state, and zip code

4.

Managing Company. Enter the name of the company, other than the owner, that manages the operations of
the vessel (if any).

5-7. Business Telephone No., Business Fax No., and Business e-mail Address. Enter the business telephone
number, including area code, business fax number, and business e-mail address (if available) that are used by
the vessel owner. It is very important that you provide a number where we can contact you, or where we can
leave messages for you. If questions arise concerning your application, and we are unable to contact you,
issuance of your permit will be delayed.
BLOCK B -- VESSEL INFORMATION
1.

Enter the complete vessel name as displayed in the official documentation.

2.

Enter the home port (city and state) as recorded in official documentation.

3.

Enter ADF&G Processor Code.

4.

Answer YES or NO if this vessel is a vessel of the United States.

5.

Enter U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) documentation number (example: 566722).

6.

Enter the 5-digit ADF&G vessel registration number (example: 51233).

7.

Enter the vessel's length overall (LOA) in feet and registered length in feet.
The LOA of a vessel means the centerline longitudinal distance, rounded to the nearest foot, measured
Application for Federal Fisheries Permit
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between:
(1) the outside foremost part of the vessel visible above the waterline, including bulwarks, but
excluding bowsprits and similar fittings or attachments, and
(2) the outside aftermost part of the vessel visible above the waterline including bulwarks, but
excluding rudders, outboard motor brackets, and similar fittings or attachments.
8.

Enter registered gross tonnage (U.S. tons) and net tonnage (U.S. tons) as stated in the official documentation.

9.

Enter the shaft horsepower.

BLOCK C -- PERMIT INFORMATION
1.

Area of operation
Check one or both areas of operation (GOA or BSAI) to indicate the areas of operation for which you are
requesting.

2.

Vessel Operation Categories
A vessel permitted as a catcher vessel, catcher/processor, mothership, and/or tender vessel may conduct all
operations authorized for a support vessel. A vessel permitted as a support vessel may not conduct activities
as a catcher vessel, catcher-processor, mothership, and/or tender vessel.
Indicate one or a combination of the vessel operation categories in the groundfish fisheries for which you are
requesting.
Catcher Vessel - A vessel that is used for catching fish and that does not process fish on board.
Catcher/Processor - A vessel that is used for catching fish and processing that fish.
Mothership - A vessel that receives and processes groundfish from other vessels.
Tender Vessel (buying station) - A vessel that is used to transport unprocessed fish received from
another vessel to a shoreside processor, stationary floating processor, or mothership.
Or check:
Support Vessel - Any vessel that is used in support of a permitted vessel, including, but not
limited to, supplying a fishing vessel with water, fuel, provisions, fishing equipment, fish
processing equipment or other supplies, or transporting processed fish.

3.

Gear Type
If the permit request is for a catcher vessel or catcher/processor, indicate the gear type(s) used for groundfish
operations.

4.

GOA Inshore Processing Endorsement
An operator of a catcher/processor under 125' LOA that wishes to process GOA inshore pollock or GOA
inshore Pacific cod must apply for a GOA inshore processing endorsement by checking No. 4 of
Block C on the application.

Application for Federal Fisheries Permit
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A catcher/processor with a GOA inshore processing endorsement is prohibited from processing more
than 126 mt of GOA pollock and GOA Pacific cod, in the aggregate, during any reporting week.
Once issued, a GOA inshore processing endorsement cannot be rescinded for the duration of a fishing year. It
may be changed for the next fishing year by submitting an application for a permit amendment prior to the
beginning of that fishing year.
For more information on the inshore/offshore regulations, contact Sustainable Fisheries Division toll free at
(800) 304-4846 (select option #3) or (907) 586-7228.
BLOCK D -- PACIFIC COD, POLLOCK, ATKA MACKEREL FISHERIES
If you plan to participate in the directed fisheries for Pacific cod, pollock, and/or Atka mackerel with any gear other
than jig gear, your FFP must be endorsed for these species in the management area(s) in which you plan to
participate.
Vessels participating in these directed fisheries in the EEZ off Alaska are required to have onboard and use a Vessel
Monitoring System (VMS) while the directed fisheries are open, regardless of where the vessel is fishing at the time
(including Alaska State waters) or what the vessel is targeting.
BLOCK E -- APPLICANT SIGNATURE
The applicant must print name, sign, and date the application certifying that all information is true, correct, and
complete to the best of his or her knowledge and belief. The application will be considered incomplete without this
signature.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
PUBLIC REPORTING BURDEN STATEMENT
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 21 minutes per response, including the time
for reviewing the instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and
reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of
information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Region,
Attn: Assistant Regional Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries Division, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Before completing this form please note the following: 1) The NMFS may not conduct or sponsor this information request,
and you are not required to respond to this information request, unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control
number; 2) This information is mandatory and is required to manage commercial fishing effort in the GOA and BSAI under
50 CFR 679 and under 402(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.); 3) Responses to this information request
are confidential under section 402(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act as amended in 2006. It is also confidential under NOAA
Administrative Order 216-100, which sets forth procedures to protect confidentiality of fishery statistics.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Application for Federal Fisheries Permit
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