Fishermen's Contingency Fund

This request is for extension of a currently approved information collection. United States (U.S.) commercial fishermen may file claims for compensation for losses of, or damage to, fishing gear or vessels, plus 50 percent of resulting economic losses, attributable to oil and gas activities on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. To obtain compensation, applicants must comply with requirements set forth in 50 CFR part 296. The requirements include a “report” within 15 days of the date the vessel first returns to port after the casualty incident to gain a presumption of eligible causation, and an “application” within 90 days of when the applicant first became aware of the loss and/or damage. The report is NOAA Form 88-166 and it requests identifying information such as Respondent's name; address; social security number; and casualty location. NOAA usually completes the information in the report during a telephone call with the respondent. The application is NOAA Form 88-164 and it requires the respondent to provide information on the property and economic losses and/or damages including type of damage; purchase date and price of lost/damaged gear; and income from recent fishing trips. It also includes an affidavit by which the applicant attests to the truthfulness of the claim.

The latest form for Fishermen's Contingency Fund expires 2027-07-31 and can be found here.

Fishermen's Contingency Fund Claim Application

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Natural Resources - Conservation, Marine and Land Management

Review document collections for all forms, instructions, and supporting documents - including paper/printable forms.