West Coast Region Vessel Monitoring System and Pre-Trip Reporting System Requirements

This request is for extension and revision of a currently approved information collection. At its 101st meeting in August 2023, the IATTC adopted Resolution C-23-11 which specifies a manual reporting requirement in the event of a malfunctioning vessel monitoring system (VMS) unit. The intent is to ensure that vessel locations and identification numbers remain available to relevant authorities at a consistent interval, even in the event of a technical failure. The final rule (0648-BM67) applies to U.S. vessels larger than 24 meters operating in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) and harvesting tuna or tuna-like species. These vessels are already required to have an operational VMS unit, and to notify NMFS Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) and follow its instructions in the event of a failure. This rule adds a requirement to manually report a vessel’s ID, location, and time every six hours in the event of a VMS unit malfunction at sea. This collection applies to owners and operators of vessels that fish out of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission Convention Area in the eastern Pacific Ocean for highly migratory species (HMS) as defined by the Fishery Management Plan for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for HMS, as well as a broader group of tuna and tuna-like species covered by the IATTC. Vessel owners and operators using gear types such as longline, purse seine, drift gillnet or deep-set buoy gear, or using vessels 24 meters or more in length, are required to submit information in regard to their intended and actual fishing activities. This information allows NMFS to monitor the fisheries under international and domestic regulations. These include pre-trip reporting requirements for deep-set buoy gear, longline, and drift gillnet vessels, and VMS reporting. Pre-trip reporting requirements are essential for assigning available observer coverage to selected HMS vessels. VMS units facilitate enforcement of management measures associated with HMS fisheries, provide timely information on associated fleet activities and enable confirmation of reported vessel fishing activity locations, which help validate logbook record accuracy.

The latest form for West Coast Region Vessel Monitoring System and Pre-Trip Reporting System Requirements expires 2027-08-31 and can be found here.

VMS installation and certification

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