Reporting Requirements for Sea Otter Interactions with the Pacific Sardine Fishery; Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan

This request is for extension of a currently approved collection with no revisions. Under the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP), CPS fishing vessels are required to report any interactions that occur between a CPS vessel and/or fishing gear and southern sea otters, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. These reporting requirements satisfy the reasonable and prudent measures to ensure the continued protection of the species determined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in a biological opinion on the CPS fishery: If a southern sea otter is entangled in a net, regardless of whether the animal is injured or killed, the vessel operator must report this interaction within 24 hours to the Regional Administrator. While fishing for CPS, vessel operators must record all observations of otter interactions (defined as otters within encircled nets or coming into contact with nets or vessels, including but not limited to entanglement) with their purse seine net(s) or vessel(s). Reports must include the location (latitude and longitude) of the interaction and a description of the interaction itself.

The latest form for Reporting Requirements for Sea Otter Interactions with the Pacific Sardine Fishery; Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan expires 2026-10-31 and can be found here.