Comprehensive Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendment
Summary
This amendment is being developed jointly with the South Atlantic and Gulf Fishery Management Councils.
The Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendment includes: Amendment 54 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region; Amendment 4 to the FMP for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic; Amendment 35 to the FMP for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf and Atlantic; and Amendment 57 to the FMP for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf.
The Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendment would require fishermen with a federal commercial permit for Gulf reef fish, South Atlantic snapper-grouper, Atlantic dolphin and wahoo, or coastal migratory pelagic species of the Gulf and Atlantic to submit electronic fishing reports on electronic reporting forms approved by NMFS.
Currently, these permit holders must complete, and then submit, paper logbooks with trip-level information seven days after the end of each fishing trip. The paper logbooks must be mailed or hand-delivered to the NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Miami, Florida.
The purpose of this proposed rule is to increase the accuracy and timeliness of landings, discards, effort, and social and economic data from federally permitted commercial vessels participating in these Gulf and South Atlantic managed fisheries.
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved the amendment for review by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) at their September 2023 meeting. The Gulf Council approved the amendment for review by the Secretary at their October 2023 meeting.