NOAA Fisheries merged the regulations for the surfclam and ocean quahog vessel logbook with the regulations for the standard Vessel Trip Report (VTR) that apply to other commercial fisheries in the Greater Atlantic Region.
Combining these regulations does not increase or substantially alter the reporting requirements for surfclam and ocean quahog vessel operators. The change simply clarifies what information is required to be reported for each fishing trip and eliminates the confusion that has occurred from having two different sets of reporting regulations.
This bulletin serves as a Small Entity Compliance Guide, complying with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.
