KEY MESSAGE:
- NOAA Fisheries is sending these reminders to ensure IFQ participants are informed of IFQ program details. We are also providing additional information on the IFQ system functions and requirements to ensure participants clearly understand how to participate in the program.
- For further information, IFQ participants can contact Catch Share Support at (866) 425-7627 (option 2) between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday excluding federal holidays.
CLEARING CACHE AND INTERNET BROWSER HISTORY:
- Occasionally, the Catch Share Online System displays an error message that makes it appear the online system is not working properly.
- If this occurs, users should clear the cache and Internet browser history. Once clear, refresh the page and the site may then load.
- Below are instructions for how to clear the cache and internet browser history in the three most commonly used Internet browsers:
- Internet Explorer
- Under tool box (gear icon) in the upper right corner, select “Safety,” then select “Delete Browser History” at the top. Make sure “Temporary internet files and website files” as well as “Cookies and website data” are selected, but “Preserve Favorites website data” at the top is NOT selected. Then click the “Delete” button.
- Chrome
- Under Settings (three vertical dots in the upper right corner), select “Settings.” Under the “Privacy and security” section, select “Clear Browsing Data.” Make sure the first three boxes are checked. You can choose the time frame of “Last Hour,” and click the “Clear data” button.
- Firefox
- Under Settings (three horizontal lines in the upper right corner), select “Options.” Under the “Privacy and security” section, go to “Cookie and Site Data.” Click “Clear Data…” then make sure both boxes (Cookies and Site Data as well as Cached Web Content) are checked before clicking the “Clear” button.
- Internet Explorer
U.S. POSTAL MAIL DELAY
- Catch Share Staff are currently working remotely.
- As a result, processing any mail received through the U.S. Postal Service may be delayed.
- Catch Share Support will still be available via telephone and email during normal business hours (8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Eastern Standard Time).
MIGRATION TO NEW CATCH SHARES ONLINE SYSTEM
- NOAA Fisheries is currently developing an updated Catch Shares Online System. The new system will be hosted in a cloud application that should decrease the unexpected down-times in the future.
- Catch Share Support anticipates the new online system will launch in Fall 2020.
- The new online system will function similar to the existing online system and some long awaited improvements (e.g. graded landings in landing transactions, mobile phone and tablet functionality).
- For increased security, new online system will have stronger password requirements.
- New password requirements:
- Passwords must have at least fifteen (15) non-blank characters.
- Must contain each of the following categories:
- Two English upper-case characters (A-Z)
- Two English lower-case characters (a-z)
- Two Numbers (0-9)
- Two Special Characters
- New PIN may not be the same as the current PIN or past eight (8) PINs.
- To facilitate this change, users should consider meeting the new requirements before the new system is launched, as we anticipate increased call volume during the transition.
- New password requirements:
- The URL to the website will be changing. However, NOAA Fisheries will redirect from the old website for the foreseeable future.
- As development of the new Catch Shares Online System is underway, NOAA Fisheries will be looking for volunteers to help test functions in the new system. If users are interested in testing the new online system, they should contact Catch Share Support at nmfs.ser.catchshare@noaa.gov.
PRE-LANDING NOTIFICATIONS:
- When using the 24/7 call service to report your pre-landing notification, please provide your vessel’s Coast Guard documentation or state registration number. This will ensure the pre-landing notification is given for the correct vessel instead of another vessel with a similar name.
- If you make a pre-landing notification and any details change, including estimated pounds onboard, you must make a new, revised pre-landing notification.
- If the landing location changes or an earlier time than previously submitted is needed, then the new notification will need to be submitted at least 3 hours prior to landing.
- If the change is to the dealer, the weights, or an arrival time that is later than previously submitted, the new notification does not require the vessel to wait an additional 3 hours.
- For vessels that make a pre-landing notification before a day trip, you must update the estimated pounds onboard before you land.
- Only one “change” to a landing notification can be made before the vessel is required to wait an additional 3 hours.
- For more information about IFQ pre-landing notifications, including example scenarios, refer to Frequently Asked Questions on the catch share online system.
DEALER LANDING TRANSACTIONS WITH NO LANDING NOTIFICATIONS:
- When dealers complete a landing transaction, step 4 on the landing transaction page specifies to select a notification confirmation to link the vessel’s pre-landing notification with the landing transaction.
- For a variety of reasons, sometimes there are no notifications to select. In this case, the dealer must select “No Notification Meets Criteria” to complete the landing transaction.
TRANSFERRING ALLOCATION TO ANOTHER SHAREHOLDER’S VESSEL ACCOUNT:
- When transferring allocation to another shareholder’s vessel account, use the vessel’s Coast Guard documentation or state registration number in the search box.
- Many vessels have similar names and this will ensure the correct vessel receives the allocation.
ACCEPT SHARE TRANSFERS:
- Please remember that a share transfer is a two-step process requiring the transferor to initiate the transaction and the transferee to complete the transaction.
- The transferee completes the transaction by accepting the share transfer under the Receive Transferred Shares view.
- A share transfer transaction that has not been accepted by the transferee (e.g., pending status) after 30 days from the date the transfer was initiated will be cancelled. If the share transfer is still desired, the transferor will have to restart the share transfer process.
- Transfer of shares and associated allocation are independent. If a package deal includes both shares and allocation, the transferor must make a separate allocation transfer for any allocation. Allocation associated with the shares is only distributed by the system at the beginning of the fishing year or in the case of a mid-year quota increase.
VMS TIME ZONES FOR PRE-LANDING NOTIFICATIONS:
- In the VMS pre-landing notification form, the user must select the time zone for the date and time of landing.
- For units that do not have a drop-down list, please enter for Eastern time “EST” and for Central time “CST,” regardless of whether we are in standard or daylight saving time.
VMS CODES FOR PRE-LANDING NOTIFICATIONS:
- Changes to the VMS units now allow new approved landing locations and dealers to be available shortly after approval for use by IFQ participants. The drop-down menus were replaced with numeric fields corresponding to the IFQ landing location and dealer VMS codes.
- Previously, some VMS IFQ pre-landing notification forms used a drop-down menu with a list of approved landing locations and dealers. These lists were manually updated via a software update. This caused significant delays in new approved landing locations and dealers being available for use on the various types of VMS units.
- Lists of VMS codes for landing locations and dealers can be found on the Catch Share Online System (https://portal.southeast.fisheries.noaa.gov/cs).
- You can use this worksheet to keep a record of your most commonly used VMS codes.