Manual Position Reporting Requirements for U.S. Vessel Operators in the Pacific Islands
Learn how U.S. fishing vessel operators in the Pacific Islands can report their position manually if a vessel monitoring systems unit stops working.
Maintaining accurate vessel location data is crucial for:
- Ensuring compliance with both U.S. and international fisheries regulations
- Supporting effective fisheries management
- Combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activities in the Pacific Islands region
Failure to make timely and accurate manual position reports when required may result in a fishing vessel being directed to return and stay in port until the unit is operational.
U.S. Fishing Vessel VMS Manual Position Reporting Requirements for the Pacific Islands
Applicability
These requirements apply to the following U.S.-flagged fishing vessels:
- U.S.-flagged vessels holding a valid permit to fish for bottomfish or seamount groundfish in the Exclusive Economic Zone around American Samoa, Guam, or the Northern Mariana Islands that meet specific size and permit criteria per 50 CFR Part 665, Subparts C, G, and F. For example, vessels with a Northern Mariana Islands Bottomfish Permit that are 40 feet (12.2 meters) or longer are required to have an operational VMS unit as a condition of their permit under 50 CFR Part 665, Subpart G (§ 665.803).
- U.S.-flagged vessels holding a valid permit to fish for bottomfish or seamount groundfish in the Exclusive Economic Zone around American Samoa, Guam, or the Northern Mariana Islands. These vessels are required to have and operate a NOAA Fisheries-approved VMS unit as a condition of their permit under 50 CFR Part 665, Subpart C (§ 665.27).
- U.S.-flagged vessels holding a valid permit to fish for pelagic species (excluding highly migratory species covered under § 300.26) in the Exclusive Economic Zone around American Samoa, Guam, or the Northern Mariana Islands.
- U.S.-flagged vessels operating under the Treaty on Fisheries between the Governments of Certain Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of America.
If a vessel monitoring system unit malfunctions, U.S. fishing vessel operators must submit manual position reports to pidvms@noaa.gov. Failure to make timely and accurate manual position reports when required may result in a fishing vessel being directed to return and stay in port until the VMS unit is operational.
Purse seine vessels must report every 4 hours and non-purse seine vessels every 6 hours. Each report must include the following information:
- Vessel's identification
- Vessel's geographical position (latitude and longitude) accurate to within 100 meters
- Date and time (UTC) of the position fix
- Vessel's activity (e.g., fishing, transiting)
Vessels must continue submitting manual reports until they return to port or the unit is fully functioning. If a vessel returns to port with an inoperable unit, the vessel owner must ensure it is repaired or replaced and completely operational before its next fishing trip.
Examples of report formats are provided for both purse seine and non-purse seine vessels below.
Manual Position Report Format for U.S.-Flagged Purse Seine Vessels
U.S.-flagged purse seine vessels must email manual position report messages at least every 4 hours using the following format:
To: pidvms@noaa.gov, vms@ffa.int
Subject: MANUAL POSITION REPORT - {Name of vessel}
Date: mm/dd/yyyy
Time: time of manual report (in UTC)
Latitude: Degrees-minutes-seconds (North/South)
Longitude: Degrees-minutes-seconds (East/West)
Activity: Select one of the following: Transit, Fishing, In-port, Transhipping, Searching, Bunkering, Other
Example Email (Purse Seine)
To: pidvms@noaa.gov, vms@ffa.int
Subject: MANUAL POSITION REPORT - SEA BEAUTY
Date: 07/02/2025
Time: 1715 UTC
Latitude: 05-25-54 N
Longitude: 170-25-18 W
Activity: Fishing
Manual Position Report Format for U.S.-Flagged Non-purse Seine Vessels
U.S.-flagged non-purse seine vessels (longline, troller, etc.) must email the following manual position report messages at least every 6 hours using the following format:
To: pidvms@noaa.gov
Subject: MANUAL POSITION REPORT - {Name of vessel}
{Position described using the North Atlantic Format}
Manual position reports must use the North Atlantic Format format, as shown below:
Example Email (Non-Purse Seine)
To: pidvms@noaa.gov
Subject: MANUAL POSITION REPORT - LAAKEA
//SR//TM/POS//SQ/1//ID/12054//NA/LAAKEA//LT/-23.608//LG/137.319//DA/20240302//TI/0400//ER//