Surfclam/Ocean Quahog (SC/OQ) Logbook

Any vessel utilizing their Federal permit for the surfclam or ocean quahog fishery is required to submit a trip-level report for each fishing trip made.

To track commerical harvest, catch, and effort for the Surfclam & Ocean Quahog ITQ fisheries.

Beginning in 1978, participation in the surf clam fishery became conditional upon a set of requirements including detailed logbook reporting. In the early 1980's ocean quahog vessels became subject to the same detailed logbook reporting requirements. Source: http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/Y2684E/y2684e09.htm

50 CFR 648.7

Maine mahogany fishery: vessels participating in the Maine mahogany (ocean quahog) fishery in state waters off the coast of Maine are required to have a Federal ocean quahog permit and must comply with Federal reporting requirements. The Maine fishery is not an ITQ fishery, however it is subject to a quota.

Fisheries Data Services Division (FDSD)

55 Great Republic Drive

Vessel trip reports are considered to be business confidential and may not be released without signed approval of the permit holder on record for the time period requested.

Access to VTR data is governed by 50CFR600 - Confidentiality of Information. Access by state fishery management agency staff and Fisheries Management Council staff may be allowed through Memorandum of Understanding that are signed by the NE Regional Administrator and Directors of the State Agency or Councils that describe the need and uses of the data and list the individuals who will have access to the data. Contractors may be granted access provided they are working under contract to NOAA or a cooperating partner (state, Council, Commission) on a specific project under the oversight of a partner.

Contact POC to request access.

Access is restricted to personnel authorized in accordance with NOAA Administrative Order 216-100. A signed non-disclosure agreement must be on file for all authorized personnel. The APSD Data Request staff are the POC for non-disclosure forms.

Access to individual reports is restricted to NOAA employees and our partners who have signed non-disclosure agreements. Summary data may be made available based on the "rule of 3", i.e., there must be at least three entities included in a summary for the summary information to be made publically available. Data may be made available if there is no information included that could uniquely link the information to an individual entity (person, vessel operating unit, business, etc.). Individually identifiable information may not be released without written authorization from the provider or by court order.

There are no constraints on the use of the metadata associated with this program.

Relational database.

Vessel logbook data can be considered representative of all self reported vessel data in the NERO.

The Vessel Trip Reports are submitted by vessel operators and thus contain self reported data. The information in these reports is compared against the information in other data systems.

Vessel reported data is routinely audited for completeness. Vessel reports missing obvious data fields are sent back to vessel owners.