Northeast Multispecies Days-At-Sea Transfer Program

Unlike leasing, transferred days-at-sea are permanent and do not expire at the end of the fishing year. Only Northeast multispecies days-at-sea may be transferred and combined. Other days-at-sea programs (monkfish, scallop) do not allow for the transfer and combining of days-at-sea.

Days-At-Sea Transfer Program Requirements

Overview

• Transferor: The vessel transferring days-at-sea to another vessel.
• Transferee: The vessel receiving days-at-sea in the transfer. 
• The transferor vessel must transfer all of its Northeast multispecies days-at-sea.
• Because permits that are associated with a vessel may not be split onto another vessel, the transferor vessel must transfer all other federal permits to the transferee vessel under the normal replacement procedures, or permanently relinquish those permits. 
• Any duplicative permits would be forfeited.
• The transferor vessel may acquire other federal or state fishing permits and continue to operate as a fishing vessel.
• All catch and effort history associated with the transferor permit goes to the transferee. Individual history elements cannot be separated from the permit and retained by the seller.
• A vessel may not transfer days-at-sea to another vessel if it has participated in the days-at-sea Leasing Program as either a lessee or a lessor within the same fishing year. A days-at-sea transfer request submitted by such a vessel would not become effective until the start of the following fishing year.

Common Pool and Sectors

• During the fishing year in which the vessel is a member of a particular sector, a sector vessel may not transfer days-at-sea to or from vessels that are fishing under the provisions of the common pool or another sector, but may transfer days-at-sea to or from another vessel participating in that vessel’s sector.
• Sector vessels may submit an application for a days-at-sea transfer at any time during the fishing year to be processed with a delayed effectiveness (i.e., the transfer would be effective at the start of the next fishing year).

Baselines

• A transferor vessel may only transfer days-at-sea to a vessel with a baseline engine horsepower rating that is no more than 20 percent greater than the baseline engine horsepower of the transferor vessel.
• A transferor vessel may only transfer days-at-sea to a vessel with a baseline length overall that is no more than 10 percent greater than the baseline length overall of the transferor vessel.
• The baseline, for both main engine horsepower rating and length-overall, of the transferee vessel becomes the smaller baseline of the two vessels. The transferee vessel may adopt the larger of the two baselines if it has not previously used its one-time allowable upgrade, and satisfies the requirements for the one-time upgrade.
• The Days-At-Sea Leasing Program baseline downgrade does not affect the baseline associated with the Days-At-Sea Transfer Program.

Special Permit Conditions

• Hook Gear permitted vessels (Northeast Multispecies Permit Category D) may only transfer days-at-sea to a vessel that is also a Hook Gear permitted vessel. Hook Gear vessels may receive days-at-sea through a days-at-sea transfer from any other eligible vessel.

How to Apply for a Days-At-Sea Transfer

• Owners of the vessels applying to transfer and receive days-at-sea must submit a completed application form.  Both the seller/transferor and the buyer/transferee of the days-at-sea must sign the application form.
• Applicants should submit the required paperwork at least 45 days before they want the transfer to be effective.
• Applications may be submitted at any time during the fishing year, up until March 1.