Vessel Monitoring Contacts

For questions about vessel monitoring, please use these contacts.

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Northeast Vessel Monitoring System Team

The Northeast Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) Team is located within the Office of Law Enforcement in the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, Gloucester, Massachusetts. The main number is (978) 281-9213 (option 1) and the fax number is (978) 281-9317.

For VMS questions or assistance, contact any member of the team.

Bill Semrau: Program Manager

Carol Bleszinski: Herring, Mackerel & Squid Reporting; VMS Training;
VMS Letters of Exemption (to Power Down Inport);
VMS Activations/Deactivations & Welcome Letters

Carl Lemire: Scallop, Surfclam, Ocean Quahog, Maine Mahogany Quahog & NAFO Reporting; VMS Training

Samantha Tolken: Multispecies & Monkfish Reporting; VMS Letters of Exemption (to Power Down in port); NAFO Reporting; VMS Training

Philip Corcoran: Computer Programmer

You may also email the VMS Team from your VMS unit. Send your email to: NMFS.OLE.NE@noaa.gov.

If you are unable to reach the Northeast VMS Team, our headquarters support center has extended hours of operation and may be able to assist you with general questions about VMS registrations and vessel position reporting. The Support Center is the primary point of contact for the National VMS Reimbursement Program. The Support Center will refer any technical VMS questions to the appropriate VMS vendor, and any regulatory/rule-related questions to the VMS Team/Greater Atlantic Region. The Support Center is located at NOAA Fisheries Headquarters, Office of Law Enforcement, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 20910. Hours of operation are 7 am to 11 pm, Monday through Friday. The phone number is (888) 219-9228 (toll-free).

NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Agents

If it is a law enforcement emergency, call the Enforcement Hotline toll-free on a 24-hour basis at (800) 853-1964. Please do not call the Hotline for a VMS-related equipment or technical issue; rather, contact your VMS vendor (see below).

For law enforcement-related questions or concerns that are of a non-emergency nature, contact your local NOAA Fisheries enforcement office during business hours as follows:

District 1 Office – Boston, Massachusetts

Covers Maine through Connecticut.

Phone: (617) 565-1800

District 2 Office – Wall, New Jersey

Covers New York through Virginia.

Phone: (732) 280-6490.

Approved Northeast VMS Vendors

McMurdo

4296 Forbes Blvd
Lanham, MD 20706
1-800-262-8722
FleetSupport@Orolia.com
www.mcmurdogroup.com

Please note: The McMurdo Omnitracs Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) operated by vessels with Greater Atlantic Region (GAR) permits will not be supported by it's satellite provider after March 31, 2020. All current owners of the Omnitracs unit were notified via a letter from McMurdo dated December 19, 2019.