NMFS Southeast Region Vessel Monitoring System Forms and Specifications for Commercial and For-Hire Vessels.
The NOAA Fisheries Southeast Region Office of Law Enforcement has modified the form specifications in the commercial reef fish program to include the upcoming for-hire vessel electric reporting reporting requirements. This document describes the form requirements for commercial and for-hire vessel trip declarations, pre-landing notification, and fishing reports (logbook).
Commercial Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) for Gulf Reef Fish
The following link is to the NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement Type-Approved List of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS). The VMS units listed under the Commercial Reef Fish Fishery of the Gulf are those approved for the commercial fishery ONLY. The existing approved VMS vendors will have the option to upgrade their systems to meet the for-hire requirements and will need to be re-evaluated and approved for the for-hire program. The approved for-hire vendors will be listed in the near future.
*Executive Order 14172, “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” (Jan. 20, 2025), directs that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America. Gulf of America references in this website refer to the same area as the Gulf of Mexico in the applicable regulations under 50 CFR parts 216–219, 222–226, and 600–699. The name change did not result in any changes to, and had no effect on the applicability or enforceability of, any existing regulations. This website continues to use “Gulf of Mexico” when quoting statutes, existing regulations, or previously published materials.
