Dense beds of small Atlantic sea scallops photographed on the ocean floor in the Mid-Atlantic in 2015. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.
Pink salmon. Credit: NOAA
West Coast Highly Migratory Species Logbooks
Highly migratory species include Pacific tunas, swordfish, sharks, and billfish. Logbooks are used on commercial fishing vessels and recreational charter fishing vessels to record catch of highly migratory species, effort, and other data.
The operator of any commercial fishing vessel and any recreational charter fishing vessel for highly migratory species in the management area must maintain onboard the vessel an accurate and complete record of catch, effort, and other data on report forms provided by the Regional Administrator or state agency. All information specified on the forms must be recorded on the form within 24 hours after the completion of each fishing day. The original logbook form for each day of the fishing trip must be submitted to either the Southwest Fisheries Science Center within 30 days of each landing or transshipment of the highly migratory species. Each form must be signed and dated by the fishing vessel operator.
Federal logbooks are available by contacting the NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region Permit contact at wcr-permits@noaa.gov or 562.980.4238.
Mail Federal logbooks to:
NMFS Logbook Program
Southwest Fisheries Science Center
8901 La Jolla Shores Dr.
La Jolla, CA 92037
Hook and Line
This logbook is focused on hook and line gear (troll, pole & line, and rod & reel). Fishermen record the amount of target catch species (albacore, yellowfin, and bluefin tunas) caught, incidental catch and any bycatch. In addition, information on fishing trip dates, fishing area, and landing ports is collected.
Tuna Purse Seine
Eastern Tropical Pacific Purse Seine
U.S. participation in the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) requires purse seine vessels who fish in the IATTC’s area of management responsivity to meet record keeping requirements using the Pacific Tuna Fisheries Logbook developed for vessels 400 short tons (st) (362.8 metric tons (mt)) or more.
- IATTC Regional Purse Seine Logbook (PDF, 6 pages)
- Logbook for purse seine vessels that fish on Fish Aggregating Devices (Excel) | (PDF, 6 pages)
Swordfish Large Mesh Drift Gillnet
Fishermen record fishing effort including the amount of target species (swordfish, common thresher sharks) caught, other species, and any bycatch. In addition, information on fishing trip dates, fishing area, and landing ports is collected.
Deep-set Buoy Gear
Required for vessels participating in the Limited Entry Deep-set Buoy Gear fishery. These logbooks are used to collect information on swordfish targeted with deep-set buoy gear inside the California Bight.
Download the Deep-set Buoy Gear Logbook
Longline
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This fishery targets bigeye and yellowfin tunas using deep-set longline gear during fall and winter. U.S. West Coast-based vessels must fish on the high seas outside of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The West Coast Region has designated the Western Pacific Pelagic Fisheries longline Fishing Logbook to meet logbook requirements.
Mail longline fishing logbooks to:
NOAA Inouye Regional Center (IRC)
Attn: NMFS/PIFSC/Fishery Monitoring Branch
1845 Wasp Blvd., Building 176
Honolulu, Hawaii 98618
Harpoon
The Federal Harpoon Logbook will record swordfish fishing effort including fishing trip dates, fishing area, landing ports, and the number and weight of the fish caught.
Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel (CPFV)
Washington: For a Washington CPFV logbook, contact the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at 360-902-2675. Download a page here.
Oregon: Oregon recreational charter vessels are requested to use the Federal Hook and Line logbook to meet logbook requirements.
California: For a California CPFV logbook, contact the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, 4665 Lampson Ave., Suite C, Los Alamitos, CA 90720 or 562-342-7130.
Privacy Act Statement
Authority: The collection of this information is authorized under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C 1801 et seq., the High Seas Fishing Compliance Act, the Tuna Conventions Act of 1950, the Antarctic Marine Living Resources Convention Act, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFCIA; 16 U.S.C. 6901 et seq), the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Fur Seal Act. The authority for the mandatory collection of the Tax Identification Number (TIN) is 31 U.S.C. 7701.
Purpose: In order to manage U.S. fisheries, the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) requires the use of permits or registrations by participants in the United States. Information on NOAA Fisheries permit applicants and renewing holders includes vessel owner contact information, date of birth, TIN and vessel descriptive information. Permit holder information may be used as sampling frames for surveys, as part of Fishery Management Council (FMC) analysis to support FMC decisions.
Routine Uses: The Department will use this information to determine permit eligibility and to identify fishery participants. Disclosure of this information is permitted under the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. Section 552a), to be shared within NMFS offices, in order to coordinate monitoring and management of sustainability of fisheries and protected resources, as well as with the applicable State or Regional Marine Fisheries Commissions and International Organizations. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all of the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notice COMMERCE/NOAA-19, Permits and Registrations for the United States Federally Regulated Fisheries.
Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary; however, failure to provide complete and accurate information will prevent the determination of eligibility for a permit.
More Information
Dense beds of small Atlantic sea scallops photographed on the ocean floor in the Mid-Atlantic in 2015. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.
Pink salmon. Credit: NOAA
