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Changes to Making Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program Landing Notifications through the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS)

November 07, 2017

FB17-066 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Bulletin; For More Information, Contact:  Catch Share Customer Support, (866) 425-7627 (option 2, 8am – 4:30pm EST),  nmfs.ser.catchshare@noaa.gov

Key Message:

  • Changes are being made to make new approved landing locations and dealers available almost instantly for use by IFQ participants. 
  • To be more efficient, the drop-down menus are being replaced with numeric fields corresponding to the IFQ landing location and dealer VMS codes.

Why is This Happening:

  • Previously, the VMS IFQ landing notification forms used a drop-down menu with a list of approved landing locations and dealers.  These lists were manually updated via a software update.  This caused significant delay (possibly more than six months) in the new approved landing locations and dealers being available for use on the various types of VMS units. 
  • Vessels with Boatracs VMS units will not see any changes to their landing notification forms, as their software already uses the numeric fields.
  • Lists of VMS codes for landing locations and dealers can be found on the Catch Share Online System (https://portal.southeast.fisheries.noaa.gov/cs).
  • Vessels landing IFQ species are required to provide 3-24 hour advance notice of landing at approved landings locations. The requirement is intended to provide law enforcement officers the opportunity to be present at the point of landing so they can monitor and enforce IFQ requirements dockside. 
  • Landing notifications can be made by using the form on the VMS screen, by calling 1-866-425-7627 and selecting option 1 (Call-Center 24/7), or through the online IFQ system.
IFQ-VMS-changes-SERO.png

 

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NOAA's Text Message Alert Program allows you to receive important fishery-related alerts via text message (SMS).  Standard message & data rates may apply. You may opt-out at any time.

Text alerts you may receive include:

  • Immediate fishery openings and closures
  • Any significant changes to fishing regulations that happen quickly

Sign up for one or more of the following groups:

  • Gulf of Mexico Recreational Fisheries Related Alerts
    • Text GULFRECFISH to 888777
  • Gulf of Mexico Commercial Fisheries Related Alerts
    • Text GULFCOMMFISH to 888777
  • South Atlantic Recreational Fisheries Related Alerts
    • Text SATLRECFISH to 888777
  • South Atlantic Commercial Fisheries Related Alerts
    • Text SATLCOMMFISH to 888777
  • Caribbean Fisheries Related Alerts
    • Text CARIBFISH to 888777

Last updated by Southeast Regional Office on March 19, 2019