Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Electronic Reporting for Federally Permitted Charter Vessels and Headboats in Gulf of Mexico Fisheries, 44005-44021 [2020-15275]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 140 (Tuesday, July 21, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 44005-44021]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-15275]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[Docket No. 200706-0181]
RIN 0648-BH72


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Electronic Reporting for Federally Permitted Charter Vessels and 
Headboats in Gulf of Mexico Fisheries

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: NMFS implements management measures described in the Gulf For-
hire Reporting Amendment, as prepared and submitted by the Gulf of 
Mexico (Gulf) Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) and the South 
Atlantic Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic Council). The Gulf 
For-hire Reporting Amendment includes amendments to the Fishery 
Management Plans (FMPs) for Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico 
(Reef Fish FMP) and the Coastal Migratory Pelagic (CMP) Resources of 
the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region (CMP FMP). This final rule 
revises reporting requirements for an owner or operator of a charter 
vessel or headboat (for-hire vessel) with a Federal charter vessel/
headboat permit for Gulf Reef Fish or Gulf CMP species. The purpose of 
this final rule is to increase and improve fisheries information 
collected from federally permitted for-hire vessels in the Gulf. The 
information is expected to improve recreational management of the for-
hire component of the reef fish and CMP fisheries in the Gulf.

DATES: This final rule is effective on January 5, 2021, except for 
Sec. Sec.  622.26(b)(5) and 622.374(b)(5)(ii) through (v), which are 
delayed indefinitely. The Administration will publish a document in the 
Federal Register announcing the effective date of those provisions.

ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment 
may be obtained from www.regulations.gov or the Southeast Regional 
Office website at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/et.
    The Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment includes an environmental 
assessment, regulatory impact review, Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) 
analysis, and fishery impact statement.
    Written comments regarding the burden-hour estimates or other 
aspects of the collection-of-information requirements contained in this 
final rule may be submitted at any time to Adam Bailey, NMFS Southeast 
Regional Office, [email protected], or by email to 
[email protected], or fax to 202-395-5806.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rich Malinowski, NMFS Southeast 
Regional Office, telephone: 727-824-5305, or email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CMP fishery in the Gulf is managed under 
the CMP FMP, an FMP jointly managed by the Gulf Council and South 
Atlantic Council. The Gulf Council manages the reef fish fishery under 
the Reef Fish FMP. These FMPs are implemented by NMFS through 
regulations at 50 CFR part 622 under the authority of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).
    On June 21, 2018, NMFS published a notice of availability (NOA) for 
the Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment and requested public comment (83 
FR 28797). On September 19, 2018, the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) 
approved the Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment under section 304(a)(3) 
of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. On October 26, 2018, NMFS published a 
proposed rule for the Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment and requested 
public comment through November 26, 2019 (83 FR 54069). On November 20, 
2018, NMFS extended the proposed rule comment period through January 9, 
2019 (83 FR 58522). The proposed rule and the Gulf For-hire Reporting 
Amendment outline the rationale for the actions contained in this final 
rule. A summary of the management measures described in the Gulf For-
hire Reporting Amendment and implemented by this final rule is provided 
below.

Management Measures Contained in This Final Rule

    This final rule requires an owner or operator of a vessel with a 
Federal charter vessel/headboat permit for Gulf reef fish or Gulf CMP 
species (hereafter referred to as a Gulf for-hire vessel owner or 
operator) to submit an electronic fishing report (also referred to as a 
logbook), via NMFS-approved hardware and software, for each fishing 
trip before offloading fish from that fishing trip. If no fish are 
landed, the electronic fishing report must be submitted within 30 
minutes after the completion of the fishing trip. This final rule also 
requires a Gulf for-hire vessel owner or operator to notify NMFS prior 
to departing for any trip and declare whether they are departing on a 
for-hire trip or on another trip type. If the vessel will be operating 
as a charter vessel or headboat during the specified trip, the vessel 
owner or operator must also report details of the trip's expected 
completion. Lastly, this final rule requires that a Gulf for-hire 
vessel owner or operator use NMFS-approved hardware and software with 
global positioning system (GPS) location capabilities that, at a 
minimum, archive vessel position data during a trip for subsequent 
transmission to NMFS. NMFS expects the time period between the 
publication date and effective dates for this final rule will allow 
time for affected fishery participants to purchase and install approved 
hardware and software, as well as comply with all other requirements in 
this rule.

Electronic Fishing Reports

    This final rule requires a Gulf for-hire vessel owner or operator 
that is operating the permitted vessel as a for-hire vessel to submit 
an electronic fishing report for each trip before offloading fish from 
the vessel, or within 30 minutes after the end of each trip if no fish 
were landed. The electronic fishing report must include any species 
that were caught or harvested in or from any area (e.g., in state, 
Federal, or foreign waters, in the Gulf, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, 
etc.), as well as information about the permit holder, vessel, location 
fished, fishing effort, discards, and socio-economic data.
    A Gulf for-hire vessel owner or operator is required to submit the 
fishing report using hardware and software approved by NMFS for use in 
the Gulf for-hire reporting program, which could include sending data 
through a cellular or satellite-based service. Approved hardware used 
to submit a fishing report means devices such as computers, tablets, 
and phones that allow for internet access via a cellular or satellite 
signal and are capable of supporting and operating approved software. 
Software for such devices must be approved by the NMFS Southeast 
Regional Office, and vendors seeking NMFS type-approval can find

[[Page 44006]]

technical specifications and procedures at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/et. NMFS will evaluate potential 
applications and software as they are submitted by vendors and post a 
list of approved items on the website.
    Consistent with the previous regulations, a Gulf for-hire vessel 
owner or operator who is selected to report to the Southeast Region 
Headboat Survey (SRHS), managed and operated by the NMFS Southeast 
Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC), will submit fishing reports to that 
program upon implementation of this final rule. However, as a result of 
this final rule, those vessel owners or operators reporting to the SRHS 
must report before offloading fish from the vessel, or within 30 
minutes after the end of each trip if no fish were landed. Public 
reporting burden is estimated to average 10 minutes per electronic 
fishing report.
    A vessel monitoring system (VMS) unit, either cellular- or 
satellite-based, could also be used to submit a fishing report but must 
be approved by the NMFS Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) for use in the 
Gulf for-hire reporting program. Existing NMFS type-approved VMS units 
for commercial fisheries will be evaluated and potentially modified by 
the vendors to meet the Gulf for-hire reporting requirements. Vendors 
wishing to submit VMS hardware and software for NMFS OLE type-approval 
can find technical specifications and procedures at 50 CFR 600, subpart 
Q. NMFS OLE published a final rule in the Federal Register that will 
modify the existing NMFS VMS type-approval regulations to include 
cellular-based VMS in addition to satellite-based VMS, and to allow VMS 
communications to be sent through secure cellular communication 
services (85 FR 40915, July 8, 2020). NMFS OLE maintains a list of all 
approved VMS units for each applicable Federal fishery or area at 
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/enforcement/noaa-fisheries-type-approved-vms-units.
    NMFS will post approved software for electronic fishing reports 
that meet the NMFS type-approval for the Gulf for-hire reporting 
program, as well as post other useful references on the Southeast 
Region website at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/et.
    This final rule also extends other provisions to federally 
permitted charter vessels that currently apply to headboats to allow 
for modified reporting during catastrophic conditions and to address 
delinquent reporting. During NMFS-declared catastrophic conditions, 
such as after a hurricane, NMFS may accept paper reporting forms, and 
can modify or waive reporting requirements. Also, a delinquent fishing 
report will result in a prohibition on the harvest or possession of the 
applicable species by the for-hire vessel permit holder until all 
required and delinquent reports have been submitted and received by 
NMFS according to the reporting requirements.

Trip Declaration

    This final rule requires a Gulf for-hire vessel owner or operator 
to submit a trip declaration to NMFS before departing from any a dock, 
berth, beach, seawall, or ramp. The trip declaration will indicate 
whether the vessel is departing on a commercial, charter, headboat, 
private recreational, or non-fishing type of trip. For instance, if a 
vessel is taken to a separate dock to get fuel, and then does not start 
a fishing trip, the trip declaration would be completed as a non-
fishing trip. No additional information is required on the trip 
declaration if the vessel is not making a for-hire fishing trip. If the 
vessel will be departing on a for-hire trip (charter or headboat), the 
owner or operator must also report the expected trip completion date, 
time, and landing location. The trip declaration must be accomplished 
as described above for the fishing reports. All software approved for 
submitting fishing reports will also be approved for submitting trip 
declarations.
    In the Gulf, an owner or operator of a federally permitted 
commercial reef fish vessel is already required to submit a trip 
declaration, either through a VMS unit or by telephone. To reduce 
duplicative trip declarations, an owner or operator of a vessel with 
both a Gulf commercial reef fish permit and a Gulf for-hire permit 
leaving for a commercial trip can meet the requirements of both 
programs by submitting a trip declaration only using the commercial 
program declaration form, if they use VMS hardware and software that 
has been approved for both programs. However, a for-hire trip 
declaration may not be submitted using the commercial telephone system. 
Therefore, if a vessel owner or operator chooses to declare a 
commercial trip through the use of the telephone system, they must also 
declare the trip using hardware and software approved for the Gulf for-
hire reporting program. An owner or operator of a vessel with both a 
Gulf commercial reef fish permit and a Gulf charter vessel/headboat 
permit who is leaving on a for-hire trip can meet the requirements of 
both programs by submitting a trip declaration if they use the Gulf 
for-hire reporting program declaration form, and they use VMS hardware 
and software that has been approved for both programs. If an owner or 
operator of a vessel with both a Gulf commercial reef fish permit and a 
Gulf for-hire permit chooses to maintain two types of hardware and 
software, one approved for the commercial program and one approved for 
the for-hire program, they must submit trip declarations to both 
programs regardless of the type of trip. NMFS is considering possible 
modifications to each program to reduce duplicative declarations in the 
future.
    If leaving on a for-hire trip, the trip declaration requires the 
landing location for the end of the trip, and these landing locations 
must be added to any approved software before their use. Landing 
locations must be submitted to NMFS through the Landing Location 
Request form for verification and inclusion on reporting platforms. 
NMFS staff will verify that the location exists and can reasonably be 
expected to be a vessel landing location, e.g., the location is 
adjacent to a waterway. NMFS anticipates verifying landing location 
requests within two business days of receipt. If verified, the location 
will be assigned a code and shared with any vendors with approved 
software for inclusion in future updates. At this time, NMFS cannot 
specify how long it will take vendors to make these updates. If NMFS 
cannot verify the landing location, the applicant will be notified. 
NMFS will process requests submitted on weekends and holidays during 
normal business hours. Any approved landing location for the commercial 
individual fishing quota (IFQ) programs in the Gulf will also be a 
valid landing location in the Gulf for-hire reporting program and does 
not need to be resubmitted. However, because of stricter qualifications 
for an approved landing location in the commercial IFQ programs, a 
verified for-hire landing location is not automatically an approved 
landing location for the Gulf IFQ programs.
    The Gulf Council determined that trip declarations will improve 
effort estimation for for-hire vessels and improve the ability of port 
agents and law enforcement to meet a vessel at end of a trip for 
biological sampling and landings validation. Public reporting burden to 
complete the trip declaration requirement is estimated to average 2 
minutes per trip.

Location Tracking and Reporting

    This final rule requires that a Gulf for-hire vessel have NMFS-
approved hardware and software on board with GPS location capabilities 
that, at a minimum, archive vessel position data during a trip for 
subsequent

[[Page 44007]]

transmission to NMFS. This rule requires the collection of a vessel's 
position at least hourly, unless the in-port 4-hour position reporting 
exemption is met, as specified in 50 CFR 622.26(b)(5)(ii)(C) and 
622.374(b)(5)(iv)(C).
    The proposed rule for the Gulf for-hire reporting program 
distinguished between a satellite and cellular vessel location tracking 
device by referring to the former as a VMS unit and the latter as a GPS 
unit or GPS portion of the hardware. However, to be consistent with the 
NMFS OLE final rule, any cellular- or satellite-based vessel location 
tracking device is hereafter referred to as a cellular or satellite 
VMS.
    The vessel location tracking data can be transmitted through a 
cellular or satellite-based service. Cellular-based systems collect and 
store data while a vessel is not within range of a cellular signal, 
e.g., during the majority of fishing trips in Federal waters, and then 
transmit the data when the vessel is within cellular range. While a 
vessel is within cellular range, e.g., nearshore or at the dock, data 
transmission will be closer to real-time. Satellite-based systems 
transmit data as they are collected.
    VMS units, whether cellular or satellite-based, will be type-
approved by NMFS OLE. Vendors wishing to submit a satellite VMS unit 
for NMFS OLE type-approval can find technical specifications and 
procedures at 50 CFR 600, subpart Q for current requirements and type-
approval process. NMFS OLE recently published a final rule to implement 
type-approval requirements for cellular VMS and to allow VMS 
communications to be sent through secure cellular communication 
services, and this information will also be located at 50 CFR 600, 
subpart Q. Approved cellular and satellite VMS units for each 
applicable Federal fishery or area will continue to be listed at 
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/enforcement/noaa-fisheries-type-approved-vms-units. NMFS SERO will post all approved hardware and 
software for the Gulf for-hire reporting program, including VMS units 
approved by NMFS OLE, at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/et.
    Each Gulf for-hire vessel owner or operator is responsible for 
using an approved VMS that will automatically transmit vessel location 
data at some time before offloading fish at the end of each trip, or 
within 30 minutes after a trip is completed if no fish were landed. The 
type of VMS (cellular or satellite) that is capable of transmitting 
vessel location data as required may depend on the area where the 
vessel docks. The vessel's cellular or satellite VMS must be 
permanently affixed to the vessel and must have uninterrupted power, 
unless the owner or operator applies for and is granted an exemption to 
power-down the unit, as specified in 50 CFR 622.26(b)(5)(ii)(D) and 
622.374(b)(5)(iv)(D), e.g., if the vessel is removed from the water for 
repairs.
    Satellite VMS units and some cellular VMS units will allow users to 
enter and transmit fishing reports and trip declarations in addition to 
automatically recording and transmitting GPS coordinates. Other 
cellular VMS units will only be capable of automatically recording and 
transmitting GPS coordinates, but will be able to connect to another 
device that is capable of transmitting fishing reports and trip 
declarations. Therefore, depending on the VMS unit selected by the 
vessel owner or operator, a separate device, such as a smartphone or 
tablet, and an additional wireless service plan may be required to 
submit fishing reports and trip declarations.
    In the Gulf, an owner or operator of a federally permitted 
commercial reef fish vessel is already required to have a satellite VMS 
unit permanently affixed to the vessel. NMFS has also issued Gulf 
charter vessel/headboat permits to some of these vessels. However, not 
all satellite VMS units approved for use on commercial reef fish 
vessels may be approved for use in the Gulf for-hire reporting program. 
Satellite VMS units approved by NMFS for commercial reef fish vessels 
will need software updates by the vendors to meet the for-hire 
reporting requirements in this final rule. If a satellite VMS unit 
required for the Gulf commercial reef fish fishery is not capable of 
meeting the Gulf for-hire electronic reporting requirements, the owner 
or operator will need to purchase a VMS unit that is approved for both 
commercial reef fish and for-hire vessels, or keep the satellite VMS 
unit for commercial trips and purchase a separate cellular or satellite 
VMS unit that meets the Gulf for-hire reporting requirements in this 
final rule.
    To allow more time for the type-approval process and sufficient 
time for for-hire vessel owners and operators to obtain the devices, 
the requirement that Gulf for-hire vessels have NMFS-approved hardware 
and software with GPS location capabilities will be delayed until NMFS 
announces the effective date in a subsequent document published in the 
Federal Register. However, before that effective date, NMFS will notify 
affected permit holders through a fishery bulletin when cellular or 
satellite VMS units approved for the Gulf for-hire reporting program 
may be used voluntarily to submit fishing reports and trip 
declarations.
    This final rule has similar requirements for powering down a 
cellular or satellite VMS unit that currently apply to vessels in the 
commercial reef fish fishery. Regulations allow an owner or operator of 
a commercial vessel to discontinue the use of a VMS unit for a specific 
time period, provided they request and obtain a VMS power-down 
exemption letter, which authorizes the power-down, from the NMFS OLE 
Southeast Division (50 CFR 622.28). To obtain NMFS' authorization for 
powering down a cellular or satellite VMS unit for the Gulf for-hire 
reporting program, the permit holder must fill out the VMS Power-down 
Exemption Request form, and submit the form by email or mail to NMFS 
OLE. NMFS OLE must approve each power-down request before the vessel 
operator may turn off the vessel's VMS unit. The VMS Power-down 
Exemption Request form is available on the NMFS website for the Gulf 
for-hire reporting program, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/et. NMFS estimates a VMS power-down exemption request will require an 
average of 5 minutes to complete per occurrence.

Other Electronic Reporting Programs

    On February 24, 2020, NMFS published in the Federal Register the 
final rule to implement electronic reporting requirements contained in 
the South Atlantic For-Hire Reporting Amendment applicable to the for-
hire component of recreational fisheries in the South Atlantic 
Council's jurisdiction (85 FR 10331). Under the South Atlantic for-hire 
reporting program, an owner or operator of a vessel issued a Federal 
charter vessel/headboat permit for species managed under the FMPs for 
CMP (in the Atlantic), Atlantic Dolphin and Wahoo, or South Atlantic 
Snapper-Grouper, and is operating as a for-hire vessel, will have to 
submit on a weekly basis an electronic fishing report for each trip 
using NMFS-approved hardware and software. Although the information 
collected in the South Atlantic fishing report is expected to be the 
same as for the Gulf fishing report, the frequency of trip reporting 
will be different, and neither a trip declaration nor location tracking 
device is required in the South Atlantic for-hire reporting program.
    A Gulf for-hire vessel owner or operator must follow the Gulf 
reporting regulations regardless of where they fish or any other 
Federal permits they hold, including those that hold both Gulf and 
South Atlantic for-hire permits.

[[Page 44008]]

However, the South Atlantic Council's intent is to prevent multiple 
reporting of the same for-hire trip by allowing the owner or operator 
of a vessel with multiple Federal for-hire permits to fulfill the South 
Atlantic requirements by submitting reports under other programs, if 
those reporting requirements are more stringent. Therefore, a vessel 
owner or operator with a Federal for-hire permit for an applicable 
fishery managed by the South Atlantic Council who is required to report 
under the Gulf for-hire reporting program, will not also need to report 
under the South Atlantic's program. Thus, an owner or operator with 
Federal for-hire permits from both areas must submit fishing reports 
before offloading fish, submit a trip declaration, and have a location 
tracking device aboard their vessel according to the Gulf requirements 
in this final rule.

Changes From the Proposed Rule

    The proposed rule distinguished between satellite and cellular 
devices by referring to the former as VMS units and the latter as GPS 
units. However, during development of the Gulf for-hire reporting 
program, NMFS determined that it was appropriate for NMFS OLE to test 
and type-approve cellular-based vessel tracking devices. Therefore, to 
make descriptions of a vessel tracking device consistent between the 
NMFS OLE regulations at 50 CFR 600, subpart Q and the requirements in 
this final rule, any cellular- or satellite-based vessel location 
tracking device is referred to as a cellular or satellite VMS.
    Similarly, the NMFS OLE final rule to specify the type-approval 
requirements for cellular VMS requires that position reporting be fully 
automatic, which is the same specification as position reporting by a 
satellite VMS unit. Automatically populating these data prevents 
alteration or unintended modification. NMFS estimated in the proposed 
rule that if it was necessary to submit separate fishing and location 
reports at the end of each trip, the reporting burden to submit 
separate location information could be an additional 2 minutes per 
trip. An added benefit to a for-hire vessel owner or operator with 
automation of location data submission is that the potential burden of 
having to submit vessel location data after a fishing trip is removed 
from this final rule.
    In this final rule, NMFS has revised the name for the required pre-
trip declaration and the associated electronic form name. In the 
proposed rule, NMFS referred to this as the Trip Notification form, but 
this final rule refers to this as the Trip Declaration form. The 
requirements to submit a Trip Declaration form remain the same as 
stated in the proposed rule. NMFS made the change in this final rule to 
increase the consistency of terms used to describe various forms across 
platforms, and ``declaration'' is a familiar term already used by some 
fishermen for a similar requirement in the commercial sector of the 
Gulf reef fish fishery.
    NMFS is also adding regulatory text in 50 CFR 622.26(b)(6) and 
622.374(b)(6) to clarify that the trip declaration is required any time 
the vessel departs from a dock, berth, beach, seawall, or ramp. In the 
proposed rule, these paragraphs stated that the declaration is required 
prior ``to the departure of any trip,'' but did not define trip. The 
term ``trip'' is defined 50 CFR 622.2, in part, as ``a fishing trip.'' 
However, the proposed rule did not refer to this definition and various 
regulations in 50 CFR part 622 use the term ``fishing trip'' as opposed 
to ``trip.'' Therefore, to avoid any confusion about when the trip 
declaration is required, for the purpose of paragraphs 622.26(b)(6) and 
622.374(b)(6), NMFS is specifying that a ``trip'' begins anytime the 
vessel departs from a dock, berth, beach, seawall, or ramp, and 
terminates with return to a dock, berth, beach, seawall, or ramp, 
regardless of the duration or purpose, including non-fishing 
activities. This revision more clearly describes the reporting 
requirements under this rule.
    This final rule changes the methods for a vessel owner or operator 
to submit the VMS power-down exemption request form to NMFS. In the 
proposed rule on page 54071, NMFS stated that the form would be 
accepted by mail or fax, and that NMFS expected an electronic method of 
submission to be available by the effective date of this final rule. 
However, NMFS has determined few vessel owners or operators would use 
fax. Therefore, to streamline administration of the Gulf for-hire 
reporting program, NMFS will not accept this form by fax. NMFS also 
continues to work on developing the electronic form, but does not 
expect it to be available until after the effective date. As of this 
final rule, NMFS can accept the VMS Power-down Exemption Request form 
by mail or email, and will provide vessel owners and operators with any 
new information about the available methods to submit the form on the 
NMFS website for the Gulf for-hire reporting program, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/et.
    This final rule also makes minor changes in Sec. Sec.  622.26(b)(1) 
and (5), and 622.374(b)(1)(i) and (5)(i) to more clearly separate the 
logbook and VMS requirements and to make it clear that NMFS approved 
hardware and software for both the logbook and VMS will be posted on 
the NMFS Southeast Region website.
    Finally, in response to public comment about reporting to the SRHS 
(Comment 10), NMFS adds regulatory text in Sec. Sec.  622.26(b)(1) and 
622.374(b)(1)(i) to make it clear, that if selected by the NMFS Science 
Research Director, a Gulf for-hire vessel owner or operator must report 
via the SRHS. As of April 2020, there were 69 Gulf for-hire vessels 
that report via the SRHS and the software used by the SRHS will be 
approved for the Gulf for-hire reporting program.

Comments and Responses

    NMFS received 109 comments during the public comment periods on the 
NOA and proposed rule for the Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment. The 
majority of the comments were opposed to the Gulf For-hire Reporting 
Amendment and proposed rule. NMFS acknowledges the comments in favor of 
all or part of the actions in the Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment and 
the proposed rule, and agrees with them. Some comments in support of 
the proposed rule included that the requirements will help ensure the 
recreational for-hire component gets credit for the fish they catch and 
that the data will be more timely and accurate, will lead to better 
stock assessments, and will assist in making management decisions, such 
as reducing catch limit buffers that are in place to prevent harvest 
overages.
    Some commenters made suggestions about how to implement the final 
rule. These comments included: NMFS should set compliance and 
validation targets; NMFS should establish dock-side validation rates by 
incorporating existing on-site sampling and monitoring programs 
operated by the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) and the 
Gulf states for cost efficiencies; NMFS should consider some method of 
incentivizing participation in the program to maximize compliance 
during initial implementation; the program should provide reports back 
to vessel owners and operators; and NMFS should provide educational 
materials to vessel operators to share with their customers. NMFS will 
consider all of the suggestions and may implement them in the future, 
if appropriate.
    Some comments were outside the scope of the Gulf For-hire Reporting 
Amendment and the proposed rule and are not addressed in this final 
rule. Comments in opposition to all or some of the actions contained in 
the Gulf For-

[[Page 44009]]

hire Reporting Amendment and the proposed rule are summarized below, as 
well as NMFS' respective responses. NMFS made one change in response to 
public comment on the Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment and the 
proposed rule. See the response to Comment 10 below.
    Comment 1: Data collection is a research tool and therefore should 
be NMFS', rather than fishermen's, responsibility.
    Response: The Gulf for-hire reporting program is designed to both 
monitor for-hire landings to determine in-season closures and post-
season quota adjustments, and to enhance data collection efforts to 
provide for better fisheries management, such as through more data-rich 
stock assessments. As such, collection of these data is not a research 
tool but a management tool for the reef fish and CMP fisheries, and 
responsibility for the program is appropriately shared by NMFS and the 
fishermen. The fishermen are required to have the necessary equipment 
and report in a timely manner as conditions of their Federal for-hire 
permits because they possess the information that the Gulf Council and 
NMFS need to improve management. NMFS is responsible for performing 
quality control, validating the reports, and using the data, as 
appropriate, to help achieve various management objectives.
    Comment 2: MRIP should take the lead in designing and executing the 
for-hire electronic reporting to avoid problems with different state-
based surveys that have different designs and calibrations.
    Response: NMFS does not agree that MRIP should take the lead in 
designing and executing the Gulf for-hire electronic reporting program. 
As designed by the Gulf Council, with input from both the Southeast 
Regional Office and MRIP, all federally permitted for-hire vessels 
(charter vessels and headboats) will report at the end of each trip 
through NMFS approved software. This will avoid relying on surveys with 
different designs and potential issues with calibrations.
    Comment 3: It is not clear if MRIP will still collect data from 
non-federally permitted for-hire vessels, which operate solely in state 
waters, or how the Gulf for-hire reporting program will affect future 
funding for the MRIP survey.
    Response: MRIP will continue to survey state permitted vessels 
fishing exclusively in state waters. The Gulf for-hire reporting 
program is not anticipated to affect funding for MRIP.
    Comment 4: Explain how Gulf States' fisheries management agencies 
are going to be involved in the implementation and dock-side validation 
of the Gulf for-hire reporting program.
    Response: NMFS anticipates that Gulf States' fisheries management 
agencies will continue to operate as they currently do through the Gulf 
Fisheries Information Network (GulfFIN) in conjunction with MRIP. 
GulfFIN is a state-Federal cooperative program managed by the Gulf 
States Marine Fisheries Commission that collects, manages, and 
disseminates statistical data and information on the marine and 
estuarine commercial and recreational fisheries in the Gulf. All five 
Gulf States participate in GulfFIN, and NMFS staff is working with 
GulfFIN to incorporate the Gulf for-hire reporting program into their 
validation program. As additional funding for dock-side validation 
becomes available, staff with the Gulf for-hire reporting program will 
communicate with MRIP, GulfFIN, and the state agencies to develop any 
needed changes in methodology and staffing requirements.
    Comment 5: Explain how NMFS will validate the data collected from 
the Gulf for-hire reporting program. As of the proposed rule 
publication date, October 26, 2018, NMFS has not provided a cost 
estimate or their approach to ensure adequate dockside validation. 
Without dockside validation, there is a concern over the efficacy of 
this type of data collection program.
    Response: The Gulf Council chose to require a trip declaration and 
vessel location tracking device to validate effort (fishing trips). 
These requirements will allow NMFS to determine when a fishing trip was 
taken, and the length of that trip. The trip declaration will also 
allow port agents to know when and where a trip will end for further 
sampling. NMFS received funding to support port samplers, who will work 
with Gulf state fisheries management agencies to validate catch on for-
hire vessels.
    Comment 6: The Gulf and South Atlantic for-hire reporting programs 
should be effective starting on the same date to avoid confusion and 
promote compliance.
    Response: Currently, the South Atlantic for-hire reporting program 
will be effective on September 1, 2020, although NMFS is considering 
whether to delay that effective date to be consistent to the extent 
practicable with the effective date of this final rule. NMFS originally 
intended to have an effective date for the logbook and trip declaration 
requirements in this final rule consistent with the September 1, 2020, 
effective date for the South Atlantic for-hire reporting program. 
However, at its June 2020 meeting, the Gulf Council requested that NMFS 
delay the effective date of this rule to January 2021. NMFS agrees that 
it is appropriate to provide permit holders with additional time to 
comply with the requirements of this rule. Therefore, the effective 
date for the logbook and trip declaration requirements in this final 
rule is January 5, 2021, and the effective date for the additional 
requirements in this final rule, e.g., vessel location tracking 
devices, will be announced in a subsequent document published in the 
Federal Register.
    Comment 7: Based on a presentation to the Gulf Council in August 
2018, NMFS planned to publish the final rule before approval of the 
amendment, which creates the perception that public comments are a 
waste of stakeholder time.
    Response: NMFS did not plan to publish a final rule before approval 
of the Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment. The presentation referred to 
in the comment showed timelines for both the Gulf and South Atlantic 
for-hire reporting programs, and the comment confuses the dates for the 
two programs. The NOA for the Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment 
published in the Federal Register on June 21, 2018, with comments due 
on August 20, 2018 (83 FR 28797). NMFS considered these comments prior 
to approval of the Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment on September 19, 
2018. The proposed rule for the Gulf for-hire reporting program 
published in the Federal Register on October 26, 2018, with comments 
due by November 26, 2018 (83 FR 54069). The comment period was extended 
to January 9, 2019, to accommodate anyone effected by Hurricane Michael 
(83 FR 58522). In implementing this final rule, NMFS considered 
comments on both the NOA and the proposed rule and they are all 
addressed in this final rule.
    Comment 8: Permit holders with Federal for-hire permits in the Gulf 
who also possess Atlantic and Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Federal 
permits, and primarily or entirely fish in Atlantic waters should 
report based on requirements in the applicable Atlantic fishery, and 
not the requirements in the Gulf for-hire reporting program.
    Response: The Gulf Council decided to require an owner or operator 
of any vessel with a Federal Gulf charter vessel/headboat permit to 
comply with the requirements of the Gulf for-hire reporting program, 
regardless of where they are fishing, to have a comprehensive program 
for Gulf-permitted vessels and improve validation and enforcement. By

[[Page 44010]]

requiring that all Gulf for-hire vessels have location tracking, NMFS 
can validate a trip was taken and the location of trips, as well as 
ensure vessel owners and operators are reporting as required.
    To prevent duplicate reporting, for-hire owners or operators who 
are required to report under both the South Atlantic for-hire reporting 
program and the Gulf for-hire reporting program will be able to comply 
with the requirements of the South Atlantic program by reporting under 
the Gulf program, as the requirements of the Gulf for-hire reporting 
program are more stringent than the South Atlantic. The data required 
in the fishing report will be the same for the two systems, but the 
Gulf requires more frequent reporting, a trip declaration, and a 
location tracking device permanently attached to the vessel and on at 
all times.
    For-hire owners or operators who are required to report under an 
Atlantic HMS reporting program will have to report under that program 
and the Gulf for-hire reporting program. Owners or operators with both 
Gulf and HMS charter vessel/headboat permits can choose to report 
through a single reporting system that is approved for both programs, 
such as eTRIPS, but must report before off-loading fish. Depending on 
which reporting system is used, initially for-hire vessel owners or 
operators may have to submit multiple reports to satisfy both HMS and 
Gulf reporting requirements. However, reporting options should be 
available upon or shortly after implementation of this rule that allow 
both reporting requirements to be met with a single report.
    Comment 9: There should be an exemption from the Gulf for-hire 
reporting program requirements for federally permitted vessels that are 
not being used or only fish in state waters.
    Response: If a vessel is not being used but is still federally 
permitted, the owner or operator can submit a Power-down Exemption 
Request form to NMFS. If NMFS grants a power-down exemption, the owner 
or operator may turn-off the vessel location tracking device for the 
specified period. However, those vessels may not leave the dock while 
under the exemption. By tracking vessels, NMFS can validate a trip was 
taken and the location of trips, as well as ensure vessel owners and 
operators are reporting as required. Therefore, the Council determined, 
and NMFS agrees, that there should not be an exemption for federally 
permitted vessels that fish in state waters only.
    Comment 10: Headboats should be able to continue reporting to the 
SRHS.
    Response: NMFS agrees. Gulf for-hire vessel owners or operators who 
currently report to the SRHS will continue to report through the SRHS 
software, which will be approved for use in Gulf for-hire reporting 
program. However, as stated in the proposed rule, these owners or 
operators will now be required to report before off-loading fish, or 
within 30 minutes after the fishing trip has ended if no fish were 
harvested. These owners or operators will also be required to submit a 
trip declaration before departing for any trip and have a location 
tracking device permanently attached to the vessel and operational at 
all times, unless NMFS has approved a VMS power-down exemption. If a 
new vessel is selected to report to the SRHS, the owner or operator of 
that vessel will also use the approved SRHS software consistent with 
the requirements stated above. NMFS has added language in 50 CFR 
622.26(b)(1) and 622.374(b)(1)(i) to make this clear.
    Comment 11: It is unclear how the data collected through the Gulf 
for-hire reporting program will be incorporated into future stock 
assessments and how it will reduce uncertainty in fisheries management.
    Response: In the short term, the information reported through the 
Gulf for-hire reporting program will be used to validate minimum 
estimates of for-hire fishing effort. NMFS official estimates of catch 
and effort from the for-hire component will continue to come from MRIP 
until the Gulf for-hire reporting program is certified as statistically 
valid and a transition plan is prepared and executed. NMFS anticipates 
working with state and Federal partners to validate catch and effort, 
and design a statistically valid sampling regime in 2021. Also, the 
Gulf for-hire reporting program includes measures that are expected to 
help produce data robust enough to be certified through MRIP. These 
measures include the trip declaration prior to leaving port, and, and 
the submission of the electronic fishing report before catch is off-
loaded from a fishing vessel.
    When the Gulf for-hire reporting program replaces MRIP, NMFS 
expects the Gulf for-hire reporting program to make it easier to track 
landings in a timely manner and reduce uncertainty in the data because 
landings information would be collected from all federally permitted 
for-hire vessels rather than a subset of vessels. Once the Gulf for-
hire data have been collected and analyzed, NMFS will evaluate the 
information to determine its use in stock assessments.
    Comment 12: It is unclear how NMFS will protect data that are being 
reported, and prevent misuse by staff or public distribution.
    Response: NMFS will protect these data in accordance with 
applicable law. For example, under section 402(b)(1) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act, the data submitted to NMFS under the Gulf For-hire 
Reporting Amendment shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed, 
except under the limited circumstances specified in the Magnuson-
Stevens Act, such as to Council or Federal employees who are 
responsible for fishery management. As noted in 50 CFR 600.415(e), 
anyone ``having access to these data are prohibited from unauthorized 
use or disclosure and are subject to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. 1905, 
16 U.S.C. 1857, and NOAA/NMFS internal procedures, including NAO 216-
100.'' Additionally, all data reported through the Gulf for-hire 
reporting program will be collected through software that meets 
standards set out by NMFS, including data confidentiality and 
protection of personal information online, and will be treated as 
confidential in accordance with NOAA Administrative Order 216-100, 
Protection of Confidential Fisheries Statistics. The release of data in 
aggregate or summary form that does not directly or indirectly disclose 
the identity or business of any person who submits the information is 
authorized under section 402(b)(3) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
    Comment 13: Collecting discard data would be very cumbersome when 
there are multiple customers on the vessels.
    Response: NMFS acknowledges that implementation of this final rule 
will increase the time that Gulf for-hire vessel owners or operators 
spend reporting fishing activities. However, vessel owners or operators 
may choose to input catch and discard data in real-time instead of 
dockside to reduce potential recall issues. Accurate and reliable 
fisheries information about catch, effort, and discards is critical to 
population assessments and management actions.
    NMFS understands some for-hire vessel owners or operators will need 
to adjust their fishing practices to keep track of fish that are 
discarded during a busy fishing day. To assist these owners and 
operators, NMFS and the Gulf Council held outreach workshops to share 
tools that can help to ensure accurate reports are completed, and NMFS 
will continue with these outreach efforts.
    Comment 14: The existing state data collection programs are 
superior to the

[[Page 44011]]

new Gulf for-hire reporting program and better suited to the states' 
fishermen.
    Response: The state data collection programs provide each state 
with the data necessary to manage some state and Federal fisheries. 
However, the various state data collection programs are different from 
each other in numerous ways and some do not collect data on all 
federally managed species. The Gulf for-hire reporting program will be 
collecting more detailed data on catch, landings, and fishing effort 
for all federally managed species in a consistent format throughout the 
Gulf, and is designed to produce data that NMFS expects will be able to 
replace the estimates generated by MRIP.
    Comment 15: NMFS should not require reporting of economic 
information. Requiring operators to submit their financial information 
leads to a lack of buy-in and trust among participants. There are other 
methods to collect this information such as surveying websites, 
directly surveying permit holders, or simply asking the question on a 
random basis rather than for every trip.
    Response: NMFS disagrees that reporting economic information should 
not be required. With implementation of this final rule, NMFS will 
require the reporting of five economic values per trip: The charter 
fee, the fuel price and estimated amount of fuel used, number of paying 
passengers, and the number of crew for each trip. During the 
development of the Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment, NMFS and the Gulf 
Council discussed data elements to be reported through the Gulf for-
hire reporting program, including economic data. The collection of 
economic information will enhance the Gulf Council and NMFS' ability to 
monitor and assess the economic effects of fishing regulations and 
environmental factors. This information will improve the best 
scientific information available for regulatory decision-making; will 
increase the accuracy of economic impacts and value estimates specific 
to the for-hire industry; and will support further value-added research 
efforts and programs aimed at increasing net benefits to fishery 
stakeholders and the U.S. economy. Also, this information will help 
generate estimates of lost revenue when a disaster occurs (e.g., 
hurricane, oil spill). For example, information collected by the 
Individual Fishing Quota programs was instrumental during the 2010 
Deepwater Horizon MC 252 oil spill to account for lost revenue. 
Information reported by individuals and businesses will be kept 
confidential, as explained in the response to Comment 12.
    Economic information collected as part of the electronic logbooks 
will be superior, in terms of quality and usefulness, to information 
that can be obtained from websites or separate surveys. Data gathered 
from websites or separate surveys are frequently outdated, often suffer 
from small sample size issues, and are not linked to trip 
characteristics. By capturing the variation in these economic data 
across trips, NMFS can extract information about the value of 
individual trip characteristics (e.g., the marginal value per fish for 
a given species). Using available regional averages for fuel prices in 
particular would fail to capture differences in prices at a more 
localized level or by fuel grade.
    Comment 16: Daily or weekly reporting is frequent enough and trip-
level reporting is unnecessary for for-hire data collection. Reporting 
before fish are off-loaded or within 30 minutes after the trip has 
ended does not give Gulf for-hire vessel owners or operators enough 
time to complete their electronic reports and submit them. The time 
allowed for transmitting an electronic report should be longer.
    Response: NMFS disagrees that trip level reporting is unnecessary 
and that Gulf for-hire vessel owners or operators will not have enough 
time to complete and submit their reports. NMFS estimates that it will 
take about 10 minutes per trip to complete each report. NMFS expects 
that some of the approved software programs will allow some data to be 
stored or auto-populated to make it quicker and easier to input data. 
NMFS also notes that this final rule requires submission of an 
electronic fishing report within 30 minutes of completing each trip 
only if no fish are on board, in which case the report would be very 
short. If fish are on board, the report must be submitted any time 
before offloading the fish, but not within any specific time period.
    NMFS expects these reporting requirements to increase data 
accuracy, as well as provide more timely information of charter vessel 
activity. Reporting on a per trip basis is also expected to reduce 
recall bias. Additionally, NMFS expects this requirement to help 
improve validation because law enforcement and port agents will be 
provided the opportunity to inspect and verify landings after the 
reports are submitted. As explained in the response to Comment 11, more 
timely collection of harvest data will make it easier for NMFS to track 
landings and constrain harvests to the annual catch limits. Harvest 
overages have the potential to severely impact fish stocks, which may 
lead to lower catch rates and more stringent harvest limits in the 
future. In turn, this may reduce revenue and profits for fishing 
businesses, including industry support businesses, and diminish fishing 
opportunities for anglers and associated economic value.
    Comment 17: NMFS should notify a Gulf for-hire vessel owner or 
operator that their electronic fishing report was submitted 
successfully, or if deficiencies exist, how a fishing report can be 
corrected.
    Response: Software approved by NMFS will include an on-screen 
confirmation after a vessel operator submits a fishing report. Approved 
software will also send error messages to the on-screen display, noting 
any issues that need to be fixed before the report can be successfully 
transmitted. If NMFS determines that information is missing or 
incomplete after an electronic fishing report is transmitted 
successfully, NMFS will contact the for-hire vessel owner or operator 
for additions or corrections to the report.
    Comment 18: There are concerns about the ability to change the 
estimated time of arrival given during the trip declaration and what 
the consequences will be if the landing time later changes, e.g., due 
to an unexpected or emergency situation.
    Response: Modifications to the trip declaration will be possible on 
vessels with satellite-based VMS units. However, there is no 
requirement for a federally permitted Gulf for-hire vessel to arrive 
within a certain period around the time estimated at the beginning of 
the trip. Under any emergency condition, NMFS encourages the vessel 
operator to return to port without delay.
    Comment 19: Describe what recourse NMFS can take against a Gulf 
for-hire vessel owner or operator who fails to submit a trip 
declaration form before the beginning of a trip.
    Response: If a Gulf for-hire vessel owner or operator does not 
submit the trip declaration as required by this final rule, NMFS OLE 
and the NOAA Office of General Counsel will determine the appropriate 
action consistent with the 2019 Policy for the Assessment of Civil 
Administrative Penalties and Permit Sanctions. Additional information 
on the 2019 Policy can be found at https://www.gc.noaa.gov/enforce-office3.html.
    Comment 20: The increased number of trip declarations and post-trip 
reports that law enforcement officers will receive causes concern. The 
Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment should be submitted to the Gulf 
Council's Law Enforcement Technical Committee for their review and 
input prior to implementation.

[[Page 44012]]

    Response: The Law Enforcement Technical Committee (Committee) 
reviewed the Gulf For-hire Reporting Amendment that described the Gulf 
for-hire reporting program at its October 2016 meeting. During that 
meeting, the Committee discussed the action in the Gulf For-hire 
Reporting Amendment that would require charter vessels and headboats to 
notify NMFS before starting a trip (trip declaration) and to notify 
NMFS before completing a trip. The Committee did not express any 
concerns about the trip declaration. However, the Committee did not 
think notifying NMFS before completing a trip would improve enforcement 
because many for-hire vessels depart and return at known locations on a 
schedule known to law enforcement officers, and officers currently 
engage for-hire vessels while they are at-sea. NMFS notes that the 
Council decided not to require a notification before completing a trip.
    Comment 21: There should be a backup reporting option that allows a 
Gulf for-hire vessel owner or operator to call in a logbook report or 
trip declaration, or fill out a paper logbook in case the electronic 
device is not online or working properly. There should also be a method 
to exempt a Gulf for-hire vessel owner or operator from the requirement 
to have a functioning VMS unit if the unit stops functioning.
    Response: NMFS disagrees that there should be a paper or telephone 
reporting option, except when there are catastrophic conditions, as 
discussed below. Electronic-based fishery reporting programs have been 
developed and used successfully in the NMFS Southeast Region and in 
other regions. NMFS also encourages for-hire permit holders to consider 
having appropriate backups for equipment.
    Further, there are a number of ways that both the trip declaration 
and logbook can be submitted electronically. The trip declaration can 
be submitted via an internet browser on a computer or tablet, through a 
mobile application, or through some VMS units before leaving the dock. 
Some VMS units may also allow for the submission of fishing reports. 
Fishing reports may also be submitted via a mobile application or 
internet browser, for example, by using a tablet or calling information 
in to someone at the business's office who would then submit the 
logbook via a personal computer. Thus, a number of electronic options 
are available if one does not work.
    If a vessel's location tracking system is not functioning, the 
vessel operator will need to contact the hardware vendor to see if the 
situation can be repaired. If the problem is not remedied, the vessel 
cannot leave the dock and the operator will need to notify NMFS of the 
situation. If a fishing trip is underway when the location tracking 
system ceases functioning, the owner or operator must immediately 
contact NMFS and follow NMFS' instructions. Such instructions may 
include, but are not limited to, manually communicating the vessel's 
positions to a location designated by NMFS, or returning to port until 
the GPS or VMS is operable. The operator may submit a VMS power-down 
exemption request to NMFS to provide time needed for equipment repair.
    An option for paper-based reporting is only available under 
catastrophic conditions as determined by the NMFS Regional 
Administrator, such as after a hurricane. If the NMFS Regional 
Administrator determines that catastrophic conditions exist, NMFS would 
announce that to the fleet, and then may accept paper reporting forms, 
and can modify or waive reporting requirements.
    Comment 22: Requiring a location tracking system is unnecessary to 
provide validation of a vessel trip. The same validation of a vessel 
trip can be provided using a pre- and post-trip notification 
requirement because for-hire vessels only rarely deviate from a fixed 
operating schedule.
    Response: The Gulf Council determined, and NMFS agrees, that 
requiring each Gulf for-hire vessel be equipped, at a minimum, with 
archivable vessel location tracking (cellular VMS) best balances the 
need to collect and report timely information with the need to minimize 
the cost and time burden to the industry. The vessel location tracking 
system is an additional mechanism that verifies vessel activity without 
a report having to be completed by the vessel operators. The vessel 
location tracking system will allow NMFS to independently determine 
whether the vessel leaves the dock. This will help validate effort and 
aid with enforcement of the reporting requirements.
    Comment 23: Commenters expressed several concerns regarding the 
functioning of the location tracking devices, stating: (1) The location 
tracking system could fail and the vessel would not be able to go 
fishing or have to return to port, which could cause significant 
economic and social harm; (2) it is not clear what a vessel owner or 
operator should do if GPS signal fails during a trip and does not 
record the position of the vessel; (3) the GPS unit may not function 
while being stored under roofs, awnings, or in enclosed buildings; and 
(4) having the GPS unit on all the time could drain the vessel's 
battery.
    Response: (1) NMFS acknowledges that for-hire businesses may incur 
financial losses if the location tracking system fails and results in 
the cancellation of for-hire trips. Therefore, NMFS encourages Gulf 
for-hire permit holders to consider having an appropriate backup as for 
other necessary equipment. An outright cancellation would result in an 
average loss of approximately $648 in net operating revenue (NOR) (2 
percent of estimated average annual net income), based on NMFS' 
estimate that charter vessels earn approximately $162 (2018 dollars) 
NOR per angler per trip and assumes an average of four anglers per 
trip. For headboats, NMFS estimates that a cancellation would result in 
an average loss of approximately $1,749 in NOR (2 percent of estimated 
average annual net income), based on estimated earnings of 
approximately $53 (2018 dollars) in NOR per angler per trip, and 
assuming an average of 33 anglers per trip. These values are rough 
estimates only. Individual for-hire businesses may earn more or less 
per trip depending on the prices they charge, variable trip costs, and 
their number of paying passengers. Additionally, some for-hire vessels 
may take multiple trips in any given day, increasing the potential cost 
of system malfunctions. Unexpected cancellations or early termination 
of trips may negatively affect customer satisfaction and future booking 
rates for the affected for-hire businesses, leading to an additional 
loss in economic value. It is difficult to estimate the failure rate of 
the location tracking devices or resultant economic effects with 
available data. However, the failure rate of satellite VMS units in the 
commercial reef fish fishery is estimated to be less than one percent 
of commercial trips.
    (2) If the GPS or VMS unit fails during a trip, the owner or 
operator must immediately contact NMFS and follow NMFS' instructions. 
Such instructions may include, but are not limited to, manually 
communicating the vessel's positions to a location designated by NMFS, 
or returning to port until the GPS or VMS is operable. NMFS will also 
provide instructions on how to make any necessary correction to the 
data for that trip.
    (3) NMFS agrees that satellite-based VMS units may be disrupted by 
structures but is testing the ability of a number of cellular-based VMS 
units to transmit under different conditions. In general, these 
cellular-based VMS units will work anywhere a cellular phone would 
work, including in buildings.

[[Page 44013]]

NMFS encourages permit holders to choose the appropriate device for 
their situation.
    (4) NMFS does not expect that a continually operating VMS unit will 
drain the vessel's battery. VMS units have been required for vessels 
with Federal commercial permits for Gulf reef fish since 2006. Some of 
those vessels are relatively small and have not reported any problems 
with batteries draining due to the VMS units being on all the time. The 
VMS units vary in amperage draw, but the units generally draw less than 
1,000 milliamperes while active. NMFS may approve solar-powered 
cellular VMS units that can store power lasting for 1 to 2 weeks. 
Furthermore, some units may allow a Gulf for-hire vessel owner or 
operator to use a 4-hour position reporting option when in-port, which 
would further reduce battery usage.
    Comment 24: Explain the costs and monthly fees for the location 
tracking devices.
    Response: NMFS is currently testing six cellular-based units that 
range in purchase price from $150 to $800. The monthly service fee for 
these units range from $10 to $40 per month. The unit vendor determines 
these costs. The NMFS VMS re-imbursement program is available to 
fishermen for the purchase of approved satellite-based VMS units, and 
NMFS OLE is undergoing rulemaking that would also make reimbursement 
available for cellular-based VMS units. Satellite-based VMS that are 
currently approved for the commercial Gulf reef fish program cost 
approximately $3,000 per unit. Monthly service fees, which NMFS expects 
to range from approximately $40 to $75, will be the responsibility of 
the fisherman.
    Comment 25: The monthly service fee for VMS units will be too high. 
A 2012 study from Louisiana State University found that smaller 
operators owe substantial sums on the loans on their vessels. Not only 
does the owner or operator's net income need to be considered but also 
their cash flow. These operators cannot afford to decrease their net 
incomes or cash flow for the sake of gathering information. The 
logistical and financial burden that the regulations would put on 
vessel owners is concerning.
    Response: NMFS understands there will be additional costs to vessel 
operators to pay for data collection. NMFS also acknowledges that 
charter and headboat businesses may have substantial loan payments and 
other operating costs, such as insurance, overhead, maintenance, and 
trip costs (e.g., fuel, labor, supplies, etc.), that affect both their 
net income and cash flow. NMFS cannot reference the study to which the 
commenter referred to, because no additional detail about the study or 
source was provided. According to the best scientific information 
available, which includes a 2012 study published by the Center for 
Natural Resource Economics and Policy, Louisiana State University, 
average monthly cash outflows (fixed and variable costs) for charter 
and headboat businesses are estimated to be approximately $5,171 (2018 
dollars) and $15,758, respectively. In comparison to existing costs, 
NMFS believes the ongoing monthly fee (estimated at $10 to $40 per 
month) would not materially alter cash flows, profits, or the solvency 
of for-hire businesses.
    NMFS expects that reporting on a trip level basis before off-
loading fish will result in more effective and timely management, which 
is a potential benefit that will outweigh the costs that would be 
incurred by the industry and NMFS.
    Comment 26: Installing a vessel location tracking system and an 
electronic reporting device on smaller vessels may be impractical or 
unfeasible.
    Response: The results of pilot testing of VMS units on charter 
vessels as small as 30 feet in length indicate that the units and 
antennae can be placed successfully. Also, VMS units have been required 
for vessels with Federal commercial permits for Gulf reef fish since 
2006. Some of those Gulf reef fish vessels are relatively small and 
fishermen have not found the systems to be impractical or unfeasible.

Classification

    The Regional Administrator for the NMFS Southeast Region has 
determined that this final rule is consistent with the Gulf For-hire 
Reporting Amendment, the respective FMPs, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and 
other applicable laws.
    This final rule has been determined to be not significant for 
purposes of Executive Order 12866.
    The Magnuson-Stevens Act provides the statutory basis for this 
final rule. No duplicative, overlapping, or conflicting Federal rules 
have been identified. A description of this final rule, why it is being 
implemented, and the purpose of this final rule are contained in the 
SUMMARY and SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION sections of this preamble.
    In compliance with section 604 of the RFA, NMFS prepared a final 
regulatory flexibility analysis (FRFA) for this final rule. The FRFA 
follows.
    Public comments relating to socio-economic implications and 
potential impacts on small businesses are addressed in the responses to 
Comments 15, 16, and 23 through 25 in the Comments and Responses 
section of this final rule. No changes to this final rule were made in 
response to these public comments. No comments were received from the 
Office of Advocacy for the Small Business Administration (SBA).
    NMFS agrees that the Gulf Council's choice of preferred 
alternatives will best achieve its objectives for the Gulf For-hire 
Reporting Amendment while minimizing, to the extent practicable, the 
adverse effects on fishermen, support industries, and associated 
communities.
    NMFS expects this final rule to directly affect all vessels with a 
Federal charter vessel/headboat permit for Gulf reef fish or Gulf CMP 
species. The analysis presented in this final rule has been updated to 
incorporate new data and information that became available after the 
proposed rule published. In 2018, there were 1,368 vessels with at 
least one valid (non-expired) or renewable Federal charter vessel/
headboat permit for Gulf reef fish or Gulf CMP species, including 
historical captain permits. These Gulf charter vessel/headboat permits 
are limited access permits. More than one type of Federal charter 
vessel/headboat permit has been issued to most for-hire vessels. Among 
the 1,368 vessels with at least one Gulf charter vessel/headboat 
permit, 1,260 for-hire vessels had Federal permits for both Gulf reef 
fish and Gulf CMP species, 49 had only a Gulf reef fish permit, and 59 
had only a Gulf CMP permit. Additionally, 172 of these vessels had a 
Gulf commercial reef fish permit. Finally, 365 of the vessels with at 
least one Gulf charter vessel/headboat permit had at least one charter 
vessel/headboat permit for Atlantic CMP species, Atlantic dolphin and 
wahoo, or South Atlantic snapper-grouper species.
    Although the application for a charter vessel/headboat permit for 
Gulf reef fish or Gulf CMP species collects information on the primary 
method of operation, the permit itself does not identify the permitted 
vessel as either a charter vessel or a headboat, and vessels may 
operate in both capacities on different trips. However, if a for-hire 
vessel meets the selection criteria used by the SRHS and is selected to 
report by the Science and Research Director (SRD) of the NMFS SEFSC, it 
is considered to operate primarily as a headboat and is required to 
submit catch and effort information to the SRHS. As of June 2018, there 
were 70 Gulf headboats that participate in the SRHS. As a result, the 
estimated 1,368 for-hire vessels that will be affected by this final 
rule are

[[Page 44014]]

expected to consist of approximately 1,298 charter vessels and 70 
headboats. The average charter vessel operating in the Gulf is 
estimated to receive approximately $88,000 (2018 dollars) in gross 
revenue and $26,000 in net income (gross revenue minus variable and 
fixed costs) annually. The average headboat is estimated to receive 
approximately $267,000 (2018 dollars) in gross revenue and $78,000 in 
net income annually.
    On July 18, 2019, the SBA issued an interim final rule (84 FR 
34261) effective August 19, 2019, that adjusted the monetary-based 
industry size standards (i.e., receipts- and assets-based) for 
inflation for many industries. For fisheries for-hire businesses and 
marinas, the interim final rule changes the small business size 
standard from $7.5 million in annual gross receipts to $8 million. See 
84 FR at 34273 (adjusting NAICS 487210 (Scenic and Sightseeing 
Transportation, Water) and 713930 (Marinas)).
    Pursuant to the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and prior to SBA's July 
18, 2019, interim final rule, an initial regulatory flexibility 
analysis was developed for this action using SBA's former size 
standards. NMFS has reviewed the analyses prepared for this action in 
light of the new size standards. Under the former SBA size standards, 
all entities subject to this action were considered small entities, and 
they all would continue to be considered small under the new standards. 
NMFS has determined that the new size standards do not affect analyses 
prepared for this action.
    This final rule requires a Gulf federally permitted for-hire vessel 
owner or operator to submit an electronic fishing report to NMFS for 
each trip via NMFS-approved hardware and software, prior to offloading 
fish from the vessel. NMFS does not expect the submission of an 
electronic fishing report to require special professional skills. The 
use of computers, the internet, smartphones, or other forms of 
electronic connections and communication is commonplace in the business 
environment. All headboat operators have been required to submit 
electronic fishing reports since January 2014 and are expected to be 
proficient with electronic reporting. As a result, NMFS expects that 
all affected headboat businesses have existing staff with the 
appropriate skills and experience needed to comply with this final 
rule. However, charter vessel operators have not been subject to 
mandatory electronic reporting of fishing activity and, therefore, may 
lack experience reporting such, beyond the collection and compilation 
of similar information for their own business management purposes. As a 
result, although NMFS does not expect the information required to be 
reported to be complex or substantially beyond that necessary to meet 
the record-keeping needs of normal fishing business operational 
purposes, these operators may need some time to become proficient in 
the reporting requirements. The hiring of new employees with 
specialized skills, however, should not be necessary.
    While no conflicting Federal rules have been identified, an 
estimated 365 vessels have Federal permits to harvest species managed 
by both the Gulf Council and the South Atlantic Council. Among these 
365 vessels, up to 70 may primarily operate as headboats in the Gulf. 
NMFS has published a final rule to require electronic reporting for 
owners and operators of federally permitted charter vessels in the 
South Atlantic and modify the reporting deadline for owners and 
operators of headboats (85 FR 10331, February 24, 2020. To reduce 
redundant reporting, the South Atlantic Council will accept, as 
fulfillment of the requirements of its for-hire reporting program, 
reports submitted under other programs, if the reporting requirements 
in those other programs are more stringent than those of the South 
Atlantic for-hire reporting program and meet the core data elements 
identified by the South Atlantic Council. Because NMFS expects the 
reporting requirements under this final rule to meet these criteria, an 
owner or operator of a for-hire vessel that has both Gulf and South 
Atlantic charter vessel/headboat permits and that is required to submit 
electronic reports under this final rule will not be required to also 
report under the South Atlantic Council's for-hire reporting program. 
However, Gulf for-hire vessel owners or operators may also possess one 
or more Federal for-hire permits to harvest species managed by NMFS or 
other regional fishery management councils. It is unknown how many 
vessels currently fit this description. However, the number is expected 
to be small. The owner or operator of a Gulf for-hire vessel with 
Federal for-hire permits in other regions will also have to comply with 
any applicable reporting requirements under those permits.
    NMFS expects this final rule will directly affect an estimated 
1,368 Gulf for-hire vessel owners or operators. Because all entities 
expected to be affected by this final rule are small entities, NMFS has 
determined that this final rule will affect a substantial number of 
small entities. Moreover, the issue of disproportionate effects on 
small versus large entities does not arise in the present case.
    This final rule will require a Gulf federally permitted for-hire 
vessel owner or operator to submit a fishing report to NMFS for each 
trip via electronic reporting. These submissions will need to be made 
prior to offloading fish using NMFS-approved hardware and software. If 
no fish are retained on a for-hire trip, the fishing report will have 
to be submitted within 30 minutes of arriving at the dock, following 
the conclusion of the trip. Because the majority of charter and 
headboat trips are half-day trips, this final rule may require multiple 
submissions in a single day. Submission of an electronic report is 
estimated to take approximately 10 minutes per trip, which is 
approximately equivalent to the time burden of the current headboat 
reporting requirements. However, this final rule provides less 
flexibility to headboat owners and operators in terms of how and when 
to allocate labor resources for reporting. NMFS expects that the time 
and labor associated with filing these fishing reports will be borne by 
existing vessel personnel and will not represent the need for 
additional staff. However, it may require that vessel personnel, as 
opposed to onshore support staff, complete the fishing reports. There 
is an opportunity cost associated with redirecting effort from normal 
trip operations to the fishing report submission process. Fishing 
reports could be completed during transit back to port or within normal 
business activities, once the vessel is tied up to the dock. NMFS 
expects each business to adopt the strategy most efficient to its 
staffing and operational characteristics, thus minimizing any resultant 
implicit or explicit costs. These costs cannot be estimated with 
available data.
    Because electronic reporting has been a requirement for headboat 
owners and operators for the past 6 years, the labor and costs 
associated with reporting have been internalized within each headboat 
business. For charter vessel owners, if treated as a new and distinct 
explicit labor cost, the annual reporting burden is estimated to cost 
approximately $340,000 to $1.14 million (2018 dollars) in total, or 
$262 to $878 per charter vessel on average. These cost estimates have 
been updated since the proposed rule published to correct for an 
inadvertent computational error and to reflect more recent permit 
counts. The new values do not alter any of NMFS' previous conclusions 
contained in the proposed rule. These are upper bound cost estimates 
and are equivalent to 1 percent or less of average annual charter

[[Page 44015]]

vessel gross revenue, but up to 3.4 percent of average annual charter 
vessel net income. However, as previously stated, the reporting burden 
will likely be absorbed by existing vessel personnel, and therefore, 
labor costs will likely be less. Some of the effort to complete the 
fishing reports may be redirected from current operational activities, 
such as normal trip record-keeping that a vessel completes for standard 
business purposes. The information that is required under electronic 
reporting will be accessible to the reporting vessel. Therefore, in 
addition to satisfying reporting obligations, it may also support 
business operations. In effect, the for-hire reporting program may 
serve as the record repository for this component of a vessel owner or 
operator's business records. In addition to the need to maintain 
records on the number of trips and passengers a vessel takes, the 
services for-hire vessels sell require reasonable levels of fishing 
success. Thus, records of what species a vessel catches, where they are 
caught, the time of the year they are caught, and how these change over 
time are vital to managing a successful business. As a result, the 
information that is required under the Gulf for-hire reporting program 
should be substantially duplicative of information already recorded by 
these businesses and should augment their ability to monitor and adjust 
their fishing practices, supporting more successful operations.
    Additionally, this final rule requires that, prior to departing for 
any trip, a Gulf for-hire vessel owner or operator notify NMFS, report 
the vessel identification number, and declare the type of trip (e.g., 
for-hire or other trip). When departing on a for-hire trip they will 
also need to report the expected return time, date, and landing 
location. Trip declarations may be submitted using the same NMFS-
approved hardware and software that is required for submitting fishing 
reports. Although the trip declaration requirement represents an 
additional time burden on for-hire vessel operators, the opportunity 
cost of complying with such is expected to be low, because of the 
limited amount of information that needs to be submitted to NMFS. NMFS 
estimates that a trip declaration will require 2 minutes to complete.
    Finally, this final rule will require affected vessel owners or 
operators to use NMFS-approved hardware and software with GPS location 
capabilities that, at a minimum, archive vessel position data during a 
trip for subsequent transmission to NMFS. NMFS estimates the time 
burden to submit a trip report at 10 minutes per trip. However, 
transmission of vessel positions will be automatic and not require any 
additional time burden by the vessel operator. The cellular or 
satellite VMS will need to be permanently affixed to the vessel and 
have uninterrupted power, unless the owner or operator applies for and 
is granted an exemption to power-down a cellular or satellite VMS unit.
    In addition to the total burden on vessel operators' time, 
estimated at up to 12 minutes per trip, as discussed earlier, examples 
of costs borne by the for-hire fleet may include the purchase and 
installation costs of the approved hardware units and associated 
service charges. In the proposed rule, NMFS presented cost estimates to 
the for-hire industry for several general options including a tablet-
based system, a handheld GPS, and a smartphone-based system, where the 
smartphone is hardwired to a vessel's GPS. These cost estimates have 
been updated since the proposed rule published and are now based on 
vendor quotes for six different cellular-based location tracking 
devices selected for testing by NMFS. If a vessel does not already have 
an approved type of hardware (e.g., an approved VMS unit), the 
estimated startup costs for each affected vessel will range from $150 
to $800 in the year of implementation. At the top end of this range, 
these costs are equivalent to 1 percent of average annual headboat net 
income and 3.1 percent of average annual charter vessel net income. The 
recurring monthly cost per vessel to use the location tracking device 
is estimated to be $10 to $40. On an annual basis, these reoccurring 
charges will be equivalent to up to 0.6 percent of average annual 
headboat net income and 1.8 percent of average annual charter vessel 
net income. Some of the cellular-based location tracking devices will 
allow users to enter and transmit electronic fishing reports in 
addition to recording and transmitting GPS coordinates. Other devices 
will only be capable of recording and transmitting GPS coordinates. 
Therefore, depending on the location tracking device selected for use, 
a separate mobile device, such as a smartphone, and wireless service 
plan may be required to submit fishing reports. Some vessel owners and 
operators may be more or less affected than others by this final rule 
depending on their existing technology assets and data service plans at 
the time of implementation, the location tracking device that they 
select, and the availability of wireless service coverage at their port 
of landing. For the affected vessels that currently do not have any 
wireless carrier contract and who select a location tracking device 
that does not support fishing report submission, the estimated 
additional cost for an unlimited data plan will range from 
approximately $60 to $85 per month. This is an upper bound estimate 
based on advertised rates from four major wireless service providers in 
2019 and cheaper plans may be available. A basic smartphone may be 
purchased for as low as $100 and some providers bundle free phones with 
their service plans. NMFS assumes that most owners or operators of for-
hire vessels already have a basic smartphone and data plan in order to 
meet the needs of their businesses. NMFS also assumes that owners and 
operators of for-hire vessels will choose a combination of technology 
that best satisfies their profit maximization strategies, while meeting 
the requirements of this final rule.
    The following discussion describes the alternatives that were not 
selected as preferred by the Gulf Council.
    Four alternatives were considered for the action to modify the 
frequency and mechanism of data reporting for charter vessels. The 
first alternative, the no-action alternative, would retain current 
reporting requirements for federally permitted charter vessels. This 
would not be expected to alter for-hire business costs relative to the 
status quo, so no direct economic effects to small entities would be 
expected to occur. This alternative was not selected by the Gulf 
Council because it would forgo important biological, economic, and 
social benefits from improved management as afforded by more timely and 
accurate estimates of effort, landings, and discards.
    The second alternative would require the owner or operator of a 
federally permitted charter vessel to submit fishing reports to the SRD 
weekly, or at intervals shorter than a week if notified by the SRD, via 
electronic reporting using NMFS-approved hardware and software. Under 
this alternative, reports would need to be filed by Tuesday following 
each reporting week. Although this alternative could result in 
additional implicit or explicit costs to affected vessels relative to 
the status quo, it would be less burdensome than this final rule, 
because charter vessels would have a longer period of time to report 
and more flexibility in terms of when and how to report. This 
alternative would be less likely than the preferred alternative to 
interfere with normal operations during charter trips and would allow 
for onshore support staff assistance, as well potentially cheaper data 
transmission methods (e.g.,

[[Page 44016]]

via a personal computer or laptop connected to the internet). This 
alternative was not selected by the Gulf Council because it would 
result in less timely data, as well as potentially less accurate data, 
due to a lack of dockside validation and greater potential for recall 
bias.
    The third alternative would require the owner or operator of a 
federally permitted charter vessel to submit fishing reports to the SRD 
daily via electronic reporting using NMFS-approved hardware and 
software. Under this alternative, reports would need to be filed by 
noon (local time) of the following day. The costs of this alternative 
to affected small entities, in terms of magnitude, would likely fall 
between those of the second alternative and those of this final rule. 
There would be less flexibility than under the second alternative in 
terms of when reports are filed. However, it would still be possible to 
utilize onshore support staff and technology resources to meet the 
requirements. Even though the data would be timelier under daily 
reporting than weekly reporting, and recall bias would likely be 
reduced, the Gulf Council did not select this alternative because the 
lack of dockside validation would still be a major drawback in ensuring 
high quality and accurate data.
    Four alternatives were considered for the action to modify the 
frequency and mechanism of data reporting for headboats. The first 
alternative, the no-action alternative, would retain current reporting 
requirements for federally permitted headboats. This would not be 
expected to alter for-hire business costs relative to the status quo, 
so no direct economic effects to small entities would be expected to 
occur. This alternative was not selected by the Gulf Council because it 
would forgo important biological, economic, and social benefits from 
improved management as afforded by more timely and accurate estimates 
of effort, landings, and discards.
    The second alternative would require the owner or operator of a 
federally permitted headboat to submit fishing reports to the SRD 
weekly, or at intervals shorter than a week if notified by the SRD, via 
electronic reporting using NMFS-approved hardware and software. Under 
this alternative, reports would need to be filed by Tuesday following 
each reporting week, which is 5 days sooner than under the status quo. 
Although this alternative could result in additional implicit or 
explicit costs to affected vessels relative to the status quo, it would 
be less burdensome than this final rule, because headboats would have a 
longer period of time to report and more flexibility in terms of when 
and how to report. This alternative would be less likely than the 
preferred alternative to interfere with normal operations during 
headboat trips and would allow for onshore support staff assistance, as 
well potentially cheaper data transmission methods (e.g., via a 
personal computer or laptop connected to the internet). This 
alternative was not selected by the Council because it would result in 
less timely data, as well as potentially less accurate data, due to a 
lack of dockside validation and greater potential for recall bias.
    The third alternative would require the owner or operator of a 
federally permitted headboat to submit fishing reports to the SRD daily 
via electronic reporting using NMFS-approved hardware and software. 
Under this alternative, reports would need to be filed by noon (local 
time) of the following day. The costs of this alternative to affected 
small entities, in terms of magnitude, would likely fall between those 
of the second alternative and those of this final rule. There would be 
less flexibility than under the second alternative in terms of when 
reports are filed. However, it would still be possible to utilize 
onshore support staff and technology resources to meet the 
requirements. Even though the data would be timelier under daily 
reporting than weekly reporting and recall bias would likely be lower, 
the Council did not select this alternative because the lack of 
dockside validation would still be a major drawback in ensuring high 
quality and accurate data.
    Three alternatives were considered for the action to implement trip 
declaration requirements for federally permitted charter vessels and 
headboats. The first alternative, the no-action alternative, would 
maintain current reporting requirements for for-hire vessels and would 
not require trip declarations or landing notifications. Therefore, it 
would not be expected to result in any direct economic effects on any 
small entities. The Gulf Council did not select the first alternative 
because it would not satisfy the data needs required for dockside 
validation and would not aid in enforcement. The second alternative and 
two options were selected as preferred, and require that both federally 
permitted charter vessels and headboats submit trip declarations to 
NMFS prior to departing on any trip. The third alternative would 
require the owner or operator of a federally permitted charter vessel 
or headboat to provide a landing notification and submit fishing 
reports via NMFS-approved hardware and software, prior to arriving at 
the dock at the end of each for-hire trip. The third alternative 
contained two options. The first and second options would require 
federally permitted charter vessels and headboats, respectively, to 
comply with the landing notification requirement. The Gulf Council did 
not select the third alternative because requiring vessels to provide a 
landing notification and submit fishing reports prior to arriving at 
the dock is not necessary with the preferred reporting alternatives, 
which require fishing reports be submitted at the end of each trip.
    Four alternatives were considered for the action to implement 
hardware and software requirements for reporting. The first 
alternative, the no-action alternative, would not change current 
reporting requirements for for-hire vessels. Therefore, it would not be 
expected to result in any direct economic effects on any small 
entities. This alternative was not selected by the Gulf Council because 
there is currently no reporting platform for charter vessels, and 
therefore, no means by which charter vessels would be able to submit 
electronic reports. Additionally, this alternative would not allow for 
the same level of trip validation, because it would not require GPS 
unit hardware to be permanently affixed to the vessel.
    The second alternative and two options were selected as preferred 
and require charter vessel and headboat owners or operators to submit 
fishing reports via NMFS-approved hardware and software. Under this 
preferred alternative and options, a for-hire vessel owner or operator 
is also required to use NMFS-approved hardware and software with GPS 
location capabilities that, at a minimum, archive vessel position data 
during a trip. The cellular or satellite VMS needs to be permanently 
affixed to the vessel.
    The third alternative would require for-hire vessel owners or 
operators to submit fishing reports via NMFS-approved hardware and 
software with GPS location capabilities that, at a minimum, provide 
real-time vessel position data to NMFS. The cellular or satellite VMS 
would need to be permanently affixed to the vessel. The third 
alternative contained two options. The first and second options would 
require federally permitted charter vessels and headboats, 
respectively, to comply with the hardware and software requirements of 
the third alternative. The startup costs, as presented in the proposed 
rule, for each affected for-hire vessel under the third alternative and 
two options were estimated to be approximately $300 in the year of 
implementation. The recurring annual service cost associated with the 
transmission of real-time location data

[[Page 44017]]

in subsequent years was estimated to be approximately $200 per vessel. 
Since the proposed rule published, NMFS has received several vendor 
price quotes and has updated the technology cost estimates associated 
with this final rule. Therefore, NMFS cannot make a direct comparison 
with the hypothetical cost estimates of this alternative. In the 
proposed rule, the recurring costs for this alternative were estimated 
to be higher than for the preferred alternative. If comparable cost 
estimates were available, NMFS assumes the third alternative, which 
would require real-time transmission of GPS location coordinates 
(satellite VMS), would still be more expensive than the archival GPS 
units (cellular VMS) allowed by this final rule. As discussed earlier, 
depending on the device that is used for location tracking, a separate 
mobile device, such as a smartphone, and wireless service plan would 
potentially be required to submit electronic fishing reports as well. 
This could result in an additional expense in the range of $60 to $85 
per month. The third alternative was not selected by the Gulf Council 
because it was expected to result in higher costs to industry.
    The fourth alternative would require for-hire vessel owners or 
operators to submit fishing reports via NMFS-approved hardware and 
software that provide real-time vessel position data to NMFS via 
satellite VMS. The antenna and junction box would need to be 
permanently affixed to the vessel. The fourth alternative contained two 
options. The first and second options would require federally permitted 
charter vessels and headboats, respectively, to comply with the 
hardware and software requirements of the fourth alternative. The 
estimated startup costs for each affected vessel to purchase, install, 
and operate a satellite VMS unit would range from $2,500 to $4,400 in 
the year of implementation. This would be equivalent to approximately 
10 to 17 percent of average annual charter vessel net income and 3 to 6 
percent of average annual headboat net income. The recurring annual 
cost associated with maintaining and operating satellite VMS hardware 
and software in subsequent years was estimated to be approximately $750 
per vessel. The fourth alternative was not selected by the Council, 
because the estimated startup and recurring costs to the industry were 
much higher than those of the preferred alternative.
    Section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness 
Act of 1996 states that, for each rule or group of related rules for 
which an agency is required to prepare a FRFA, the agency shall publish 
one or more guides to assist small entities in complying with the rule, 
and shall designate such publications as `small entity compliance 
guides'. The agency shall explain the actions a small entity is 
required to take to comply with a rule or group of rules. As part of 
this rulemaking process, NMFS prepared a fishery bulletin, which also 
serves as a small entity compliance guide. The fishery bulletin will be 
sent to all interested parties.
    This final rule contains collection-of-information requirements 
that have been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), temporary Control 
Number 0648-0770. NMFS will merge the collection-of-information 
requirement implemented by this final rule with the existing, approved 
information collection under OMB Control Number 0648-0016, Southeast 
Region Logbook Family of Forms. This final rule requires owners or 
operators of vessels with Federal charter vessel/headboat permits for 
Gulf reef fish or Gulf CMP species, and when operating as such, to 
submit an electronic fishing report to NMFS for each trip via NMFS-
approved hardware and software, prior to offloading fish from the 
vessel. Public reporting burden for these requirements are estimated to 
average 2 minutes to complete the trip declaration and 10 minutes per 
fishing report. NMFS estimates a VMS power-down exemption request will 
require an average of 5 minutes to complete per occurrence. These 
estimates include the time for reviewing instructions, searching 
existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the necessary data, 
and compiling, reviewing, and submitting the information to be 
collected.
    Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is 
required to respond to, and no person will be subject to penalty for 
failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the 
requirements of the PRA, unless that collection of information displays 
a currently valid OMB control number. All currently approved 
collections of information may be viewed at https://www.cio.noaa.gov/services_programs/prasubs.html.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 622

    Atlantic, Charter vessel, Cobia, Fisheries, Fishing, Gulf of 
Mexico, Headboat, King mackerel, Recordkeeping and reporting, Reef 
fish, South Atlantic, Spanish mackerel, Vessel monitoring systems.

    Dated: July 10, 2020.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR part 622 is amended 
as follows:

PART 622--FISHERIES OF THE CARIBBEAN, GULF OF MEXICO, AND SOUTH 
ATLANTIC

0
1. The authority citation for part 622 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.


0
2. In Sec.  622.20, revise paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(A)(2) to read as 
follows:


Sec.  622.20  Permits and endorsements.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (1) * * *
    (ii) * * *
    (A) * * *
    (2) Charter vessel and headboat recordkeeping and reporting 
requirements specified in Sec.  622.26(b);
* * * * *

0
3. In Sec.  622.26, revise paragraph (b) to read as follows:


Sec.  622.26  Recordkeeping and reporting.

* * * * *
    (b) Charter vessel/headboat owners and operators--(1) General 
reporting requirement. The owner or operator of a charter vessel or 
headboat for which a charter vessel/headboat permit for Gulf reef fish 
has been issued, as required under Sec.  622.20(b), and whose vessel is 
operating as a charter vessel or headboat, regardless of fishing 
location, must submit an electronic fishing report of all fish 
harvested and discarded, and any other information requested by the SRD 
for each trip within the time period specified in paragraph (b)(2) of 
this section. The electronic fishing report must be submitted to the 
SRD via NMFS approved hardware and software, as posted on the NMFS 
Southeast Region website. If selected by the SRD, the owner or operator 
of a vessel for which a charter vessel/headboat permit for Gulf reef 
fish has been issued must report via the NMFS approved software for the 
Southeast Region Headboat Survey.
    (2) Reporting deadlines. Completed electronic fishing reports 
required by paragraph (b)(1) of this section must be submitted to the 
SRD prior to removing any fish from the vessel. If no fish were 
retained by any person on the vessel during a trip, the completed 
electronic fishing report must be submitted to the SRD within 30 
minutes of the

[[Page 44018]]

completion of the trip, e.g., arrival at the dock.
    (3) Catastrophic conditions. During catastrophic conditions only, 
NMFS provides for use of paper forms for basic required functions as a 
backup to the electronic reports required by paragraph (b) of this 
section. The RA will determine when catastrophic conditions exist, the 
duration of the catastrophic conditions, and which participants or 
geographic areas are deemed affected by the catastrophic conditions. 
The RA will provide timely notice to affected participants via 
publication of notification in the Federal Register, and other 
appropriate means, such as fishery bulletins or NOAA weather radio, and 
will authorize the affected participants' use of paper forms for the 
duration of the catastrophic conditions. The paper forms will be 
available from NMFS. During catastrophic conditions, the RA has the 
authority to waive or modify reporting time requirements.
    (4) Compliance requirement. Electronic reports required by 
paragraph (b)(1) of this section must be submitted and received by NMFS 
according to the reporting requirements under this section. A report 
not received within the applicable time specified in paragraph (b)(2) 
of this section is delinquent. A delinquent report automatically 
results in the owner and operator of a charter vessel or headboat for 
which a charter vessel/headboat permit for Gulf reef fish has been 
issued being prohibited from harvesting or possessing such species, 
regardless of any additional notification to the delinquent owner and 
operator by NMFS. The owner and operator who are prohibited from 
harvesting or possessing such species due to delinquent reports are 
authorized to harvest or possess such species only after all required 
and delinquent reports have been submitted and received by NMFS 
according to the reporting requirements under this section.
    (5) Hardware and software requirements for vessel location 
tracking. An owner or operator of a vessel for which a charter vessel/
headboat permit for Gulf reef fish has been issued must ensure that the 
vessel is equipped with NMFS-approved hardware and software with a 
minimum capability of archiving GPS locations as posted on the NMFS 
Southeast Region website. The vessel location tracking device can be 
either a cellular or satellite VMS unit, and must be permanently 
affixed to the vessel and have uninterrupted operation.
    (i) Use of a NMFS-approved satellite VMS. An owner or operator of a 
vessel for which a charter vessel/headboat permit for Gulf reef fish 
has been issued, and who uses a NMFS-approved satellite VMS to comply 
with the reporting and recordkeeping requirements of this section, must 
adhere to the VMS requirements specified in Sec.  622.28, except for 
the trip declaration requirements specified in Sec.  622.28(e). For 
trip declaration requirements, see paragraph (b)(6) of this section.
    (ii) Use of NMFS-approved cellular VMS. An owner or operator of a 
vessel for which a charter vessel/headboat permit for Gulf reef fish 
has been issued, and who uses NMFS-approved cellular VMS to comply with 
the reporting and recordkeeping requirements of this section must 
comply with the following--
    (A) Cellular VMS unit operation and replacement. Ensure that such 
vessel has an operating cellular VMS unit approved by NMFS on board at 
all times whether or not the vessel is underway, unless exempted by 
NMFS under the power-down exemption specified in paragraph 
(b)(5)(ii)(D) of this section. An operating cellular VMS unit includes 
an operating mobile transmitting unit on the vessel and a functioning 
communication link between the unit and NMFS as provided by a NMFS-
approved communication service provider. NMFS maintains a current list 
of approved cellular VMS units and communication providers, which is 
available at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/about-us/sustainable-fisheries-division-gulf-mexico-branch. If NMFS OLE removes 
a cellular VMS unit from the approved list, a vessel owner who 
purchased and installed such a unit prior to its removal from the 
approved list will still comply with the requirement to have an 
approved unit, unless otherwise notified by NMFS OLE. At the end of a 
cellular VMS unit's service life, it must be replaced with a currently 
approved unit.
    (B) Hourly position reporting requirement. An owner or operator of 
a vessel using a NMFS-approved cellular VMS unit as specified in 
paragraph (b)(5)(ii)(A) of this section must ensure that the required 
cellular VMS unit archives the vessel's accurate position at least once 
per hour, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, unless exempted from 
this requirement under paragraphs (b)(5)(ii)(C) or (D) of this section.
    (C) In-port exemption. While in port, an owner or operator of a 
vessel with a NMFS-approved cellular VMS unit configured with the 4-
hour position reporting feature may utilize the 4-hour reporting 
feature rather than comply with the hourly position reporting 
requirement specified in paragraph (b)(5)(ii)(B) of this section. Once 
the vessel is no longer in port, the hourly position reporting 
requirement specified in paragraph (b)(5)(ii)(B) of this section 
applies. For the purposes of this section, ``in port'' means secured at 
a land-based facility, or moored or anchored after the return to a 
dock, berth, beach, seawall, or ramp.
    (D) Power-down exemption. An owner or operator of a vessel subject 
to the requirement to have a cellular VMS unit operating at all times 
as specified in paragraph (b)(5)(ii)(A) of this section can be exempted 
from that requirement and may power down the required cellular VMS unit 
if--
    (1) The vessel will be continuously out of the water or in port, as 
defined in paragraph (b)(5)(ii)(C) of this section, for more than 72 
consecutive hours;
    (2) The owner or operator of the vessel applies for and obtains a 
valid letter of exemption from NMFS. The letter of exemption must be 
maintained on board the vessel and remains valid for the period 
specified in the letter for all subsequent power-down requests 
conducted for the vessel consistent with the provisions of paragraphs 
(b)(5)(ii)(D)(3) and (4) of this section.
    (3) Prior to each power down, the owner or operator of the vessel 
files a report using a NMFS-approved form that includes the name of the 
person filing the report, vessel name, U.S. Coast Guard vessel 
documentation number or state vessel registration number, charter 
vessel/headboat reef fish permit number, vessel port location during 
cellular VMS power down, estimated duration of the power-down 
exemption, and reason for power down; and
    (4) Prior to powering down the cellular VMS unit, the owner or 
operator of the vessel receives a confirmation from NMFS that the 
information was successfully delivered.
    (E) Installation and activation of a cellular VMS unit. Only a 
cellular VMS unit that has been approved by NMFS for the Gulf reef fish 
fishery may be used, and the cellular VMS unit must be installed by a 
qualified marine electrician. When installing and activating or when 
reinstalling and reactivating the NMFS-approved cellular VMS unit, the 
vessel owner or operator must--
    (1) Follow procedures indicated on the VMS installation and 
activation form, which is available from NMFS; and
    (2) Submit a completed and signed VMS installation and activation 
form to NMFS as specified on the form.
    (F) Interference with the cellular VMS. No person may interfere 
with, tamper with, alter, damage, disable, or impede

[[Page 44019]]

the operation of the cellular VMS, or attempt any of the same.
    (G) Interruption of operation of the cellular VMS. If a vessel's 
GPS is not operating properly, the vessel owner or operator must 
immediately contact NMFS and follow NMFS' instructions. If notified by 
NMFS that a vessel's cellular VMS is not operating properly, the vessel 
owner or operator must follow NMFS' instructions. In either event, such 
instructions may include, but are not limited to, manually 
communicating to a location designated by NMFS the vessel's positions, 
or returning to port until the cellular VMS is operable.
    (iii) Access to position data. As a condition of authorized fishing 
for or possession of Gulf reef fish subject to the reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements in this section, a vessel owner or operator 
subject to the hardware and software requirements in this section must 
allow NMFS, the U.S. Coast Guard, and their authorized officers and 
designees access to the vessel's position data obtained from the 
cellular VMS.
    (6) Trip declaration requirements. For purposes of this paragraph 
(b)(6), a trip begins anytime the vessel departs from a dock, berth, 
beach, seawall, or ramp, and terminates with return to a dock, berth, 
beach, seawall, or ramp, regardless of the duration or purpose, 
including non-fishing activities. Prior to departure for each trip, the 
owner or operator of a vessel for which a charter vessel/headboat 
permit for Gulf reef fish has been issued must notify NMFS and report 
the type of trip, the U.S. Coast Guard vessel documentation number or 
state vessel registration number, and whether the vessel will be 
operating as a charter vessel or headboat, or is departing on another 
type of trip, such as a commercial trip. If the vessel will be 
operating as a charter vessel or headboat during the trip, the owner or 
operator must also report the expected trip completion date, time, and 
landing location.
* * * * *

0
4. In Sec.  622.373, revise paragraph (c)(1) to read as follows:


Sec.  622.373  Limited access system for charter vessel/headboat 
permits for Gulf coastal migratory pelagic fish.

* * * * *
    (c) * * *
    (1) Renewal of a charter vessel/headboat permit for Gulf coastal 
migratory pelagic fish is contingent upon compliance with the 
recordkeeping and reporting requirements specified in Sec.  622.374(b).
* * * * *

0
5. In Sec.  622.374, revise paragraph (b) to read as follows:


Sec.  622.374  Recordkeeping and reporting.

* * * * *
    (b) Charter vessel/headboat owners and operators--(1) General 
reporting requirement--(i) Gulf of Mexico. The owner or operator of a 
charter vessel or headboat for which a charter vessel/headboat permit 
for Gulf coastal migratory pelagic fish has been issued, as required 
under Sec.  622.370(b)(1), and whose vessel is operating as a charter 
vessel or headboat, regardless of fishing location, must submit an 
electronic fishing report of all fish harvested and discarded, and any 
other information requested by the SRD for each trip within the time 
period specified in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section. An electronic 
fishing report must be submitted to the SRD via NMFS approved hardware 
and software, as specified in paragraph (b)(5)(i) of this section. If 
selected by the SRD, the owner or operator of a vessel for which a 
charter vessel/headboat permit for Gulf coastal migratory pelagic fish 
has been issued must report via the NMFS approved software for the 
Southeast Region Headboat Survey.
    (ii) Atlantic--(A) Charter vessels. The owner or operator of a 
charter vessel for which a charter vessel/headboat permit for Atlantic 
coastal migratory pelagic fish has been issued, as required under Sec.  
622.370(b)(1), and whose vessel is operating as a charter vessel, must 
record all fish harvested and discarded, and any other information 
requested by the SRD for each trip, and submit an electronic fishing 
report within the time period specified in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this 
section. The electronic fishing report must be submitted to the SRD via 
NMFS-approved hardware and software, as specified in paragraph (b)(5) 
of this section. If the owner or operator subject to this paragraph 
(b)(1)(ii)(A) has been issued a Federal permit that requires more 
restrictive reporting requirements, as determined by NMFS and posted on 
the NMFS Southeast Region website, reporting under those more 
restrictive regulations will meet the requirements of this paragraph 
(b)(1)(ii)(A).
    (B) Headboats. The owner or operator of a headboat for which a 
charter vessel/headboat permit for Atlantic coastal migratory pelagic 
fish has been issued, as required under Sec.  622.370(b)(1), and whose 
vessel is operating as a headboat in state or Federal waters, must 
record all fish harvested and discarded, and any other information 
requested by the SRD for each trip in state or Federal waters, and 
submit an electronic fishing report within the time period specified in 
paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section. The electronic fishing report 
must be submitted to the SRD via NMFS-approved hardware and software, 
as specified in paragraph (b)(5) of this section.
    (2) Reporting deadlines--(i) Gulf of Mexico. Completed electronic 
fishing reports required by paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section must be 
submitted to the SRD prior to removing any fish from the vessel. If no 
fish were retained by any person on the vessel during a trip, the 
completed electronic fishing report must be submitted to the SRD within 
30 minutes of the completion of the trip, e.g., arrival at the dock.
    (ii) Atlantic. Completed electronic fishing reports required by 
paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section must be submitted to the SRD by 
the Tuesday following each previous reporting week of Monday through 
Sunday, or at shorter intervals if notified by the SRD. If no fishing 
activity as a charter vessel or headboat occurred during a reporting 
week, an electronic report so stating must be submitted by the Tuesday 
following that reporting week, or at a shorter interval if notified by 
the SRD.
    (3) Catastrophic conditions. During catastrophic conditions only, 
NMFS provides for use of paper forms for basic required functions as a 
backup to the electronic reports required by paragraphs (b)(1)(i) and 
(ii) of this section. The RA will determine when catastrophic 
conditions exist, the duration of the catastrophic conditions, and 
which participants or geographic areas are deemed affected by the 
catastrophic conditions. The RA will provide timely notice to affected 
participants via publication of notification in the Federal Register, 
and other appropriate means, such as fishery bulletins or NOAA weather 
radio, and will authorize the affected participants' use of paper-based 
components for the duration of the catastrophic conditions. The paper 
forms will be available from NMFS. During catastrophic conditions, the 
RA has the authority to waive or modify reporting time requirements.
    (4) Compliance requirement. Electronic reports required by 
paragraphs (b)(1)(i) and (ii) of this section must be submitted and 
received by NMFS according to the reporting requirements under this 
section. A report not received within the applicable time specified in 
paragraphs (b)(2)(i) or (ii) of this section is delinquent. A 
delinquent report automatically results in the owner and operator of a 
charter vessel or headboat for which a charter vessel/headboat permit 
for Gulf or Atlantic coastal migratory pelagic fish has been issued,

[[Page 44020]]

as required under Sec.  622.370(b)(1), being prohibited from harvesting 
or possessing such species, regardless of any additional notification 
to the delinquent owner and operator by NMFS. The owner and operator 
who are prohibited from harvesting or possessing such species due to 
delinquent reports are authorized to harvest or possess such species 
only after all required and delinquent reports have been submitted and 
received by NMFS according to the reporting requirements under this 
section.
    (5) Hardware and software requirements for electronic reporting--
(i) Owner or operator applicability. An owner or operator of a vessel 
for which a charter vessel/headboat permit for Gulf or Atlantic coastal 
migratory pelagic fish has been issued must submit electronic reports 
using NMFS-approved hardware and software as posted on the NMFS 
Southeast Region website.
    (ii) Vessel applicability. For a vessel for which a charter vessel/
headboat permit for Gulf coastal migratory pelagic fish has been 
issued, the NMFS-approved hardware and software must have a minimum 
capability of archiving GPS locations, and the cellular or satellite 
VMS must be permanently affixed to the vessel and have uninterrupted 
operation.
    (iii) Use of a NMFS-approved satellite VMS. An owner or operator of 
a vessel for which a charter vessel/headboat permit for Gulf coastal 
migratory pelagic fish has been issued, and who uses a NMFS-approved 
satellite VMS to comply with the reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements of this section, must adhere to the VMS requirements for 
the Gulf reef fish fishery specified in Sec.  622.28, except for the 
trip declaration requirements specified in Sec.  622.28(e). For trip 
declaration requirements, see paragraph (b)(6) of this section.
    (iv) Use of NMFS-approved cellular VMS. An owner or operator of a 
vessel for which a charter vessel/headboat permit for Gulf coastal 
migratory pelagic fish has been issued, and who uses NMFS-approved 
cellular VMS to comply with reporting and recordkeeping requirements of 
this section must comply with the following--
    (A) Cellular VMS unit operation and replacement. Ensure that such 
vessel has an operating cellular VMS unit approved by NMFS on board at 
all times whether or not the vessel is underway, unless exempted by 
NMFS under the power-down exemption specified in paragraph 
(b)(5)(iv)(D) of this section. An operating cellular VMS unit includes 
an operating mobile transmitting unit on the vessel and a functioning 
communication link between the unit and NMFS as provided by a NMFS-
approved communication service provider. NMFS maintains a current list 
of approved cellular VMS units and communication providers, which is 
available at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/about-us/sustainable-fisheries-division-gulf-mexico-branch. If NMFS OLE removes 
a cellular VMS unit from the approved list, a vessel owner who 
purchased and installed such a unit prior to its removal from the 
approved list will still comply with the requirement to have an 
approved unit, unless otherwise notified by NMFS. At the end of a 
cellular VMS unit's service life, it must be replaced with a currently 
approved unit.
    (B) Hourly position reporting requirement. An owner or operator of 
a vessel using a NMFS-approved cellular VMS unit as specified in 
paragraph (b)(5)(iv)(A) of this section must ensure that the required 
cellular VMS unit archives the vessel's accurate position at least once 
per hour, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, unless exempted from 
this requirement under paragraphs (b)(5)(iv)(C) or (D) of this section.
    (C) In-port exemption. While in port, an owner or operator of a 
vessel with a NMFS-approved cellular VMS unit configured with the 4-
hour position reporting feature may utilize the 4-hour reporting 
feature rather than comply with the hourly position reporting 
requirement specified in paragraph (b)(5)(iv)(B) of this section. Once 
the vessel is no longer in port, the hourly position reporting 
requirement specified in paragraph (b)(5)(iv)(B) of this section 
applies. For the purposes of this section, ``in port'' means secured at 
a land-based facility, or moored or anchored after the return to a 
dock, berth, beach, seawall, or ramp.
    (D) Power-down exemption. An owner or operator of a vessel subject 
to the requirement to have a cellular VMS unit operating at all times 
as specified in paragraph (b)(5)(iv)(A) of this section can be exempted 
from that requirement and may power down the required cellular VMS unit 
if--
    (1) The vessel will be continuously out of the water or in port, as 
defined in paragraph (b)(5)(iv)(C) of this section, for more than 72 
consecutive hours; and
    (2) The owner or operator of the vessel applies for and obtains a 
valid letter of exemption from NMFS. The letter of exemption must be 
maintained on board the vessel and remains valid for the period 
specified in the letter for all subsequent power-down requests 
conducted for the vessel consistent with the provisions of paragraphs 
(b)(5)(iv)(D)(3) and (4) of this section.
    (3) Prior to each power down, the owner or operator of the vessel 
files a report using a NMFS-approved form that includes the name of the 
person filing the report, vessel name, U.S. Coast Guard vessel 
documentation number or state vessel registration number, permit number 
of the Gulf coastal migratory pelagic charter vessel/headboat permit, 
vessel port location during cellular VMS power down, estimated duration 
of the power-down exemption, and reason for power down; and
    (4) Prior to powering down the cellular VMS unit, the owner or 
operator of the vessel receives a confirmation from NMFS that the 
information was successfully delivered.
    (E) Installation and activation of a cellular VMS unit. Only a 
cellular VMS unit that has been approved by NMFS for the Gulf coastal 
migratory pelagic fishery may be used, and the cellular VMS unit must 
be installed by a qualified marine electrician. When installing and 
activating or when reinstalling and reactivating the NMFS-approved 
cellular VMS unit, the vessel owner or operator must--
    (1) Follow procedures indicated on the VMS installation and 
activation form, which is available from NMFS; and
    (2) Submit a completed and signed VMS installation and activation 
form to NMFS as specified on the form.
    (F) Interference with the cellular VMS. No person may interfere 
with, tamper with, alter, damage, disable, or impede the operation of 
the cellular VMS, or attempt any of the same.
    (G) Interruption of operation of the cellular VMS. If a vessel's 
cellular VMS is not operating properly, the vessel owner or operator 
must immediately contact NMFS and follow NMFS' instructions. If 
notified by NMFS that a vessel's cellular VMS is not operating 
properly, the vessel owner or operator must follow NMFS' instructions. 
In either event, such instructions may include, but are not limited to, 
manually communicating to a location designated by NMFS the vessel's 
positions or returning to port until the cellular VMS is operable.
    (v) Access to position data. As a condition of authorized fishing 
for or possession of Gulf coastal migratory pelagic fish subject to the 
reporting and recordkeeping requirements in this section, a vessel 
owner or operator subject to the hardware and software requirements in 
this section must allow NMFS, the U.S. Coast Guard, and their 
authorized officers and designees access

[[Page 44021]]

to the vessel's position data obtained from the cellular VMS.
    (6) Trip declaration requirements in the Gulf. For purposes of this 
paragraph (b)(6), a trip begins anytime the vessel departs from a dock, 
berth, beach, seawall, or ramp, and terminates with return to a dock, 
berth, beach, seawall, or ramp, regardless of the duration or purpose, 
including non-fishing activities. Prior to departure for each trip, the 
owner or operator of a vessel for which a charter vessel/headboat 
permit for Gulf coastal migratory pelagic fish has been issued must 
notify NMFS and report the type of trip, the U.S. Coast Guard vessel 
documentation number or state vessel registration number, and whether 
the vessel will be operating as a charter vessel or headboat, or is 
departing on another type of trip, such as a commercial trip. If the 
vessel will be operating as a charter vessel or headboat during the 
trip, the owner or operator must also report the expected trip 
completion date, time, and landing location.
* * * * *

[FR Doc. 2020-15275 Filed 7-20-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P