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DOC/NOAA RIN: 0648-BN11 Publication ID: Spring 2025 
Title: Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendment  
Abstract:

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposes regulations to implement the Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendment. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved the amendment for review by the Secretary of Commerce at their September 2023 meeting. The Gulf Fishery Management Council approved the amendment for review by the Secretary at their October 2023 meeting. Currently, fishermen with a federal commercial permit for Gulf Reef Fish, South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper, Atlantic Dolphin and Wahoo, or Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources of the Gulf and Atlantic) must complete, and then submit, paper logbooks with trip-level information  seven days after the end of each fishing trip. The paper logbooks must be mailed or hand-delivered to the NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Miami, Florida. The Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendment would require these commercially permitted vessels to submit electronic fishing reports on electronic reporting forms approved by the NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Research Director. NMFS has determined that the time required to prepare, submit, and process electronic logbooks would be less than that for the current paper logbooks.  In addition, NMFS expects that reporting errors would be reduced. Therefore, the purpose of this proposed rule is to increase the accuracy and timeliness of landings, discards, effort, and social and economic data of federally permitted commercial vessels participating in these Gulf and South Atlantic managed fisheries.  NMFS is not changing the requirement to report no later than seven days after the end of each fishing trip and to report no fishing reports. NMFS is proposing minor changes to some of the required data fields that NMFS has determined are necessary to success to successfully transition from paper to electronic reporting.

 
Agency: Department of Commerce(DOC)  Priority: Substantive, Nonsignificant 
RIN Status: Previously published in the Unified Agenda Agenda Stage of Rulemaking: Proposed Rule Stage 
Major: No  Unfunded Mandates: No 
EO 14192 Designation: Not subject to, not significant 
CFR Citation: 50 CFR 622   
Legal Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.   
Legal Deadline:  None
Timetable:
Action Date FR Cite
NPRM  07/00/2025 
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No  Government Levels Affected: None 
Small Entities Affected: Businesses  Federalism: No 
Included in the Regulatory Plan: No 
RIN Data Printed in the FR: No 
Agency Contact:
Andrew J. Strelcheck
Regional Administrator, Southeast Region
Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
263 13th Avenue South,
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Phone:727 824-5305
Email: andy.strelcheck@noaa.gov