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VMS Programme USA Southeast Region VMS Programme

 

	Profile				Contacts

Provincial/state/local programme

• The USA VMS programme is comprised of five sub-programmes in different administrative divisions within NOAA’s Fisheries Service. Each programme is administered independently, and all are connected to a central NOAA VMS database and to the US Coast Guard.
• The Southeast Region includes marine waters off US states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, as well as US waters around Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Fisheries monitored by VMS

• Rock shrimp endorsement holders (trawl)
• Highly Migratory Species, or HMS (pelagic longline)
• Shark (gillnet and bottom longline gear)
• Penalty fleet (vessels subject to VMS monitoring as a penalty for violating fisheries regulations)

Number of vessels monitored by VMS

• Total: 269
• Rock shrimp trawl: 118
• Pelagic longline: 125
• Shark gillnet and bottom longline: 19
• Penalty: 7

Vessel size range

• Total: 12-145 ft (4-44 m)
• Rock shrimp trawl: 12-93 ft (4-28 m)
• Pelagic longline: 12-145 ft (4-44 m)
• Shark gillnet and bottom longline: 14-72 ft (4-22 m)
• Penalty: 45-79 ft (14-24 m)

Purpose of VMS monitoring

• Monitor compliance with:
  • Closed areas
  • Time-based effort reporting
  • No-fishing, time-based management areas based on type of fishing gear on board vessel

Security measures

• Control centre: Physical and electronic measures

Legal framework

• Regional (US Code of Federal Regulations, Title 50, Part 648, Section 648.9)
• National (Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (USA Public Law 94-265)

Funding strategy

• Vessel owner typically pays for equipment purchase, installation and maintenance, and required position reports, except that:
  • Vessel owners in Rock Shrimp fishery are reimbursed up to $750 to those who submit appropriate documentation
  • Some shark vessels are loaned NOAA-owned equipment
• All vessel owners pay for their communication costs for normal hourly reporting. Federal government agency pays for additional polling, declarations, catch report messages, and advisory or enforcement messages sent to vessel.

Staffing level

• 2 full time

Integrated programmes

• None at this time
• Proposed: Fishery/Gear Declaration prior to trip departure

Anticipated growth

• To 600 - 1 000 vessels over next five years (for Red Snapper IFQ in the Gulf of Mexico)