Proposed Rule2026-10389
Electronic Logbook Reporting in Commercial Fisheries of the Gulf of America and Atlantic
Primary source
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Published
May 26, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS seeks public comment on proposed regulations to implement management measures described in amendments to four fishery management plans (FMPs) in the Gulf of America (Gulf), South Atlantic, and Atlantic, referenced here as the Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendments. If the Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendments are implemented by NMFS through this proposed rule, submission of certain commercial fishing logbooks would be required in an electronic format rather than the current paper format. NMFS is also proposing minor changes to some of the required data fields in the logbooks determined to be necessary to successfully transition from paper to electronic reporting. The purpose of this proposed rule is to increase the accuracy and efficiency of fisheries data that NMFS receives from federally permitted fishermen participating in the applicable commercial fisheries that occur in the Gulf, South Atlantic, and Atlantic.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 100 (Tuesday, May 26, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 26, 2026)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 30604-30609]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-10389]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[Docket No. 260507-0128]
RIN 0648-BN11
Electronic Logbook Reporting in Commercial Fisheries of the Gulf
of America and Atlantic
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS seeks public comment on proposed regulations to implement
management measures described in amendments to four fishery management
plans (FMPs) in the Gulf of America (Gulf), South Atlantic, and
Atlantic, referenced here as the Commercial Electronic Logbook
Amendments. If the Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendments are
implemented by NMFS through this proposed rule, submission of certain
commercial fishing logbooks would be required in an electronic format
rather than the current paper format. NMFS is also proposing minor
changes to some of the required data fields in the logbooks determined
to be necessary to successfully transition from paper to electronic
reporting. The purpose of this proposed rule is to increase the
accuracy and efficiency of fisheries data that NMFS receives from
federally permitted fishermen participating in the applicable
commercial fisheries that occur in the Gulf, South Atlantic, and
Atlantic.
DATES: Written comments on the proposed rule must be received no later
than June 25, 2026.
ADDRESSES: A plain language summary of this proposed rule is available
at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAA-NMFS-2025-0570">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAA-NMFS-2025-0570</a>. You may
submit comments on this document, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2025-0570, by
either of the following methods:
<bullet> Electronic Submission: Submit comments electronically via
the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Visit <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and
type NOAA-NMFS-2025-0570 in the Search box. Click on the ``Comment''
icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
<bullet> Mail: Send written comments to Rick DeVictor, NMFS
Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL
33701.
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period
will not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are part of the
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> without change. All personal identifying
information, confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive
information submitted voluntarily by the sender will be publicly
accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous comments--enter N/A in the
required fields if you wish to remain anonymous.
An electronic copy of the Commercial Electronic Reporting
Amendments is available from <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> or from the
NMFS Southeast Regional Office website at <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/resources-fishing/southeast-electronic-reporting-technologies">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/resources-fishing/southeast-electronic-reporting-technologies</a>. The Commercial Electronic Logbook
Amendments include a Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) analysis,
regulatory impact review, and fishery impact statement.
Written comments regarding the burden-hour estimates or other
aspects of the collection-of-information requirements contained in this
proposed rule may be submitted as described in this ADDRESSES section
or to <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this particular
information collection at <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a> by
selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments,''
and then find 0648-0016.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karla Gore, NMFS Southeast Regional
Office, telephone: 727-824-5305, or email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#573c36253b367930382532173938363679303821"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b4dfd5c6d8d59ad3dbc6d1f4dadbd5d59ad3dbc2">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS manages a number of fisheries in
Federal waters of the U.S. southeast region. The Coastal Migratory
Pelagic (CMP) fishery includes the Gulf and Atlantic region, and fish
such as king mackerel. The Gulf Fishery Management Council (Gulf
Council), South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic
Council), and NMFS prepared the FMP for the Coastal Migratory Pelagic
Resources of the Gulf and Atlantic Region (CMP FMP). The South Atlantic
Council and NMFS prepared the FMP for Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the
Atlantic (Dolphin and Wahoo FMP) and the FMP for the Snapper-Grouper
Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Snapper-Grouper FMP) in the South
Atlantic. The Gulf Council and NMFS prepared the FMP for the Reef Fish
Resources of the Gulf (Reef Fish FMP). The FMPs were approved by the
Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) and 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,
16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). This action is proposed under the authority of
section 303(a)(5) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1853(a)(5)),
which requires that FMPs specify the data required to be submitted to
the Secretary, and is consistent with National Standard 7 of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1851(a)(7)), which requires that
conservation and management measures minimize costs and avoid
unnecessary duplication where practicable.
The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that NMFS and regional fishery
management councils prevent overfishing and continually achieve the
optimum yield from federally managed fish stocks. These mandates are
intended to ensure that fishery resources are managed for the greatest
overall benefit to the Nation, particularly with respect to providing
food production and recreational opportunities, and protecting marine
ecosystems. Congress recognized that the collection of reliable data is
essential to the effective conservation, management, and scientific
understanding of the Nation's fishery resources (16 U.S.C. 1801(a)(7)).
On November 20, 2025, NMFS published a notification in the Federal
Register of the availability of the Commercial Electronic Logbook
Amendments for public comment (90 FR 52349). NMFS received 20
submissions from the public, commercial fishermen, and fishing industry
organizations. The majority of the comments supported the action. NMFS
will respond to all comments received during the comment periods for
the Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendments and for this proposed rule
if NMFS publishes a final rule. On February 13, 2026, the Secretary
approved the Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendments under section
304(a)(3) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
The Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendments, if implemented, amend
four separate FMPs to require the owner or operator of a vessel issued
a commercial permit to submit the required logbook in an electronic
format rather than using the current paper forms. These FMP amendments
are: (1) Amendment 35 to the CMP FMP; (2) Amendment 4 to the Dolphin
and Wahoo FMP; (3) Amendment 54 to the
[[Page 30605]]
Snapper-Grouper FMP; and (4) Amendment 57 to the Reef Fish FMP. The
change to the required reporting applies to any commercial permit for
the following species: (1) CMP species in the Gulf and Atlantic; (2)
Atlantic dolphinfish (dolphin) and wahoo; (3) South Atlantic snapper-
grouper species; and (4) Gulf reef fish species.
Background
The Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendments detail the evolution
of the data collections through the commercial coastal fisheries
logbook program (CFLP) and other commercial reporting requirements. All
of these data collections provide essential trip information required
to assess the status of fish stocks and monitor harvest, which are
necessary to comply with the Magnuson-Stevens Act. In addition,
economic and discard data are collected to address other provisions of
the Magnuson-Stevens Act and other applicable law, such as the need to
provide analyses of net economic effects and bycatch. The following
discussion summarizes the CFLP and related data collections.
The Commercial Logbook Program
NMFS began the CFLP in 1990 for fishermen issued a Federal
commercial permit for the Gulf reef fish fishery. Over time, NMFS has
expanded the CFLP to include commercial harvest in the South Atlantic
snapper-grouper fishery (1992), the CMP fishery in the Gulf and
Atlantic (1998), and the Atlantic dolphin and wahoo fishery (2004).
Fishermen that target shark species under the FMP for highly migratory
species (HMS) (as developed by NMFS' Atlantic HMS Management Division),
which include various tunas, billfishes, and sharks, are also included
in the CFLP. The CFLP collects basic fishing effort and catch related
data, including species and weights of landed fish, fishing location
and depth of water, and the type of gear used to fish.
Since the initial implementation of the CFLP, NMFS has made several
changes to forms and survey design to improve data collection. For
example, the trip expense section of the form has been modified several
times since 2001 and several updates were made to the ``gear type
used'' data field to better clarify how fish were harvested. Also, the
NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) created a separate no-
fishing form to better distinguish between non-fishing and non-
reporting activity.
Currently, NMFS' SEFSC mails the logbook to the owners of federally
permitted vessels with the applicable commercial permit (permit
holders) every December. Each year, NMFS selects 20 percent of permit
holders to complete economic questions in the ``trip expense'' section
of the logbook and 20 percent of permit holders are selected to
complete a supplemental discard survey. The mailing consists of a
carbon paper logbook of approximately 100 pages containing 3 sections,
including instructions, fishing trip reporting forms, and no-fishing
report forms, along with postage paid return envelopes. The owner or
operator of the federally permitted vessel must report the fishing
activity of each trip within 7 days after finishing a trip or after a
month without any fishing activity and mail the form to SEFSC. This
recordkeeping and reporting requirement has been in place since at
least 2004 for the affected Federal fisheries. NMFS recommends that
fishermen keep the carbon copy of the CFLP form for their personal
records.
Other Commercial Reporting Programs
Fishermen affected by this proposed rule may also possess other
Federal commercial fishing permits issued by NMFS that have additional
or different reporting requirements for commercial fishing trips. Other
permits include those issued by the NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional
Fisheries Office (GARFO) and the Atlantic HMS Management Division. A
vessel owner or operator with a commercial permit for Gulf reef fish or
South Atlantic snapper-grouper who participates in the individual
fishing quota (IFQ) programs in the Gulf or the wreckfish individual
transferrable quota (ITQ) program in the South Atlantic has reporting
requirements specific to those programs. Each permit holder is
responsible for ensuring compliance with the permit requirements of all
relevant programs.
Gulf Individual Fishing Quota Programs and South Atlantic Wreckfish
Individual Transferable Quota Program
NMFS manages the commercial harvest of 14 Gulf reef fish species
though 2 IFQ programs under the Reef Fish FMP. The IFQ programs use a
dedicated electronic reporting system to track allocation of catch
limits to fishermen and commercial landings in real-time. NMFS manages
wreckfish under the Snapper-Grouper FMP through an ITQ program. The ITQ
program uses paper methods for documentation of share certificates,
allocation coupons, wreckfish vessel logbooks, and wreckfish dealer
logbooks. NMFS is developing a separate proposed rule to establish an
electronic monitoring and tracking system for the ITQ program. These
IFQ and ITQ programs allocate a portion of an annual catch level to
individual fishermen that can be harvested throughout the fishing year.
The IFQ and ITQ reporting systems are not logbook programs and operate
independently of the CFLP. Reporting requirements under the IFQ and ITQ
programs would remain unchanged by the proposed modifications to the
CFLP. Owners and operators of vessels participating in the IFQ and ITQ
programs would continue to report to both the applicable IFQ and ITQ
system, and the CFLP.
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office
All commercial vessels with Federal permits issued by NMFS GARFO
for species managed by the Mid-Atlantic or New England Fishery
Management Councils are required to submit vessel trip reports (VTRs)
electronically as eVTRs generally within 48 hours of the end of a
commercial fishing trip (50 CFR 648.7). Permit holders that report
logbook information to GARFO must use software approved by that office
to submit an eVTR. Those fishermen operating vessels with commercial
permits issued by both GARFO and the Southeast Regional Office may need
to continue to submit multiple reports per commercial fishing trip to
remain compliant with the reporting requirements of each permit. NMFS
is evaluating options to streamline reporting requirements for various
East Coast and Gulf fisheries to reduce or eliminate reporting
redundancy.
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Management Division
NMFS also uses the CFLP to collect HMS landings and effort related
data from vessel owners primarily with commercial, limited access shark
fishing permits using bottom longline, gillnet, or vertical line
(including bandit) gear. A vessel owner with an HMS fishing permit and
reporting through the CFLP must record the required logbook information
for each day of fishing within 48 hours of completion or before
offloading fish from the vessel, whichever is sooner. The completed
logbook forms must be mailed in the provided postage paid envelopes and
postmarked within 7 days of offloading all HMS. NMFS' HMS Management
Division published a proposed rule in September 2024 that would change
requirements for fishermen with HMS permits reporting through the CFLP
and other methods. The proposed rule would switch to an electronic
reporting method and adjust the timing
[[Page 30606]]
requirement (89 FR 72796, September 6, 2024). As stated in the proposed
rule, electronic logbook reporting is a step towards streamlining HMS
reporting for commercial, for-hire, and private recreational fisheries
consistent with the one stop reporting initiative to expand
capabilities for the submission of a single electronic report to
satisfy overlapping reporting requirements of vessels holding permits
in multiple regional fisheries. As of April 2026, the HMS Management
Division has not published a final rule.
Management Measures Contained in This Proposed Rule
If the Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendments are implemented by
NMFS through this proposed rule, the format of required reporting in
the CFLP would change from a paper logbook to an electronic reporting
format and make limited changes to the data that fishermen need to
report. The deadline to submit an electronic report after a fishing
trip would not change from current requirements. The selection process
for the ``trip expense'' and discard portions of the logbook would also
remain the same.
NMFS expects the Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendments to
improve the accuracy and efficiency of logbook data collected from
federally permitted commercial fishermen that report to the CFLP.
Moving to an electronic platform is expected to increase convenience
and ease of reporting for commercial fishermen while increasing the
accuracy and timeliness of commercial data for use by fishery managers.
The collected data would be available sooner to fishery managers once
submitted through the electronic platform compared to the same data
collected on the paper forms. Paper logbooks are sometimes difficult to
interpret by analysts, and the analysts often need to contact the
submitter for clarification or correction with several days or weeks
elapsed from when fishing occurred. This need would be reduced if the
logbook were electronically submitted, because logbook validations
built into the electronic software could prevent some errors, such as a
trip start time being recorded as occurring after a trip end time. In
addition, fishermen would not need to mail the paper reports, which is
less convenient than using the electronic format. Therefore, NMFS
expects the proposed change to electronic reporting to increase data
accuracy and decrease the time delay of when those data are available
for use by fishery managers.
This proposed rule would require that commercial fishermen submit
fishing reports on electronic software approved by NMFS. A vessel owner
or operator would submit a completed fishing report electronically no
later than 7 days after the end of each fishing trip, which is the same
timeframe required currently for submission of fishing reports on paper
forms. If no fishing occurred during a calendar month, an electronic
no-fishing report must be submitted electronically no later than 7 days
after the end of that month. If a vessel owner or operator is aware of
a period when fishing would not occur, a no-fishing report may be
submitted anytime in advance of that period. If fishing subsequently
occurs during time covered by a no-fishing report submitted previously,
the vessel owner or operator would complete and submit the applicable
fishing report.
Currently, NMFS shares commercial logbook data with the Atlantic
Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) as part of a partnership
to combine fisheries-dependent information on the Atlantic coast from
both Federal and state partners. Any software application that NMFS
would approve also needs to meet the requirements to be submitted to
the database managed by ACCSP. Because ACCSP combines data from
multiple partners to create a comprehensive and consistent dataset, the
compatibility of these data across systems is crucial. NMFS expects the
continued use of ACCSP's system for partnering on various data
collection systems. NMFS is also working towards a comprehensive
reporting system for Federal fisheries across regions and may include
other partners and data collection systems in the future. The proposed
electronic CFLP would remain consistent with the goals and objectives
for data collection set by the SEFSC and ACCSP.
To integrate the information currently collected by the paper
logbook forms into the existing ACCSP database, slight modifications to
the CFLP data fields would be required. For example, fields such as
trip start time, trip end date, and trip end time would be added to
prevent overlapping trip submissions. The addition of trip type would
be added to so that the logbook software would show the data fields for
that trip type. For example, if a fisherman selects a commercial trip,
required data fields for a commercial trip would be shown. Primary area
fished would be added to be compatible with the ACCSP database. Some
data fields would be removed, including state trip ticket number and
payment of catch. The signature field in the paper form would be
replaced with a perjury statement that the submitter (an owner or
operator) acknowledges and affirms the accurate and truthful data entry
before submission can occur. Other data fields that may be modified
include ``hours/days,'' which would default to hours to be consistent
with the ACCSP database. In addition, the ``sales disposition'' data
field would default to ``sold to dealer'' to be consistent with the
ACCSP database. The retained catch (landings) would require an entry
into the catch disposition category, which would default to ``general:
food.'' Those selected to submit information on discards would be
required to declare the disposition of both retained catch and
discards.
The currently available software through ACCSP would be free to
fishermen. NMFS is also testing a downloadable application for a phone
and a computer, which is separate from the ACCSP software. Once
software providers are approved by NMFS' SEFSC, they would be listed on
the NMFS website <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/resources-fishing/southeast-electronic-reporting-technologies">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/resources-fishing/southeast-electronic-reporting-technologies</a>. After NMFS
finalizes the technical specifications and during implementation of the
electronic CFLP, other vendors may create additional software
applications. These vendors may charge a fee for use or provide an
application at no cost. Fishermen would need internet access, such as
via Wi-Fi or cellular service, to download an application and submit
the electronic reports. However, fishermen would be able to input data
in the application with or without an internet connection. If NMFS
implements a final rule for commercial electronic reporting as
described in this proposed rule, paper logbooks would no longer be
accepted. Further, a vessel owner would continue to be required to
comply with the electronic reporting requirements to renew or transfer
a Federal commercial permit.
Prior to the implementation date of a final rule for the Commercial
Electronic Logbook Amendments, NMFS would contact each permit holder by
mail and email. Outreach sessions would be scheduled prior to the
implementation of the program, and NMFS staff would be available to
answer questions on how to get started with electronic reporting. If
permit holders have specific questions related to the software, they
should be directed to the applicable vendor. Vendors are required to
have a help desk to assist with user questions. Prior to the
implementation of the program, outreach materials would be available
from NMFS to provide guidance about
[[Page 30607]]
how the reporting requirements affect permit holders and how to use the
software.
Classification
Pursuant to section 304(b)(1)(A) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the
NMFS Assistant Administrator has determined that this proposed rule is
consistent with the Commercial Electronic Logbook Amendments, the
respective FMPs, other provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and
other applicable law, subject to further consideration after public
comment.
This proposed rule has been determined to be not significant for
purposes of Executive Order 12866. This proposed rule is not an
Executive Order 14192 regulatory action because this rule is not
significant under Executive Order 12866.
The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce
certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business
Administration that this proposed rule, if adopted, would not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
The factual basis for this certification is as follows. A copy of the
full analysis is available from NMFS (see the ADDRESSES section).
A description of this proposed rule, why it is being considered,
and the objectives of this proposed rule is contained in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this proposed rule. The Magnuson-
Stevens Act provides the statutory basis for this proposed rule. No
duplicative, overlapping, or conflicting Federal rules have been
identified. In addition, no new reporting, record-keeping, or other
compliance requirements are introduced by this proposed rule.
This proposed rule would modify the reporting method for owners and
operators of commercial fishing vessels that currently report through
the CFLP. Specifically, it would require the reports to be submitted
electronically, which would improve monitoring and compliance of
federally permitted commercial vessels in the CFLP. This proposed rule
would not change any other existing reporting requirements, including
those under the Gulf IFQ and South Atlantic ITQ programs. This proposed
rule would directly apply to businesses that own or operate a
commercial fishing vessel that is permitted to fish in Federal waters
for Gulf reef fish, Gulf or Atlantic CMP species, Atlantic dolphin and
wahoo, or South Atlantic snapper-grouper. A permit must be valid to
harvest and land fish that apply to the permit, and under any of the
Federal permits, fishing vessels are required to report commercial
fishing activity or non-activity under the CFLP. This proposed rule
would also apply to businesses that own or operate a commercial fishing
vessel that does not have a CMP permit but harvests cobia from the Gulf
or Atlantic Federal waters; however, all owners or operators of these
vessels are expected to have at least one other Federal permit and
report through the CFLP. All dollar figures presented below are in 2021
dollars.
From 2017 through 2021, an annual average of 1,030 owners or
operators of federally permitted vessels reported making 22,912 trips
within the South Atlantic that landed species managed as part of the
CMP, dolphin and wahoo, or snapper-grouper fisheries. During the same
period, an annual average of 666 owners or operators of federally
permitted vessels reported making 8,037 trips within the Gulf that
landed species managed as part of the CMP or reef fish fisheries.
During that same 5-year period, there were considerable numbers of
owners or operators of federally permitted vessels that reported they
were inactive. For example, there was an annual average of 2,200
inactive vessels with a commercial permit for Atlantic dolphin and
wahoo. The average annual revenue from all landings per active South
Atlantic vessel was $25,498, while the average annual revenue from all
landings per active Gulf vessel was $94,001. There is considerable
variation of the average annual revenue per vessel by fishery. For
example, the average active federally permitted Gulf reef fish vessel
had an annual revenue from all landings of $121,609, while the average
South Atlantic king mackerel vessel had an annual total revenue of
$29,138. However, the largest annual revenue of any of the above active
vessels was approximately $3 million (SEFSC logbook data).
For RFA purposes only, NMFS has established a small business size
standard for businesses, including their affiliates, whose primary
industry is commercial fishing (see 50 CFR 200.2). A business primarily
engaged in commercial fishing (North American Industry Classification
System code 11411) is classified as a small business if it is
independently owned and operated, is not dominant in its field of
operation (including its affiliates), and has combined annual receipts
not in excess of $11 million for all its affiliated operations
worldwide. If each commercial vessel, as described above, represents a
unique commercial fishing business, then all commercial fishing
businesses directly affected by this proposed rule are small. No other
small entities that would be directly affected by this proposed rule
have been identified.
This proposed rule would move the paper-based commercial logbooks
under the CFLP for the aforementioned four fisheries to an electronic
platform. To directly integrate the information currently collected by
the paper logbook forms into the ACCSP database, slight modifications
to the program data fields would be required. Six data fields would be
added (although one is optional), three would be removed, and two would
be modified.
The average owner or operator of a federally permitted vessel that
reports landings in the South Atlantic reports 22 trips per year, while
the average owner or operator of a federally permitted vessel that
reports landings in the Gulf reports 12 trips per year. This proposed
rule is not expected to change the number of federally permitted
fishing vessels or the number of trips taken.
A commercial fishing vessel may operate in fisheries other than
those under the jurisdiction of the Gulf and South Atlantic Councils
and, therefore, have additional reporting requirements. For example,
there are owners or operators of commercial vessels with a Federal
permit to harvest CMP species, dolphin and wahoo, or snapper-grouper
that also participate in fisheries managed by the Mid-Atlantic or New
England Fishery Management Councils. Since November 10, 2021, all
commercial vessels with Federal permits issued by NMFS GARFO for
species managed by the Mid-Atlantic or New England Fishery Management
Councils are required to submit eVTRs within 48 hours of the end of a
trip (unless required sooner, as with some northeast groundfish sector
programs). Consequently, since November 21, 2021, there have been
owners or operators of commercial vessels that have to report both
electronically and with a paper form to satisfy their existing
reporting requirements. In addition, a Gulf or South Atlantic
commercial fishing vessel may also operate under the Gulf IFQ or South
Atlantic ITQ programs, or the southeast commercial HMS program, each of
which has specific reporting requirements. All of these other reporting
requirements provide information that is necessary for the
administration of those programs, and this proposed rule would not
change those requirements.
The switch from paper forms to electronic completion and submission
is not expected to have a significant economic impact on small
businesses.
[[Page 30608]]
The proposed rule is expected to reduce duplication or overlap of
existing record-keeping and reporting requirements. Because the
proposed electronic submission requirements can be accomplished at low
or no cost, no adverse economic impacts are expected from this proposed
rule. Moreover, the conversion to electronic reporting for the
commercial fishing sectors of these fisheries is expected to improve
data efficiency and accuracy, which would benefit the small businesses
in the long run.
Based on the above analysis, NMFS expects that this proposed rule
would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of
small businesses. As a result, an initial regulatory flexibility
analysis is not required and none has been prepared.
This proposed rule contains a collection-of-information requirement
submitted for review and approval by the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). This proposed
rule would revise the existing requirements for the collection of
information under OMB Control Number 0648-0016, Southeast Region
Logbook Family of Forms. For reasons explained earlier in this
preamble, the proposed revision would add six data fields (one of which
is optional), remove three, and modify two for a net difference of
adding two required data fields and modifying two existing data fields.
NMFS does not expect the previously approved burden estimates for the
CFLP information collection to change, due to the similar number of
data fields and the application format, which uses dropdown options,
toggles, and calendars. NMFS will evaluate the estimated burdens for
this collection in 0648-0016 after users become acquainted with the
electronic logbook. Along with the requested revision, NMFS requests an
extension of the information collections under 0648-0016.
Public reporting burden for the CFLP are estimated to average 10
minutes per electronic fishing report and 2 minutes per no-fishing
report. These estimates include the time for reviewing instructions,
searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data
needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.
Public comment is sought regarding: whether this proposed
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall
have practical utility; the accuracy of the burden estimate; ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be
collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the collection of
information, including through the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology. Submit comments on
these or any other aspects of the collection of information at <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of the law, no person is
required to respond or, nor shall any person by subject to a 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 <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 622
Fisheries, Fishing, Recordkeeping and reporting.
Dated: May 20, 2026.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
For the reasons set out in the preamble, NMFS proposes to amend 50
CFR part 622 as follows:
PART 622--FISHERIES OF THE CARIBBEAN, GULF OF AMERICA, 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. 622.26, revise paragraph (a)(1) and add paragraph (a)(3) to
read as follows:
Sec. 622.26 Recordkeeping and reporting.
(a) Commercial vessel owners and operators. (1) The owner or
operator of a vessel for which a commercial permit for Gulf reef fish
has been issued, as required under Sec. 622.20(a)(1), must submit an
electronic fishing record for each trip, and if selected by the SRD,
must submit supplemental electronic discard and economic records. The
electronic fishing records must be submitted via NMFS-approved software
as posted on the NMFS Southeast Region website. These completed fishing
records must be submitted no later than 7 days after the end of each
fishing trip. If no fishing occurred during a calendar month, a report
so stating must be submitted no later than 7 days after the end of that
month. Information to be reported is indicated on the form and its
accompanying instructions.
* * * * *
(3) Catastrophic conditions. During catastrophic conditions only,
NMFS may modify or waive reporting time requirements. 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. The RA has the authority to modify or waive reporting time
requirements for the affected participants for the duration of the
catastrophic conditions.
* * * * *
0
3. In Sec. 622.176, revise paragraphs (a)(1) and (4), and add
paragraph (a)(5) to read as follows:
Sec. 622.176 Recordkeeping and reporting.
(a) Commercial vessel owners and operators--(1) General reporting
requirements. The owner or operator of a vessel for which a commercial
permit for South Atlantic snapper-grouper has been issued, as required
under Sec. 622.170(a)(1), must submit an electronic fishing record for
each trip, and if selected by the SRD, must submit supplemental
electronic discard and economic records. The electronic fishing records
must be submitted via NMFS-approved software as posted on the NMFS
Southeast Region website within the time specified in paragraph (a)(4)
of this section.
* * * * *
(4) Reporting deadlines. Completed fishing records required by this
paragraph (a) must be submitted not later than 7 days after the end of
each fishing trip. If no fishing occurred during a calendar month, a
report so stating must be submitted no later than 7 days after the end
of that month. Information to be reported is indicated on the form and
its accompanying instructions.
(5) Catastrophic conditions. During catastrophic conditions only,
NMFS may modify or waive reporting time requirements. 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. The RA has the authority to modify or waive reporting time
requirements for the affected
[[Page 30609]]
participants for the duration of the catastrophic conditions.
* * * * *
0
4. In Sec. 622.271, revise paragraph (a) to read as follows:
Sec. 622.271 Recordkeeping and reporting.
(a) Commercial vessel owners and operators--(1) Reporting
requirement. The owner or operator of a vessel for which a commercial
permit for Atlantic dolphin and wahoo has been issued, as required
under Sec. 622.270(a)(1), must submit an electronic fishing record for
each trip, and if selected by the SRD, must submit supplemental
electronic discard and economic records. The electronic fishing records
must be submitted via NMFS-approved software as posted on the NMFS
Southeast Region website within the time specified in paragraph (a)(2)
of this section.
(2) Reporting deadlines. Completed fishing records required by
paragraph (a)(1) of this section must be submitted not later than 7
days after the end of each fishing trip. If no fishing occurred during
a calendar month, a report so stating must be submitted no later than 7
days after the end of that month. Information to be reported is
indicated on the form and its accompanying instructions.
(3) Catastrophic conditions. During catastrophic conditions only,
NMFS may modify or waive reporting time requirements. 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. The RA has the authority to modify or waive reporting time
requirements for the affected participants for the duration of the
catastrophic conditions.
* * * * *
0
5. In Sec. 622.374, revise paragraph (a) to read as follows:
Sec. 622.374 Recordkeeping and reporting.
(a) Commercial vessel owners and operators--(1) The owner or
operator of a vessel for which a commercial permit for king or Spanish
mackerel has been issued, as required under Sec. 622.370(a)(1) or (3),
respectively, must submit an electronic fishing record for each trip,
and if selected by the SRD must submit supplemental electronic discard
and economic records. The electronic fishing records must be submitted
via NMFS-approved software as posted on the NMFS Southeast Region
website. These completed fishing records must be submitted no later
than 7 days after the end of each fishing trip. If no fishing occurred
during a calendar month, a report so stating must be submitted no later
than 7 days after the end of that month. Information to be reported is
indicated on the form and its accompanying instructions.
(2) Catastrophic conditions. During catastrophic conditions only,
NMFS may modify or waive reporting time requirements. 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. The RA has the authority to modify or waive reporting time
requirements for the affected participants for the duration of the
catastrophic conditions.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2026-10389 Filed 5-22-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 26, 2026.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.