The Northwest Regional Fisheries Permit Office, which is part of the Sustainable Fisheries Division, manages Pacific Coast groundfish limited entry permits, quota share permits and accounts, vessel accounts, and coop applications for the at-sea whiting sectors. We process the following forms, applications and requests.

Northwest Regional Fisheries Permits Office

List of current permit and vessel owners

Limited Entry Permit Program:

• Change in Permit Ownership and Vessel Registration Fillable Form (PDF 96KB)
• Sablefish Ownership Interest Fillable Form (PDF 97KB)

Shorebased IFQ Program:

• Non Whiting At-Sea Groundfish Processing Exemption Application (PDF 97KB) (application period ended Feb. 15, 2012)
• Vessel Account Registration Request (PDF 35KB)
• Trawl Identification of Ownership Interest Form (PDF 107KB)
• First Receiver Site License Application (PDF 119KB)
• First Receiver Catch Monitor Plan Guidelines (PDF 483KB)
• First Receiver Catch Monitor Plan Template (MSWord 64KB)

At-Sea Whiting Sectors:

• Mothership Cooperative Application Fillable Form (PDF 76KB)
• If you need additional space to complete Section B in the above form, please complete and append this page (PDF 17KB)
• MS/CV endorsement and CHA transfer (available Sept. 1)
• Catcher Processor Cooperative Application (PDF 47KB)

To notify us of a change in vessel ownership, submit information in writing by letter or e-mail with a copy of the current U.S. Coast Guard or state registration. Submit the above forms, applications and requests to:

U.S. Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Marine Fisheries Service
Northwest Region, Fisheries Permits Office
7600 Sand Point Way NE, Bldg. 1
Seattle, WA  98115-0070

To contact the Fisheries Permit Office, call 206-526-4353.

For scientific research permits, letters of authorization (LOAs) for scientific research, or exempted fishing permits (EFPs), contact the Northwest Regional Groundfish Policy and Regulations Branch at 206-526-6140.

For information on other Pacific Coast permits, including highly migratory species permits, coastal pelagic species permits, and high seas permits, contact our Southwest Regional Office at 562-980-4000.

For information on federal fisheries permits in Alaska, contact our Alaska Regional Office at 907-586-7221.