Manage an Existing Vessel Account
Once the vessel account is established and the vessel owners receives the user ID and password, (s)he can login to their online account and manage their quota pounds. If for any reason the ownership of the vessel changes, a new vessel account must be created. Please call the Fisheries Permit Office with any questions at 206.526.4353.
Managing Quota Pounds
To go fishing in the Shorebased IFQ Program, you cannot have a deficit of quota pounds (QP) in your vessel account, and vessel owners should check their account balance before every trip. Vessel accounts must have QP, including individual bycatch quota pounds (IFQ), to cover any IFQ catch. When established, all vessel accounts start with a balance of zero QP for all species. Once we create an account, quota share (QS) permit owners and other vessel account owners may transfer QPs to the new vessel account.
Vessel accounts may not have QP in excess of an annual limit or a daily limit. The annual limit includes both used and unused quota pounds plus any pending outgoing transfers and applies to all IFQ species. There is also an annual limit for “non-whiting groundfish species” which is the sum of all IFQ species except Pacific whiting and Pacific halibut. The daily limit pertains only to unused quota pounds plus any pending outgoing transfers and applies only to certain overfished species and individual bycatch quota pounds for Pacific halibut.
Prior to Fishing
- Be sure that the vessel is currently registered to a trawl-endorsed limited entry permit, and that the current, original permit is on the vessel;
- Schedule an observer with an observer provider as early as possible. All IFQ trips must have 100% observer coverage;
- Login to the vessel account to get the vessel account number and acquire QP. The vessel operator must provide the catch monitor and IFQ first receiver with this vessel account number on every trip so that they can debit catch from the vessel account;
- Make sure that the vessel monitoring system (VMS) is active and the vessel is declared into the Shorebased IFQ Program by calling NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) at 888.585.5518;
- Schedule a delivery to an IFQ first receiver with a current first receiver site license;
- Check the vessel account for deficits for any species before every trip. A vessel account with a negative balance for any IFQ species cannot fish in the Shorebased IFQ Program until the deficit is cured.
Vessel Account Renewal
Vessel owners must renew vessel accounts annually through the online vessel account system during the renewal period of October 1 through November 30 in order to participate in the fishery on January 1 of the following year.
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