Per 50 CFR §665.14 the operator of the fishing vessel must write a complete and accurate record of catch, effort and other data on a NMFS Western Pacific Daily Longline Fishing logsheet for each set fished, within 24 hours after completion of each fishing day, and maintain the record on board the vessel. The vessel operator must submit (by hand or mail) the completed and signed logsheet to the NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) within 72 hours (30 days if registered under a Coral Reef Ecosystems FMP special permit) of returning to port after each trip.
Since the inception of daily logbooks, NMFS personnel have executed daily dockside pickup of paper logbook forms, in addition to accepting hand delivery of paper logbook forms to NMFS by represenatives, captains, and owners of vessels within the Hawaii-based longline fleet. This procedure was established because more than 99% of the Hawaii-based longline fleet is home-ported on Oahu and NMFS personnel were already visiting the doccks on a daily basis to maintain their longline vessel inventory.
Although the current data collection system is working relatively well it is not taking advantage of emerging technology that could improve the efficiency of reporting and record keeping while reducing human error and improving data accuracy. Maintaining paper logbook forms and the interpretation of such forms is subject to high levels of potential error due to bad handwriting and inaccurate recording
Per 50 CFR part 660.303 operators of Pacific Whiting vessels delivering whiting during the primary season are required to report their deliveries on state fish tickets and along with the first receiver make an electron fish ticket submission of that delivery. To include as part of each electronic fish ticket submission, the actual scale weight for each groundfish species as specifies by requirements at 66.373 (j)(2)
and the Pacific whiting shoreside vessel identification numbers. Along with the first receiver, submit a completed electronic fishticket for every landing that includes whiting no later than 24 hours after the date the fish are received, unless a waiver of this requirement has been granted.