LA Fisheries Forward

NOAA Announces Survey Participation Requirement for GOM Federal For-Hire Permit Holders

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Young man on charter boat holding bent rod with fish on line
As part of the Southeast For-Hire Integrated Electronic Reporting (SEFHIER) program, NOAA Fisheries is implementing an independent, dockside intercept survey called the SEFHIER Validation Survey. Vessels with federal for-hire permits for Gulf Reef Fish or Gulf Coastal Migratory Pelagic Fish are required to participate in the SEFHIER Validation Survey.
When:
Effective immediately, Gulf of Mexico federal for-hire permit holders are required to complete the survey when intercepted by a surveyor at the dock.
Why:
The SEFHIER Validation Survey is one component of a statistical method used to generate final catch estimates. The data collected from the independent SEFHIER Validation Survey is compared to electronic logbook reports to account for unreported trips or misreported catch.
Additional Information:
The SEFHIER Validation Survey is a short survey capturing trip information such as an interviewee’s name, vessel identifiers, trip type, fishing area, trip effort and trip catch. Depending on time and availability, surveyors may ask to sample landings for biological samples (e.g., weight, length, otolith collection).
Participation in the SEFHIER Validation Survey applies to any captain, operator, owner, or lessee of a vessel with a federal for-hire permit for Gulf reef fish or Gulf Coastal Migratory Pelagic. However, if you are already participating in the Southeast Headboat Survey then you do not need to complete the SEFHIER Validation Survey.
Critical Component:
The surveyor for the SEFHIER Validation Survey will ask for the vessel’s federal for-hire permit number(s) and vessel registration number (state or U.S. Coast Guard) as part of a series of questions. These questions are necessary to match information from the SEFHIER Validation Survey to electronic logbook submitted for the trip. This is a critical component of the statistical methodology described above. Please note that your federal permit(s) or a copy of your permit must be onboard your vessel (50 CFR § 622.4 (h)).
Please call our customer service hotline with any questions (we are available to help from 8:00 AM-4:30 PM, ET) at 1-833-707-1632, or email us at [email protected].
A flyer, describing the SEFHIER Validation Survey is available at: https://portal.southeast.fisheries.noaa.gov/reports/cs/Better_Data_Better_Fishing.pdf.