NORTHEAST VMS PROGRAMNOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement

Bill Semrau - VMS Program Manager

Current VMS PopulationCurrent VMS Population 1,582 vessels (as of June 13, 2007) 1,582 vessels (as of June 13, 2007)

Permit Category Permit Category SkyMate SkyMate Boatracs Thrane & Thrane Boatracs Thrane & Thrane

Limited Access ScallopLimited Access Scallop 18 18 287287 22General Category ScallopGeneral Category Scallop 454 454 163163 55MultispeciesMultispecies 321 321 218218 16 16Monkfish (Cat A, B, F)Monkfish (Cat A, B, F) 1 1 1 1 00CombinationCombination 1 1 43 43 00HerringHerring 4 4 16 16 00Not yet assigned or TestNot yet assigned or Test 20 20 7 7 5______5______

Total:Total: 819 819 735735 28 28

Fleet Growth -- December 1, 2005: 1,050 vesselsFleet Growth -- December 1, 2005: 1,050 vessels October 1, 2005: 704 October 1, 2005: 704

vessels vessels

VMS DECLARATIONS AND FORMSVMS DECLARATIONS AND FORMS

12 VMS screens in use12 VMS screens in use

4 Declaration (Multispecies/Scallop/Monkfish/Herring/DOF)4 Declaration (Multispecies/Scallop/Monkfish/Herring/DOF) 2 Catch report forms (multispecies/scallop) 2 Catch report forms (multispecies/scallop) 6 Trip notification forms:6 Trip notification forms:

GOM/SNE Differential Area Layover (sent at sea)GOM/SNE Differential Area Layover (sent at sea) Herring Pre-Landing (sent at sea) Herring Pre-Landing (sent at sea) Cod Running Clock (sent at sea)Cod Running Clock (sent at sea) Scallop Broken Trip (sent at sea)Scallop Broken Trip (sent at sea) Scallop Access Area Compensation Trip (sent inport)Scallop Access Area Compensation Trip (sent inport) GOM Cod Trip Limit Exemption (sent inport)GOM Cod Trip Limit Exemption (sent inport)

DECLARATION (CODE) FORMATDECLARATION (CODE) FORMAT

• Multispecies Example: “NMS-MUL-OPADSX”“NMS”= Species Code (“Northeast Multispecies”)“MUL”= Plan Code (“multispecies regular access”)“OP” = Area ID (“Open area”)

“A” = Days-at-Sea Code (“A DAS”)“D” = Gear Type (“Day Gillnet”)“S” = Trip Modifier (“SNE Differential Area”)“X” = Placeholder (future expansion)

• VMS Activity Code Expansion:

• November ‘06: 230 codes (Framework 42) • May ‘06: 120 codes (G/F Emerg Action)• December ’05: 52 codes (Framework 17)

VMS Form Example VMS Form Example

Sent when:

• Need to enter/remain inside GOM/SNE DA for inclement weather• Not already declared into GOM/SNE DA• Not simply transiting thru GOM/SNE DA

VMS Power Down ExemptionsVMS Power Down Exemptions

All VesselsAll Vessels – Apply for ‘Letter of Exemption’ to sign out of – Apply for ‘Letter of Exemption’ to sign out of the VMS program if out of the water for > 72 hours. the VMS program if out of the water for > 72 hours.

Multispecies VesselsMultispecies Vessels – Apply for ‘Letter of Exemption’ to – Apply for ‘Letter of Exemption’ to sign out of the VMS program for 30 days minimum.sign out of the VMS program for 30 days minimum.

General Category Scallop VesselsGeneral Category Scallop Vessels – May turn power to – May turn power to VMS unit off: (1) VMS unit off: (1) afterafter landing catch, (2) while tied to the landing catch, (2) while tied to the dock/ mooring, and (3) after declaring a Power-Down VMS dock/ mooring, and (3) after declaring a Power-Down VMS declaration, declaration, unlessunless other permits held require continuous other permits held require continuous reporting. reporting.

Herring VesselsHerring Vessels – May turn power to VMS unit off while in – May turn power to VMS unit off while in port, port, unlessunless other permits held require continuous other permits held require continuous reporting. reporting.

Declaration CostsDeclaration Costs SkyMate:SkyMate:

Cost determined by Service Plan, Cost determined by Service Plan, thenthen by # of characters by # of characters Silver, Gold & Platinum PlansSilver, Gold & Platinum Plans Declaration is 84 charactersDeclaration is 84 characters Declaration cost between $.12 & .$17 eachDeclaration cost between $.12 & .$17 each No cost for acknowledgmentsNo cost for acknowledgments

Boatracs Boatracs Cost is determined by message Cost is determined by message andand # of characters # of characters Per message charge is $.50.Per message charge is $.50. Per character charge is $.004Per character charge is $.004 Declaration message cost between $.50 and $.59Declaration message cost between $.50 and $.59 Acknowledgment cost (acceptance) approx $.96Acknowledgment cost (acceptance) approx $.96 Acknowledgment cost (rejection) up to $1.81 Acknowledgment cost (rejection) up to $1.81

VMS Costs – Who Pays?VMS Costs – Who Pays? FishermanFisherman

Normal Position Reports (30 or 60 minutes)Normal Position Reports (30 or 60 minutes) Declarations (& Boatracs’ acknowledgments)Declarations (& Boatracs’ acknowledgments) Outgoing E-MailOutgoing E-Mail

NMFSNMFS Additional Position PollingAdditional Position Polling Outgoing E-Mail, including:Outgoing E-Mail, including:

Trip Start and Land Confirmation e-mails Trip Start and Land Confirmation e-mails Fleet-Wide VMS messages Fleet-Wide VMS messages Individual messages to vessels Individual messages to vessels

Acknowledgment Response TimesAcknowledgment Response Times (% fleet-wide)(% fleet-wide)

BoatracsBoatracs SkyMateSkyMate

<2 min<2 min 2.7% 2.7% 48.0%48.0%

2 to <5 mins2 to <5 mins 41.2%41.2% 20.0%20.0%

5 to <10 mins5 to <10 mins 48.6%48.6% 14.0%14.0%

10 to <15 mins10 to <15 mins 3.9% 3.9% 5.7% 5.7%

15 to <30 mins15 to <30 mins 1.9% 1.9% 6.3% 6.3%

30 to <60 mins30 to <60 mins .85% .85% 2.8% 2.8%

>>60 mins 60 mins .73% .73% 2.5% 2.5%

Declarations Sent: 4,367 Declarations Sent: 4,367 3,6523,652

VMS Reporting Capabilities & LimitationsVMS Reporting Capabilities & Limitations CapabilitiesCapabilities

Automated reporting (less human intervention)Automated reporting (less human intervention) Position tracking / simplified forms Position tracking / simplified forms

Near-real time reportingNear-real time reporting Documenting & storing data for future retrieval Documenting & storing data for future retrieval Alerting Alerting Two-Way communications Two-Way communications Over-the-Air (OTA) software updates (some vendors)Over-the-Air (OTA) software updates (some vendors) Safety (Safety (limited capabilitylimited capability) (no substitute for EPIRB/radio)) (no substitute for EPIRB/radio)

LimitationsLimitations Manual reporting (more human intervention) Manual reporting (more human intervention)

Data-intensive forms / Declarations Data-intensive forms / Declarations Technology/Data latencyTechnology/Data latency Software compliance (non-OTA updates)Software compliance (non-OTA updates) Complexity of fishery regs & VMS requirements Complexity of fishery regs & VMS requirements 24/7 near real-time monitoring 24/7 near real-time monitoring Cost associated with regulatory changes/software upgradesCost associated with regulatory changes/software upgrades Self-Installations Self-Installations

““Missing” Position ReportsMissing” Position Reports As distinguished from ‘delayed reports’As distinguished from ‘delayed reports’ Satellite Network Outages – Rare Satellite Network Outages – Rare

NMFS notified of planned/unplanned eventsNMFS notified of planned/unplanned events

Individual vessel equipment IssuesIndividual vessel equipment Issues External/internal powerExternal/internal power Antennas/cabling/connectionsAntennas/cabling/connections Salt-water intrusionSalt-water intrusion Transceiver failure (rare)Transceiver failure (rare) Excessive ice-build-upExcessive ice-build-up

Global Grams’ received, but not processed Global Grams’ received, but not processed

Northeast Division (OLE)Northeast Division (OLE)

VMS TeamVMS Team Bill SemrauBill Semrau VMS Program ManagerVMS Program Manager (978) 281-9151(978) 281-9151 Linda GalvinLinda Galvin VMS SpecialistVMS Specialist (978) 281-9230(978) 281-9230 Bethany BrosnanBethany Brosnan VMS/DAS TechnicianVMS/DAS Technician (978) 281-9239 (978) 281-9239 Patti AsaroPatti Asaro VMS/DAS TechnicianVMS/DAS Technician (978) 281-9126(978) 281-9126

OLE Address/Phone:OLE Address/Phone: 1 Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 019301 Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930 Office: (978) 281-9213, Fax: (978) 281-9317Office: (978) 281-9213, Fax: (978) 281-9317

Northeast Region Website:Northeast Region Website: www.nero.noaa.govwww.nero.noaa.gov Under “Fishing Industry Homepage”, then “VMS Regulations” Under “Fishing Industry Homepage”, then “VMS Regulations”

E-Mail:E-Mail: Firstname.Lastname@noaa.govFirstname.Lastname@noaa.gov or or NMFS.OLE.NE@NOAA.GOV NMFS.OLE.NE@NOAA.GOV

TRIP STITCHING

• Trip Generation feature of NMFS’ monitoring system• Designed to accommodate vessels that ‘clip’ VMS demarc line or transit thru ‘NB Triangle’• Trip ‘fragments’ are stitched as a single trip if:

• VMS Declaration (code) does not change• Vessel inside demarc for < 4 hours

VMS Demarcation Line -VMS Demarcation Line -“New Bedford Triangle”“New Bedford Triangle”