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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 34 Number 1
September 2006
NMFS reimburses eligible fishermen for VMS buys
SILVER SPRING, MD – Qualifying general category scallop and groundfish fishermen who were required to purchase vessel monitoring systems (VMSs) during fiscal year (FY) 2006 are now eligible for a federal reimbursement.
On July 21, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced in the Federal Register that its “VMS: Mobile Transmitter Unit and Enhanced Mobile Transmitter Unit Reimbursement Program” had $4.5 million in grant funds to distribute and was ready to take applications from vessel owners.
The immediate beneficiaries of this new program are the general category scallop boat owners who bought VMSs to comply with Framework 17 to the federal scallop plan, which went into effect in October 2005.
Groundfish fishermen required to purchase VMSs under proposed Framework 42 to the federal groundfish plan also will be eligible for reimbursement from the FY ’06 funds – as long as Framework 42 is implemented by Sept. 30, the last day of FY ’06.
If implementation of the framework is delayed beyond that date, reimbursement still will be available under an anticipated FY ’07 VMS reimbursement program, although it could be at a different rate.
“No matter what, Framework 42 folks will be reimbursed,” said National VMS Program Manager Jonathan Pinkerton. “The only question is the amount.”
The National VMS Program now includes two data centers, five operation centers, and other infrastructure designed to gather and review fishing information to assist fishery managers and law enforcement officials.
Reimbursing fishermen for the cost of participating in the program has been a priority for NMFS Director Bill Hogarth, according to Pinkerton.
“Dr. Hogarth has been fighting for this for years and is on record as wanting to defray costs as much as possible for fishers,” he said.
Reimbursement amounts
Pinkerton explained that the $4.5 million available for FY ’06 has actually been bumped up to $5 million. And that is more than enough to cover all of the boats in the qualifying scallop and groundfish fisheries at the rate of $2,995 each, he said.
Also included in the FY ’06 program are Alaska boats required to carry VMS to comply with an essential fish habitat action. The reimbursement rate for each of those vessels is up to $1,750.
NMFS determined the maximum reimbursement amount basically by dividing the available grant money by the anticipated number of qualifying fishermen for each fiscal year.
Pinkerton said any money not distributed through the FY ’06 program will be added to the FY ’07 reimbursement program. NMFS has requested another $4.5 million for FY ’07 but the actual amount will depend on what Congress decides.
If Framework 42 is implemented on Oct. 1 or later, eligible groundfish fishermen will become part of the FY ’07 pool, which also will include an estimated 3,000-plus fishermen from the North Pacific open-access fishery and the Gulf of Mexico commercial reef fish fishery.
NMFS will recalculate – dividing the number of eligible fishermen into the available funds – to determine the reimbursement level for everyone, and so the maximum amount groundfish fishermen will get could change.
Application process
Either way, Framework 42 fishermen can begin the application process immediately, according to Pinkerton.
General category scallopers and eligible groundfish fishermen should get started by calling NMFS’s VMS support center. The staff there will be able to explain the application steps.
Eligible vessel owners must:
• Hold a valid commercial permit;
• Have purchased, installed, and activated a VMS unit approved for the qualifying fishery;
• Validate their compliance with the applicable regulations through the VMS support center and receive a confirmation number; and
• Submit their completed application and proof of purchase documentation to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC), which is administering the application part of the program and cutting the checks.
A few tips
PSMFC Executive Director Randy Fisher said that, as of mid-August, his office had received a total of 26 applications – including six to eight from New England states.
To speed things along, Fisher said his staff offered the following tips: double-check your application; fill it out legibly and use ink; and make sure your vessel name is on the VMS invoice that serves as the proof of purchase.
Fishermen should expect a turn-around time of about 30 days from submitting a properly completed application to getting the check in the mail.
For more information, call the VMS support center at 1-888-219-9228 or visit the Pacific commission web site at <www.psmfc.org>. Application forms and summary directions can be downloaded from the site.
Lorelei Stevens
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