§ 285.54 - Vessel recordkeeping and reporting.

(a)(1) Logbooks. If selected and so notified in writing by the Director, the owner and/or operator of a vessel for which a permit has been issued under § 285.21 or § 285.53, must ensure that a daily logbook form is maintained of the vessel's fishing effort, catch, and disposition on forms available from the Science and Research Director. Such forms must be submitted to the Science and Research Director postmarked not later than the seventh day after sale of the fish offloaded from a trip. If no fishing occurred during a month, a report so stating must be submitted in accordance with instructions provided with the forms.

(2) Tally sheets. The owner and/or operator of a vessel for which a permit has been issued under § 285.21 or § 285.53, and who is required to submit a logbook under paragraph (a)(1) of this section, must ensure that copies of tally sheets are submitted for all fish offloaded and sold after a fishing trip. Each tally sheet must show the dealer to whom the fish were transferred, the date they were transferred, and the carcass weight of each fish for which individual carcass weights are normally recorded. For species not individually weighed, tally sheets must record total weights by market category. Copies of tally sheets must be submitted with the logbook forms required under paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(b) The master or other person in charge of a fishing vessel, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, except vessels proceeding directly to Puerto Rico or to any other U.S. port for unloading, must report to the Regional Director not less than 48 hours prior to entering the regulatory area via the Panama Canal. In addition, the master or other person in charge of a vessel, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States except a vessel without fish on board, must notify the Regional Director not less than 48 hours prior to leaving the regulatory area via the Panama Canal. Each report must include the name of the reporting vessel, the tonnage by species on board, and whether the fish were caught in Pacific or Atlantic waters.

(c) All such fishing vessels entering or leaving the regulatory area via the Panama Canal are subject to inspection. Official seals will be affixed to wells containing fish taken within or outside the regulatory area, as appropriate and the same will be noted on the vessel log. The official seals may be removed only by a designated agent of NMFS upon arrival at point of sale or delivery.

(d) The master or other person in charge of a fishing vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, must notify the Regional Director not less than 48 hours prior to any transfer of Atlantic tuna taken in the regulatory area to another vessel for the purpose of transshipment. Such reports must include the date and place of unloading, name and destination of the oncarrying vessel, and the tonnage by species of tuna transferred.

(e) The failure to file the reports or to follow the procedures required by this section, the tampering with or the removal of an official seal, or the alteration of a fishing vessel's log by any person or fishing vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States is a prohibited act within the meaning of § 285.3.

(f) Any person authorized to carry out enforcement activities under the Act or these regulations has power, without warrant or other process, to inspect, at any reasonable time, catch on board the vessel, log books, catch reports, statistical records, or other reports as required by the regulations in this part to be made, kept or furnished.

(g) Owners and operators of vessels fishing for Atlantic yellowfin, bigeye, albacore, and skipjack tunas and Atlantic bonito shoreward of the outer boundary of the EEZ around Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with only handgear on board are exempt from the reporting requirements of this section.