Agriculture & Food

NOAA Seeks Comments on VMS Type-Approval Information Collection

🇺🇸United States··Notice·Low Impact·View source ↗

AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.

🇬🇧 English

NOAA is seeking public comments on continuing paperwork requirements for companies that want their vessel monitoring systems approved for use in federal fisheries programs. These systems include satellite-linked and cellular-based units used to track fishing vessels. The notice does not create a new operating rule. It gives vendors, fisheries businesses, and other interested parties until August 28, 2026, to comment on whether the information NOAA collects for type approval is useful, burdensome, or should be improved.

AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Refer to official sources for legal decisions.

Key Changes

  • Opens a 60-day public comment period on the existing VMS type-approval information collection.
  • Covers satellite-linked and cellular-based vessel monitoring systems used in federal fisheries programs.
  • Comments must reference OMB Control Number 0648-0789 and be submitted by August 28, 2026.

Obligations

What this law requires

low

Submit any comments on the proposed information collection to NOAA on or before August 28, 2026, to ensure consideration.

interested personsvendorsfisheries businessesother interested parties
Comments must be received on or before August 28, 2026
reporting
low

Submit written comments to the NOAA PRA Officer at [email protected] and reference OMB Control Number 0648-0789 in the subject line.

interested persons submitting comments
On or before August 28, 2026
reporting
medium

Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information with comments.

interested persons submitting comments
prohibition
medium

Respondents seeking type approval for vessel monitoring system satellite-linked or cellular-based systems must submit a written type-approval request and electronic copies of required supporting materials to NMFS.

vessel monitoring system vendorscompanies seeking VMS type approval
licensing

Affected Parties

VMS equipment and software vendorsCommercial fishing businesses using federal fisheries programs+1 more…

Tags

fisheries,vessel monitoring,NOAA…