Massachusetts launches new trip report forms for 2021
The trip-level reporting forms have changed significantly for 2021, with most changes affecting fixed gear fishermen. All trips conducted in 2021 and beyond must be reported via the new paper form, the new eTRIPS Online application, or eTRIPS mobile 2.
New fields affecting all harvesters include Trip End Date, Trip End Time, and Average Depth Fished (reported in fathoms; 1 fathom = 6 feet). The Tautog Count field that was a separate form for 2020 is also now added to the new paper and electronic forms for 2021.
Additional fields are required from fixed gear activity, specifically several fields aiming to improve data collection on gear location and configuration. Those harvesters operating federal lobster-only vessels and reporting to the state will also need to report ten-minute squares fished within the statistical reporting areas they fished.
All fixed gear fields and additional resources including maps and help documents can be found on our website. A lot of help content is currently in development, and will be added as it becomes available and as we approach the January launch date.
Paper Reporting Harvesters:
Copies of the new form will be mailed with your 2021 permit and can be found on our website. This form must be used for trip reporting in 2021, and old forms will no longer be accepted! The form should be printed on an 8” by 14” legal sized paper for optimal space. The excel version of this form is also now available on our website. To request additional forms, please call or email the Fisheries Statistics Project at the contact information below.
If you need additional old forms to finish your 2020 reporting, please call or email the Fisheries Statistics Project at the contact information below. These are no longer available online.
Electronic Reporting Harvesters:
Very soon, if not already, an additional application called “eTRIPS/REDESIGN – Fisherman - available January 1st, 2021” will appear in your SAFIS account. This application is not yet live but will be used to report trips for 2021 and beyond. We are working through some final rounds of testing, and the application will go live Monday, January 4, 2021. No report for any date prior to 1/1/2021 will be allowed to be entered into that application. Additional help content and other information regarding the launch will continue to be added to our website as we approach the January launch date.
If you would like to help us test the new application over the next two weeks, please reach out to the Fisheries Statistics Project at the contact information below.
The original application will continue to be available for entering any remaining 2020 trips until sometime in the spring. This application will not allow any report to be entered for a date after 12/31/2020.
Federal Reporting Harvesters:
VTRs are not impacted by these changes for 2021. Further changes may occur for that reporting method in 2022.
For more information:
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