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Individual Bluefin Quota (IBQ) Program Reminder: Quarterly Accountability

• For a vessel’s first pelagic longline trip in the third quarter (July through September), a vessel may not fish if it has quota debt and must have the minimum amount of IBQ to fish.  
• A vessel fishing in the Atlantic must have a minimum balance of 276 lb of IBQ.  A vessel fishing in the Gulf of Mexico must have a minimum balance of 551 lb of IBQ.  
• If a vessel accrued quota debt prior to July 1, the vessel must first resolve (account for) the quota debt and have the minimum amount of IBQ in order to fish.

Resolving Quota Debt

If a vessel account has quota debt (and insufficient IBQ allocation in their shareholder and/or vessel account to cover it), the permit holder must:

(1) lease a sufficient amount of allocation from a permitted longline vessel or a purse seine fishery participant, and transfer it into their vessel account; and then

(2) resolve the quota debt transaction(s) in the IBQ system online.  

Specifically, Atlantic (ATL) pelagic longline quota debt can be resolved using ATL allocation, Gulf of Mexico (GOM) pelagic longline allocation, or purse seine (PSG) allocation. GOM quota debt can only be resolved using GOM allocation.  An IBQ shareholder can log into their shareholder account to resolve quota debt in their vessel account(s).  From the main menu, go to Catches then Resolve Quota Debt Mid Year.  Please consult page 31 of the “Individual Bluefin Quota (IBQ) Troubleshooting Guide” available through the online IBQ system (see ”Contact Information” at the bottom of this letter).  For additional assistance you may call IBQ Customer Service at 301-427-8591 (8:00am to 5:00pm, Mon - Fri, excluding federal holidays).

Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) Reporting Requirements:  You are reminded that vessels must submit through VMS a “Highly Migratory Species Bluefin Tuna Catch Report,” for each set.  Specifically, such vessels must report the number of all bluefin discarded dead or retained (by standardized size ranges) within 12 hours of completion of each set (including reporting of zero bluefin on a set).

For More Information Contact

Individual Bluefin Quota Program

• NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office Catch Share Programs webpage; select “additional information” and select BFT and then find “Individual Bluefin Quota (IBQ) Troubleshooting Guide”
• IBQ Customer Service: 301-427-8591 (8:00am to 5:00pm, Mon-Fri, excluding federal holidays)

Electronic Monitoring

• Technical Questions about Camera System:  Saltwater, Inc. 800-770-3241
• Hard Drive Mailing Procedures:  Earth Resources Technology, Inc. (ERT):240-393-4213

Pelagic Observer Program:  800-858-0624

General Information about Pelagic Longline Regulations

• Online: Amendment 7 webpage.

Atlantic HMS Management Division:  978-281-9260 (Brad McHale or Thomas Warren) or 301-427-8503 (Craig Cockrell or Carrie Soltanoff) or 727-824-5399 (Jennifer Cudney)