September 18, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries is currently accepting at-sea and electronic monitoring applications from providers interested in providing monitoring services to groundfish sectors for fishing years 2021 and 2022. The deadline to submit an application is October 19, 2020.
If you would like to provide either at-sea monitoring (ASM) or electronic monitoring (EM) services to groundfish sectors in fishing years 2021 and 2022 (May 1, 2021, through April 30, 2023), you must submit an application by October 19, 2020. Applications must include a cover letter and the information and statements identified in the regulations at 50 CFR 648.87(b)(4) and (5). In your cover letter, please specify whether you are interested in providing ASM services, EM services, or both. Service providers interested in providing both ASM and EM services must develop separate ASM and EM deployment plans to meet the service provider performance standards [§ 648.87(b)(4)(ii)(A)].
We will review your application in accordance with the third-party monitoring provider standards [§648.87(b)(4)]. For currently operating at-sea monitoring providers, our review will also include an evaluation of your past performance in comparison to the at-sea and electronic monitoring operational standards [§ 648.87(b)(5)], to determine whether to approve your company for fishing years 2021 and 2022. Please review the regulations for at-sea and electronic monitoring provider and operational standards carefully, including the requirements for signed statements.
Approvals will cover both fishing year 2021 and fishing year 2022, and final decisions will be published in the Federal Register. There will be a subsequent opportunity to apply to be approved as an ASM and/or EM provider only for fishing year 2022.
Please use Kiteworks, a secure file-sharing service, to submit the requested document.
Visit our web site for more information on groundfish sectors and provider applications.