Request for Full Observer Coverage Category

Updated: February 9, 2022

OMB Control No. 0648-0318 Expiration: March 31, 2022

Under regulations at 50 CFR 679.51(a)(4), the owner of a BSAI trawl catcher vessel
may annually request that NMFS place that vessel in the full observer coverage
category for all directed fishing for groundfish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Management Area in the upcoming year. The instructions below provide a step-by-step
guide to submit a request for placement in the full observer coverage category for one
year.
1. Log into ODDS website.
2. Enter User ID and password. (Email [email protected] for assistance with User ID
and password.)
3. Click “Login”.

Enter User ID
Enter Password
Select Login

4. Click “Request Full Coverage”.

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5. Read the text at the top of the screen. Find the name of the boat for which you
want full coverage, and click “Request Full Coverage” next to the vessel name.
Full Observer Coverage Request
A vessel owner may request on an annual basis, that NMFS place a vessel in the full observer
coverage category for all directed fishing for groundfish using trawl gear in the Bearing Sea
and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) in the following calendar year.
Regulations describing this annual process are at 50 CFR § 679.51(a)(4). Once a request is
approved, the vessel owner and operator must comply with observer coverage requirements
described at § 679.51(a)(2) and carry an observer during all directed fishing for groundfish in
the BSAI.
To be approved for full observer coverage category placement in 2017, a full observer
coverage request must be submitted by November 15, 2017. For 2018, and each year after the
request deadline is October 15 of the prior year.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Follow the below instructions to submit a request to place a catcher vessel in the full observer
coverage category. Once a request is submitted and approved, the catcher vessel is placed in the full
observer coverage category for all directed fishing for groundfish using trawl gear in the BSAI for the
duration of the following year. Once a request has been approved, the vessel may not be placed back
in the partial coverage category while directed fishing for groundfish using trawl gear in the BSAI until
the end of the calendar year indicated.
1. Locate the name of the vessel you wish to place in full observer coverage category on the list below
and click on the “Request Full Coverage” button next to the vessel name.
2. Read the text and confirm that you wish to submit your request to place the vessel in full observer
coverage category by clicking on the “Submit” button to submit your request to NMFS. If you do not
wish to submit a full observer coverage category request at this time, click the “Cancel” button.
3. Once you click “Submit”, the approval status will be updated and you will be notified if your request
has been approved or denied by NMFS.
For questions about this process or questions about a
request approval status, please contact:

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6.

Read the text at the top of the screen. If you agree with the text, click “Submit”.

7. The vessel’s approval status will display in the Approval Status column.
For questions about this process or questions about a
request approval status, please contact:

8. To request full observer coverage for additional vessels, repeat steps 7 and
8 for each vessel untilfinished.
9. The text in the Approval Status column is written notification from NMFS to

inform you if your requesthas been approved or denied. For questions about your
approval status, please contact Maggie Chan by email at [email protected]
or by phone at (907) 586-7206. If your request is denied, this initial
administrative decision may be appealed according to regulation at 50 CFR
679.51(a)(4)(vi).

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