Southeast Region Vessel and Gear Identification Requirements

NMFS requires persons with permitted fishing vessels to mark their vessel and fishing gear with the official identification number or another form of approved identification. A vessel's official number, under most regulations, is required to be displayed on the port and starboard sides of the deckhouse or hull, and weather deck. The marking of fishing gear is also valuable in actions concerning damage, loss, and civil proceedings. Fishing gear marking requirements apply to coral aquacultured live rock, golden crab traps, mackerel gillnet floats, spiny lobster traps, buoy gear, and black sea bass pots. These vessel and fishing gear markings provide law enforcement personnel with a means to monitor fishing, at-sea processing, and other related activities to ascertain whether the vessel's observed activities and fishing gear are in accordance with those authorized for that vessel.

The latest form for Southeast Region Vessel and Gear Identification Requirements expires 2021-07-31 and can be found here.

Southeast Region Vessel Identification Requirements

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Natural Resources - Conservation, Marine and Land Management