- Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, as a Category 4 hurricane on August 29, 2021.
- On September 8, 2021, NOAA Fisheries determined that catastrophic conditions existed in the following Louisiana Parishes:
- Tammany, Orleans, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson, St Charles, LaFourche, Terrebonne, St. Mary, Iberia, Vermilion, Cameron
- NOAA Fisheries has received numerous reports of continued damage to the infrastructure in coastal Louisiana, such as power outages and interruption of water service.
- In order to provide federal dealers, IFQ participants, and federal for-hire operators the continued flexibility in these affected areas, NOAA Fisheries announces the extension of the current catastrophic conditions determination.
- Therefore, for any federally permitted dealer in the affected area who does not have access to electronic reporting, NOAA Fisheries is authorizing, through October 31, 2021:
- Delayed reporting of trip tickets to NOAA Fisheries; and
- The use of paper-based reporting forms for red snapper and grouper-tilefish individual fishing quota (IFQ) participants.
- Dealers are to report all landings through the state trip ticket program as soon as possible.
- For any federally permitted for-hire operator in the affected area who does not have access to electronic reporting, NOAA Fisheries is authorizing, through October 31, 2021, the delayed reporting of for-hire logbooks.
More Information:
- Federally permitted dealers in affected areas are exempted from the weekly reporting requirement of trip tickets to NOAA Fisheries through October 31, 2021, but must report all landings as soon as possible. For questions, contact the Fisheries Monitoring Branch: 305-361-4581.
- Federally permitted for-hire operators in affected areas are exempted from the prior to offload reporting requirement of logbooks to NOAA Fisheries through October 31, 2021, but must report all logbooks as soon as possible. Participants should continue to use the electronic reporting systems if it is accessible. For questions, contact the Southeast For-hire Integrated Electronic Reporting customer service: 833-707-1632.
- The electronic systems for submitting landings and IFQ information to NOAA Fisheries will continue to be available to all dealers. Participants shall continue to use the electronic systems if it is accessible.
- NOAA Fisheries has previously provided IFQ dealers the necessary paper forms and instructions for reporting during catastrophic conditions. Paper forms are also available upon request by calling IFQ Customer Service at the phone number listed above or by writing:
NOAA Fisheries
Southeast Regional Office
Sustainable Fisheries Division
263 13th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-5505
- The IFQ program functions available to participants in the geographic area affected by catastrophic conditions will be limited for those using the paper-based system. There will be no mechanism for transfers of IFQ shares or allocation for those using the paper-based system during catastrophic conditions.
- Assistance in complying with the requirements of the paper-based system will be available via IFQ Customer Service 1-866-425-7627 Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
- Federal regulations provide for delayed reporting by federally permitted for-hire vessels and IFQ paper-based reporting in the event of catastrophic conditions. These regulations require NOAA Fisheries to determine when the catastrophic conditions exist, the duration of the catastrophic conditions, and which participants or geographic areas are affected.
