NOAA Keeps Clam Fishers Quota Forms Flowing Smoothly
Published Date: 12/17/2025
Notice
Summary
NOAA is asking to keep collecting info from about 180 surfclam and ocean quahog fishers to manage their fishing quotas fairly. This update extends current paperwork rules, making sure fishers keep reporting details like permit applications and transfers without adding extra hassle. The public has 30 more days to comment, and the whole process takes about 194 hours yearly across all fishers.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Continued Mandatory ITQ Reporting
NOAA will continue requiring surfclam and ocean quahog Individual Transfer Quota (ITQ) permit holders to submit permit applications, renewals, transfer requests, and ownership information. The collection covers about 180 unique respondents, with a total annual burden of 194 hours and OMB Control Number 0648-0240; routine forms take 5 minutes each, new ownership forms take 1 hour, and the shucking-at-sea application takes 30 minutes.
Observer Requirement for At-Sea Shucking
Vessels that shuck surfclams or ocean quahogs at sea must carry a National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)-approved observer on board to certify the amount harvested because there is no standard conversion factor from shucked to unshucked product.
PSP Testing Rules for Georges Bank Fishery
Permit holders who fish in the portion of Georges Bank reopened beginning in 2012 must comply with the Protocol for Onboard Screening and Dockside Testing for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) developed with FDA and adopted by the National Shellfish Sanitation Program in October 2011. This testing is required to verify that clams from the reopened area are safe to eat.
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