# 2025-10996: Fishing boats can replace human observers with electronic catch monitors

2025-10996, Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; West Coast Region Groundfish Trawl Fishery Electronic Monitoring Program, is a Federal Register notice from Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published 2025-06-16, effective Comments regarding this proposed information collection must be received on or before August 15, 2025.; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-02).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-10996
- As of: 2026-11-02
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2025-10996
- Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; West Coast Region Groundfish Trawl Fishery Electronic Monitoring Program
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Commerce Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Citation: 90 FR 25237
- Published: 2025-06-16
- Effective: Comments regarding this proposed information collection must be received on or before August 15, 2025.
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-11-02

## In one line

Fishing boats can replace human observers with electronic catch monitors

## Summary

NOAA is renewing a plan that lets West Coast groundfish trawl fishery boats use electronic monitoring instead of human observers to track their catch. This helps keep fishing fair and accurate while saving money. Fishermen and fishery managers should share their thoughts by August 15, 2025, to help shape the program’s future.

## Abstract

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

## Effects PRIA read

- Vessels may use electronic monitoring instead of observers: benefit, medium. Vessels in the West Coast groundfish trawl fishery may choose electronic monitoring (EM) — video cameras plus sensors like GPS and motion sensors — instead of the required 100% human observer coverage under 50 CFR 660 subpart J. NOAA says EM can be reviewed onshore after trips and "has the potentia…
- Paperwork and compliance costs to use EM: cost, high. To use EM, vessel owners and EM service providers must submit permit applications, vessel logbooks, and video hard drives and follow other reporting rules. NOAA estimates 200 respondents, a total annual burden of 5,123 hours, and an estimated total annual cost to the public of $1,036,067 for this i…

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## Sources
- [2025-10996 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/06/16/2025-10996/agency-information-collection-activities-submission-to-the-office-of-management-and-budget-omb-for)
- [2025-10996 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-06-16/pdf/2025-10996.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2025-10995, 30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Operating Fund Shortfall Prog…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-10995)
- [Next: 2025-11000, Combined Notice of Filings](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-11000)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-10996 (as of 2026-11-02).