NOAA Keeps Tuna Treaty Compliance Afloat With 222 Hours of Paperwork
Published Date: 10/19/2026
Notice
Summary
NOAA is asking to keep collecting info from U.S. tuna fishing boats in Pacific Island waters to follow treaty rules. This affects 21 fishing operators who spend about 222 hours yearly filling out reports and licenses. The agency wants to extend this paperwork approval with no big changes, so fishing can keep running smoothly without extra costs or delays.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Annual paperwork for U.S. tuna vessels
If you operate a U.S. purse seine tuna vessel fishing under the South Pacific Tuna Treaty, you must submit annual license and registration forms and periodic catch and unloading reports. The collection covers 21 respondents and totals 222 annual burden hours, with sample times listed (Catch Report: 1 hour; License Application: 1 hour; FFA Application: 45 minutes; Unloading & Transshipment Logsheet: 30 minutes; Expression of Interest: initial 2 hours, renewal 15 minutes).
Must keep Vessel Monitoring Systems operating
You must ensure the continued operation of vessel monitoring system (VMS) units on licensed vessels, which will require periodic maintenance. NOAA says VMS units are part of the FFA-administered VMS used as an enforcement tool.
License info used to assess operator eligibility
Information from your license and registration applications is provided to the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and is used to determine an applicant's operational capability and financial responsibility to fish under the Treaty. This information collection is required by the South Pacific Tuna Act and U.S. implementing regulations (50 CFR part 300, subpart D).
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