Operator cards are required for any operator of a charter/party boat and or a commercial vessel (including carrier and processor vessels) issued a vessel permit from the Greater Atlantic Region and possessing or fishing for Atlantic Sea Scallops, Northeast Multispecies, Spiny Dogfish, Monkfish, American Lobster, Atlantic Herring, Atlantic Surfclam, Ocean Quahog, Maine Mahogany Quahog, Atlantic Mackerel, Loligo Squid, Illex Squid, Butterfish, Scup, Black Sea Bass, Golden Tilefish, Skates, Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab, or Atlantic Bluefish, in or from the EEZ.

A dealer permit is required for the first purchaser of catch from a Federally permitted fishing vessel. It allows a company to buy catch that are regulated by a Fishery Management Plan. The permit identifies the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) that regulates the catch that may be purchased and, sometimes, a category, which indicates what the dealer intends to do with the catch, e.g., process it. Multiple species may be listed on a single dealer permit.

A dealer needs only one permit, irrespective of the number of locations where it actually purchases the catch. The only exception to this rule is that every dealer vessel requires its own permit; thus, if a dealer owns multiple vessels, it needs multiple permits.

In order to obtain a permit, the dealer must fill out and submit an application form. Permits must be renewed every year, by submitting a renewal application. Requests for renewal will be denied if the dealer is not in compliance with the applicable electronic reporting requirements.

This dataset contains LOA data on fishing vessels who are permitted with the Greater Atlantic Region Fisheries Office. This table includes the effective dates by vessel and permit number for each issued letter of authorization (LOA) by the Permit Office (APSD)

The MQRS Data Set - Tracks a vessel's eligibility for limited access permits, including when they have been placed in CPH.

This database was established to oversee documents issued in support of fishery research activities including experimental fishing permits (EFP), letters of acknowledgement (LOA), temporary possession permits (TPP), exempted educational activity authorizations (EEAA), and scientific research permits (SRP) . Specifically, the primary objectives are:

1. Oversee research document applications;

2. Track vessels authorized to operate under these documents; and

3. Monitor the activity and catch from vessels operating under these documents.

Certain fishery management programs require vessels to obtain gillnet tags to be used with their gillnet gear. Gillnet tag data is a collection of requests and subsequent issuance of these tags and associated documentation. Following is the regulatory requirement as posted on GARFO's public web site:

A vessel owner electing to fish with gillnet gear in the Northeast (NE) multispecies or monkfish fisheries must complete a gillnet tag form. All vessels issued a limited access NE multispecies permit in Categories A, E, or F that fish with gillnet gear must obtain an annual designation as either a Day or Trip gillnet vessel.

This describes the data set used to monitor quotas managed by the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office.