The Deckhand electronic logbook, software for digital data collection, has been officially approved by the Alaska Regional Office of the National Marine Fisheries Service for use in two fisheries, the Alaska catcher vessel trawl and fixed gear longline, the company said Jan. 24.
“This approval helps advance modernization in fisheries data collection and reporting by enabling operators to finally say goodbye to traditional paper logbooks,” the Deckhand, a Bellingham, Wash.-based company, explained in a statement.
Fishermen who report federally using the NMFS Daily Fishing Logbook (DFL) in catcher vessel trawl and fixed gear longline fisheries in Alaska now can subscribe to Deckhand as a fully electronic option.
Those who were trialing Deckhand over the last two years and reporting to NOAA Fisheries no longer need to print copies of electronic logbook records on board; they may instead submit their logbook reports directly to the agency via the software.
The approval comes after two years of pilot projects in the Alaska region, made possible in part through grant funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) for the longline fleet and support from industry partners, such as the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, North Pacific Fisheries Association, Deep Sea Fishermen’s Union, the Fishing Vessel Owner’s Association, International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), Mackay Communications, and others.
In addition to this approval, longline fishermen who have a reporting obligation to the IPHC can use Deckhand for data collection and reporting to dockside field staff and headquarters.
Fishermen have testified that Deckhand helps reduce paperwork, increase efficiency in the wheelhouse, improve accuracy of data collected at sea and enhance contributions to sustainability goals, according to Deckhand.
“The technology makes operators’ lives on the front lines easier,” the company said, adding that additional guidance as a result of NOAA Fisheries’ approval is being distributed to users and regional stakeholders.
A limited number of Deckhand units are still available free for longline operators, made possible with funding from NFWF. Interested parties should call (509) 850-9916 to order while supplies last. Fishermen also can contact Mackay Marine in Dutch Harbor for sales at (907) 581-1679.
More information on the Deckhand e-logbook is available at www.deckhand-solutions.com or by visiting @deckhandlogbook on social media.