VERS: Vessel Electronic Reporting System for Federally Permitted Commercial Fishing

The Vessel Electronic Reporting System (VERS) database facilitates the collection of research data aboard federally permitted commercial fishing vessels. Data are collected via Fisheries Logbook Data Recording Software (FLDRS) to address research needs and satisfy federal Vessel Trip Reporting (VTR) requirements. The dataset is maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and was last updated on March 14, 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyze commercial fishing effort and catch patterns based on electronic logbook data.
• Study compliance with federal reporting requirements based on Vessel Trip Report (VTR) submissions.
• Model fishery stock assessments using research data collected beyond regulatory minimums.
• Develop data management systems for fisheries based on the FLDRS and VERS framework.

Strengths

• Data collection is designed to exceed regulatory requirements for research purposes.
• System is maintained by the authoritative National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
• Last updated on 2026-03-14, indicating recent system activity.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset scale are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Available file format is PDF, which may complicate direct machine processing.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Electronically collected via Fisheries Logbook Data Recording Software (FLDRS) aboard federally permitted commercial fishing vessels.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-14 22:48:20.343718; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Likely focuses on U.S. waters, particularly the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions as suggested by platform tags.