II- Fishing Operations Logbook (Libro de registro de operaciones de pesca) to be used on commercial Medium-Scale fishing vessels and Advanced commercial fishing, during fishing trips
The Fishing Operations Logbook (Libro de Registro de Operaciones de Pesca), as indicated in Article 105 of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Law No. 8436, and in Article 114 of the Regulations to the Fisheries and Aquaculture Law, is the equivalent of the logbook (bitácora) indicated in Article 11 Subsection C, of Executive Decree No. 38681-MAG-MINAE.
That according to Executive Decree No. 38681-MAG-MINAE, MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE HARVESTING OF TUNA AND RELATED SPECIES IN THE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE OF THE COSTA RICAN PACIFIC OCEAN (ORDENAMIENTO PARA EL APROVECHAMIENTO DE ATÚN Y ESPECIES AFINES EN LA ZONA ECONÓMICA EXCLUSIVA DEL OCÉANO PACÍFICO COSTARRICENSE) and published in the official gazette La Gaceta No. 213 of November 05, 2014, establishes in Article 11, subsection c, the obligation for each Medium-Scale and Advanced commercial fishing vessel to keep on board a fishing logbook (bitácora) (Fishing Operations Logbook (Libro de Registro de Operaciones de pesca)) and record all the information on fishing operations requested therein, including among others, the objective of the fishing trip, the vessel's equipment and provisioning at the time of departure, the positions of the fishing sets, and any other important information on the fishing trip.
That the fishing logbook (bitácora) is a compendium of forms, of mandatory use for each of the Medium-Scale and Advanced commercial fishing vessels, in which the different information relating to the fishing trip must be recorded, such recorded information being confidential, so that it can only be used for research purposes. The information collected may be used by INCOPESCA to determine the effectiveness of existing management measures or to improve them, considering that the goal is for the logbooks (bitácoras) to have precise and consistent information on the fishery conducted by the Medium-Scale and Advanced commercial fishing vessels.
The Fishing Operations Logbook (Libro de Registro de Operaciones de Pesca) will be composed of two sections:
- 1)Information related to the objective of the fishing trip, the vessel's equipment and provisioning at the time of departure, and the description of the fishing gear. Likewise, the form numbers corresponding to the sets forms and the transshipment form will be recorded, which will not be part of the Fishing Operations Logbook (libro de registro de operaciones de pesca) (bitácora), but must be provided duly completed by the captain, at the time of landing.
- 2)The sets registry forms and the transshipment form will be delivered to each owner of a medium-scale and advanced vessel, along with the Fishing Operations Logbook (libro de registro de operaciones de pesca).
Section 1st-Fishing trip, provisioning, and description of the fishing gear. This section will consider the following variables to be recorded:
Fishing trip Vessel name: Enter the name of the vessel to which the logbook (cuaderno de bitácora) belongs, and which undertakes the fishing trip.
Vessel registration: Code provided by the competent Authority for vessel identification, through which the navigation permit is granted.
Captain's name: Record the name of the Captain who directed the fishing trip.
Fishing license number: Record the fishing license number, a document issued by INCOPESCA.
Departure number: Note the official identification number of the departure authorization (zarpe) issued to the vessel so that it can proceed to carry out its fishing trip.
Departure date: Enter the date on which the vessel left for the fishing trip. This information will be obtained from the Departure Permit (Permiso de Zarpe) issued by the Competent Authority.
Vessel's port of departure: Enter the official name of the place where the vessel's departure (zarpe) occurs.
Vessel departure date: indicate the date on which the vessel departs (zarpa) to carry out its fishing trip.
Arrival dock: Enter the official name of the place where the vessel docks.
Landing dock: Enter the official name of the place where the landing is carried out.
Arrival date: Enter the date on which the vessel arrived at the landing site after carrying out its fishing trip.
Landing date: Enter the date on which the landing inspection begins. The date must be written in the following form: day, month, and year separated by a hyphen. In the case of the day and month, use two digits, and for the year, four digits, in order to avoid confusion or lack of information when tabulating it.
Date of first set: indicate the date on which the first fishing set was made.
Date of last set: indicate the date on which the last fishing set was made.
Effective fishing days: Consider effective fishing days as the number of days on which fishing sets were made.
Target catch: note the species towards which the fishing is directed.
Number of sets: Enter the total number of sets made during the fishing trip.
Number of crew members: note the total number of crew members participating on the vessel and carrying out the fishing trip.
Observer on board: note "yes" or "no" depending on whether during the fishing trip the vessel carries an observer on board.
Transshipment form(s) number(s): if the vessel transshipped product on the high seas, the vessel must complete the transshipment request form and note in this space the form number to which each of the transshipments corresponds.
Sets form(s) number(s): The vessel must complete the sets registry form and note in this space the form number to which the sets per fishing trip correspond.
Provisioning Total outfitting cost: note the total cost of the fishing trip upon the vessel's departure (food, water, fuel, ice, hygiene products, among others).
Quantity of bait per species: note the estimated quantity in kg by type of bait.
Product preservation method: note the method used to preserve the catch on board: a) ice, b) frozen, c) ice and frozen.
Quantity of ice used: In the event that the catch is preserved with ice, it is necessary to note the quantity of ice in kg.
Ice machine: The vessel has a cooling system other than ice:
Other trip expenses: note other expenses incurred during the trip and their value.
General description of the fishing gear Length of the longline: Note in nautical miles the total length of the longline. The distance from the first flag of the line to where the last flag is cast.
Depth at which the longline is used: Enter the average depth of the fishing ground or site where the fishing trip is carried out. Specify the value in meters or in fathoms.
Distance between hooks: record the distance between each hook. Indicate the distance in fathoms.
Number of hooks between buoys: Write the number of hooks located between each buoy.
Number of radio buoys: Write the number of radio buoys used on the mainline.
Number of buoys between flags: Write the number of buoys or plastic floats (galones) located between one flag and another.
Number of flags between radio buoys: Write the number of flags located between each of the radio buoys.
Total number of hooks used in the longline: Note the average number of hooks used in each of the fishing sets.
Hook size: specify the size of the hooks used during the fishing trip.
Length of the buoy line or dropper (boyero o bajante): Note the length of the line ("mecatilla") between the float and the mainline. Indicate the length in fathoms.
Length of the branch line or snood (reinal o chilillo): Write the average distance from the clip (gacilla) that holds the branch line to the mainline, up to the hook. Indicate the length in fathoms.
Lower branch line (reinal) of steel: Indicate if the branch line or snood (reinal o chilillo) uses a steel cable to hold the hook and mark with an "x" the options: yes or no.
Loss of fishing gear: In the event that buoys or radio buoys marked with the vessel's registration number and name are lost during the fishing trip, it is necessary for the captain to note the coordinates where the loss occurred and the size or quantity of the gear that was lost.
The Fishing Operations Logbook (libro de operaciones de pesca) must be duly paginated by the Legal Department of INCOPESCA, and the permit holder will assume the costs of both the Fishing Operations Logbook (Libro de operación de pesca), and the cost of the sets forms and the transshipment form.
- III)Forms Sets Sheet 2) The Marking of fishing gear of commercial Medium-Scale and Advanced vessels takes effect one month after its publication, and the Fishing Operations Logbook (L i b r o de registro de operaciones de pesca) to be used on commercial Medium-Scale fishing vessels and Advanced commercial fishing, during fishing trips, as well as the Forms, will take effect three months after their publication.
- 3)Firm Agreement.