(a) Applicability. This section contains the equipment and operational requirements for scales used to weigh catch at sea, scales used to weigh catch at IFQ first receivers, hardware and software for electronic fish tickets, and computer hardware for electronic logbook software. Unless otherwise specified by regulation, the operator or manager must retain, for 3 years, a copy of all records described in this section and make the records available upon request to NMFS staff or an authorized officer.

(b) Scales used to weigh fish at sea. Vessel owners, operators, and managers are jointly and severally responsible for their vessel's compliance with the requirements specified in this section.

(1) Performance and technical requirements for scales in the MS and C/P Co-op Programs. A scale used to weigh fish in the MS and C/P Co-op Programs must meet the type evaluation, initial inspection, and annual reinspection requirements set forth in 50 CFR 679.28(b)(1) and (2), and must be approved by NMFS to weigh fish at sea.

(2) Annual inspection. Once a scale is installed on a vessel and approved by NMFS for use to weigh fish at sea, it must be reinspected annually within 12 months of the date of the most recent inspection to determine if the scale meets all of the applicable performance and technical requirements as described in 50 CFR 679.28(b).

(3) Daily testing. Each scale used to weigh fish must be tested at least once each calendar day to ensure that each scale meets the maximum permissible error requirements described at paragraph (b)(4) of this section.

(4) Daily at-sea scale tests. To verify that the scale meets the maximum permissible errors specified in this paragraph, each scale used to weigh fish must be tested at least one time during each calendar day when use of the scale is required. The tests must be performed in an accurate and timely manner.

(i) Flow or Belt scales—(A) Maximum permissible errors. The maximum permissible errors for the daily at-sea scale test is plus or minus 3 percent of the known weight of the test material.

(B) Test Procedure. A test must be conducted by weighing no less than 400 kg (882 lb) of test material, supplied by the scale manufacturer or approved by a NMFS-authorized scale inspector, on the scale under test. The test material may be run across the scale multiple times in order to total 400 kg; however, no single run of test material across the scale may weigh less than 40 kg (88.2 lb). The known weight of test material must be determined at the time of each scale test by weighing it on a platform scale approved for use under 50 CFR 679.28(b)(7).

(ii) Platform scales required for observer sampling or to determine known weight of test material on mothership and catcher/processor vessels—(A) Maximum permissible errors. The maximum permissible errors for the daily at-sea scale test for platform scales is plus or minus 0.5 percent of the weight tested.

(B) Test Procedure. A platform scale used for observer sampling must be tested at 10, 25, and 50 kg (or 20, 50, and 100 lb if the scale is denominated in pounds) using approved test weights. Any combination of test weights that will allow the scale to be tested at 10 kg, 25 kg, and 50 kg may be used. A platform scale used to weigh fish must be tested at a weight equal to the largest amount of fish that will be weighed on the scale in one weighing.

(C) Approved test weights. Each test weight must have its weight stamped on or otherwise permanently affixed to it. The weight of each test weight must be annually certified by a National Institute of Standards and Technology-approved metrology laboratory or approved for continued use by the NMFS authorized inspector at the time of the annual scale inspection.

(iii) Requirements for all at-sea scale tests. The following conditions must be met:

(A) Notify the observer at least 15 minutes before the time that the test will be conducted, and conduct the test while the observer is present.

(B) Conduct the scale test by placing the test material or test weights on or across the scale and recording the following information on the at-sea scale test report form:

(1) Vessel name;

(2) Month, day, and year of test;

(3) Time test started to the nearest minute in local time;

(4) Known weight of test materials or test weights;

(5) Weight of test material or test weights recorded by scale;

(6) Percent error as determined by subtracting the known weight of the test material or test weights from the weight recorded on the scale, dividing that amount by the known weight of the test material or test weights, and multiplying by 100; and

(7) Signature of operator.

(C) Maintain the scale test report form from all at-sea scale tests, including test report forms from failed scale tests on board the vessel until the end of the fishing year during which the tests were conducted, and make the report forms available to observers, NMFS staff, or authorized officers. In addition, the scale test report forms must be retained for 3 years after the end of the fishing year during which the tests were performed. Each scale test report form must be signed by the operator immediately following completion of each scale test.

(5) Scale maintenance. The scale must be maintained in proper operating condition throughout its use; adjustments made to the scale must be made to bring the performance errors as close as practicable to a zero value; and no adjustment may be made that will cause the scale to weigh fish inaccurately.

(6) Printed reports from the scale (not applicable to observer sampling scales). Printed reports are provided to NMFS as required by this paragraph. Printed reports from the scale must be maintained on board the vessel until the end of the year during which the reports were made, and made available to observers, NMFS staff or authorized officers. In addition, printed reports must be retained for 3 years after the end of the year during which the printouts were made.

(i) Printed reports of catch weight and cumulative weight. Reports must be printed at least once every calendar day when use of the scale is required. Reports must also be printed before any information stored in the scale computer memory is replaced. Scale weights must not be adjusted by the scale operator to account for the perceived weight of water, slime, mud, debris, or other materials. Scale printouts must show:

(A) The vessel name and Federal vessel permit number;

(B) The date and time the information was printed;

(C) The haul number;

(D) The total weight of the haul; and

(E) The total cumulative weight of all fish and other material weighed on the scale since the last annual inspection.

(ii) Printed report from the audit trail. The printed report must include the information specified in sections 2.3.1.8, 3.3.1.7, and 4.3.1.8 of appendix A to 50 CFR part 679. The printed report must be provided to the authorized scale inspector at each scale inspection and must also be printed at any time upon request of the observer, NMFS personnel or an authorized officer.

(iii) Printed report from calibration log. The operator must print the calibration log on request by NMFS staff or an authorized officer, or person authorized by NMFS. The calibration log must be printed and retained before any information stored in the scale computer memory is replaced. The calibration log must detail either the prior 1,000 calibrations or all calibrations since the scale electronics were first put into service, whichever is less. The printout from the calibration log must show:

(A) The vessel name and Federal fisheries or processor permit number;

(B) The month, day, and year of the calibration;

(C) The time of the calibration to the nearest minute in local time;

(D) The weight used to calibrate the scale; and

(E) The magnitude of the calibration in comparison to the prior calibration.

(iv) Printed reports from the fault log. The operator must print the fault log on request by NMFS staff, an authorized officer or person authorized by NMFS. The fault log must be printed and retained before any information stored in the scale computer memory is replaced. The fault log must detail either the prior 1,000 faults and startups, or all faults and startups since the scale electronics were first put into service, whichever is less. A fault, for the purposes of the fault log, is any condition other than underflow detected by the scale electronics that could affect the metrological accuracy of the scale. The printout from the fault log must show:

(A) The vessel name and Federal fisheries or processor permit number;

(B) The month, day, year, and time of each startup to the nearest minute in local time;

(C) The month, day, year, and time that each fault began to the nearest minute in local time; and

(D) The month, day, year, and time that each fault was resolved to the nearest minute in local time.

(v) Platform scales used for observer sampling. A platform scale used for observer sampling is not required to produce a printed record.

(7) Video monitoring for scales used by the vessel crew to weigh catch. Mothership or Catcher/Processor vessels required to weigh fish under the regulations in this section must provide and maintain a NMFS-approved video monitoring system as specified in paragraph (e) of this section.

(c) Scales used to weigh fish at IFQ first receivers—performance and technical requirements. Scale requirements in this paragraph are in addition to those requirements set forth by the State in which the scale is located, and nothing in this paragraph may be construed to reduce or supersede the authority of the State to regulate, test, or approve scales within the State. Scales used to weigh fish that are also required to be approved by the State must meet the following requirements:

(1) Verification of approval. The scale must display a valid sticker indicating that the scale is currently approved in accordance with the laws of the state where the scale is located.

(2) Visibility. The IFQ first receiver must ensure that the scale and scale display are visible simultaneously to the catch monitor. Catch monitors, NMFS staff, NMFS-authorized personnel, or authorized officers must be allowed to observe the weighing of fish on the scale and be allowed to read the scale display at all times.

(3) Printed scale weights.

(i) An IFQ first receiver must ensure that printouts of the scale weight of each delivery or offload are made available to the catch monitor, NMFS staff, to NMFS-authorized personnel, or to authorized officers at the time printouts are generated. An IFQ first receiver must maintain printouts on site until the end of the fishing year during which the printouts were made and make them available upon request by the catch monitor, NMFS staff, NMFS-authorized personnel, or authorized officers for 3 years after the end of the fishing year during which the printout was made.

(ii) All scales identified in a catch monitoring plan (see § 660.140(f)(3)) must produce a printed record for each landing, or portion of a landing, weighed on that scale. NMFS may exempt, through approval of the NMFS-accepted catch monitoring plan, scales not designed for automatic bulk weighing from part or all of the printed record requirements. IFQ first receivers that receive no more than 200,000 pounds of groundfish in any calendar month may be exempt under § 660.140(j)(2). For scales that must produce a printed record, the printed record must include:

(A) The IFQ first receiver's name;

(B) The weight of each load in the weighing cycle;

(C) The total weight of fish in each landing, or portion of the landing that was weighed on that scale;

(D) For belt scales and weight belts, the total cumulative weight of all fish or other material weighed on the scale since the last inspection;

(E) The date the information is printed; and

(F) The name and vessel registration or documentation number of the vessel making the landing. The person operating the scale may write this information on the scale printout in ink at the time of printing.

(4) Inseason scale testing. IFQ first receivers must allow, and provide reasonable assistance to NMFS staff, NMFS-authorized personnel, and authorized officers to test scales used to weigh IFQ fish. A scale that does not pass an inseason test may not be used to weigh IFQ fish until the scale passes an inseason test or is approved for continued use by the weights and measures authorities of the State in which the scale is located.

(i) Inseason testing criteria. To pass an inseason test, NMFS staff or authorized officers must be able to verify that:

(A) The scale display and printed information are clear and easily read under all conditions of normal operation;

(B) Weight values are visible on the display until the value is printed;

(C) The scale does not exceed the maximum permissible errors specified in this paragraph:

(1) Flow scales (also known as belt scales and weight belts). The maximum permissible error is plus or minus 0.25 percent of the known weight of the test material with repeatability between tests of no more than 0.25 percent. Percent error is determined by subtracting the known weight of the test material or test weights from the weight recorded on the scale, dividing that amount by the known weight of the test material or test weights, and multiplying by 100.

(2) All other scales.

(D) Automatic weighing systems. An automatic weighing system must be provided and operational that will prevent fish from passing over the scale or entering any weighing hopper unless the following criteria are met:

(1) No catch may enter or leave a weighing hopper until the weighing cycle is complete;

(2) No product may be cycled and weighed if the weight recording element is not operational; and

(3) No product may enter a weighing hopper until the prior weighing cycle has been completed and the scale indicator has returned to a zero.

(ii) [Reserved]

(d) Electronic fish tickets. First receivers are required to meet the hardware and software requirements below.

(1) Hardware and software requirements. A personal computer system, tablet, mobile device, or other device that has software (e.g., web browser) capable of submitting information over the internet, such that submission to Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission can be executed effectively.

(2) Internet access. The first receiver is responsible for maintaining internet access sufficient to access the web-based interface and submit completed electronic fish ticket forms.

(3) Maintenance. The first receiver is responsible for ensuring that all hardware and software required under this subsection are fully operational and functional whenever they receive, purchase, or take custody, control, or possession of groundfish species for which an electronic fish ticket is required. “Functional” means that the software requirements and minimum hardware requirements described at paragraphs (d)(1) and (2) of this section are met and submission to Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission can be executed effectively by the equipment.

(4) Improving data quality. Vessel owners and operators, first receivers, or shoreside processor owners, or managers may contact NMFS to request assistance in improving data quality and resolving issues. Requests may be submitted to: Attn: Electronic Fish Ticket Monitoring, National Marine Fisheries Service, West Coast Region, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 7600 Sand Point Way, NE., Seattle, WA 98115.

(e) Video monitoring systems used monitor at-sea scales—(1) Performance and technical requirements for video monitoring systems for the MS and C/P Co-op Programs. A video monitoring system used to monitor at-sea scales must meet the system requirements and system inspections, set forth in 50 CFR 679.28(e)(1) through (4) and be issued a Video Monitoring Inspection Report verifying that the video system meets all applicable requirements for use in the Alaska Pollock fishery. Any change to the system must meet the requirements specified at 50 CFR 679.28(e)(7) and be approved by the Alaska Regional Administrator in writing before any changes are made.

(i) MS or C/P vessels required to weigh fish at sea under the regulations in this section must:

(A) Provide and maintain a video monitoring system that provides sufficient resolution and field of view to monitor: All areas where catch enters the scale, moves across the scale and leaves the scale; any access point to the scale from which the scale may be adjusted or modified by vessel crew while the vessel is at sea; and the scale display and the indicator for the scale operating in a fault state.

(B) Record and retain video for all periods when catch that must be weighed is on board the vessel.

(ii) [Reserved]

(2) Video Monitoring System Inspection Report. A current NMFS-issued Video Monitoring System Inspection Report must be maintained on board the vessel at all times the vessel is required to have an approved video monitoring system. The Video Monitoring System Inspection Report must be made available to the observer, NMFS staff, or to an authorized officer upon request.

(3) Retention of records. Consistent with the requirements set forth at 50 CFR 679.28(e)(1), the video data must be maintained on the vessel and made available on request by NMFS staff, or any individual authorized by NMFS. The data must be retained on board the vessel for no less than 120 days after the date the video is recorded, unless NMFS has notified the operator in writing that the video data may be retained for less than this 120-day period.

[75 FR 78375, Dec. 15, 2010, as amended at 76 FR 74733, Dec. 1, 2011; 77 FR 55155, Sept. 7, 2012; 81 FR 27008, May 5, 2016; 81 FR 84426, Nov. 23, 2016; 88 FR 81358, Nov. 22, 2023]