The economic health of the United States as well as the entire world is significantly impacted by commercial fishing. This business is highly regulated since there is a lot of money to be earned in it. This regulation maintains a healthy level of competition and a safe environment for all commercial anglers. Even though you won’t be bound to the 9-to-5 office schedule when you run your own commercial fishing business, you will still need to pay attention to some paperwork from time to time. Despite the fact that running your own commercial fishing business comes with a sense of freedom, you will, for instance, need the appropriate commercial vessel documentation for the species and geographic area that you want to target. If you are fishing in federal waters, you may additionally be required to present documentation from the United States Coast Guard.
Maintaining up-to-date documentation for your vessel is critical to the successful functioning of your business. Having all your papers in order might be just as important as making sure you have a sufficient supply of life jackets because you are required to keep a valid registration on board at all times. Continue reading to find out more information about the papers required by the United States Coast Guard.
The Role of the United States Coast Guard
The United States of America occupies a sizable portion of the Earth’s landmass when viewed from a large global perspective. Additionally, our country is home to a large quantity of coastline, the preservation of which is of the utmost importance to our national security. This particular duty has been delegated to the United States Coast Guard, which means that, on their end, they are responsible for a variety of obligations.
The United States Coast Guard is responsible for six primary operational missions, which could be described as maritime law enforcement, maritime response, and maritime prevention for all vessels throughout the national territory. Additionally, the U.S. Coast Guard is also in charge of the management of the marine transportation system, security measures at sea, and defense operations across the entire territory.
Monitoring commercial operations carried out in federal waters is an essential part of maritime law enforcement and prevention efforts. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) can accomplish this goal in a number of effective ways, one of which is by giving commercial ships certificates of documentation.
Understanding the Required Documentation
If you want to know whether or not your vessel needs to be documented with the Coast Guard, how do you go about determining that? In the end, the answer to this question will depend on the length of your boat and the specific location of the fishing you intend to undertake. If a vessel’s gross tonnage is greater than five tons and the vessel is participating in commercial activity within a zone designated as an Exclusive Economic Zone, then the vessel is required to submit an application for documentation (EEZ). When it comes to this topic, a good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that if you are going to access federal fisheries, it is usually a good idea to be proactive and register your vessel with the Coast Guard.
What Does “US Coast Guard Documentation” Mean?
If the United States Coast Guard issues you a certificate of documentation, this basically means that your vessel is registered with the federal government. Any previous state titling will be rendered obsolete by this document. Even though boats with a net weight of five tons or more that are used for recreation don’t have to have this document, commercial boats of that size must have it.
In order to acquire a certificate of documentation, you will need to fill out Form CG-1258 (Application for Documentation). This and a few other things can be put together and mailed to the Coast Guard so that they can be processed.
After registering, you will be free to fish commercially in U.S. waters or travel to overseas waters. You will need to submit a new application to get your Certificate of Documentation renewed every five years. Your current registration will be set to expire in around forty-five days. After that, the Coast Guard will send you a reminder regarding this topic via postal mail.
Looking For A Commercial Fishing Permit? We Can Help!
Looking for the best service available? We are able to assist you whether you are wanting to acquire commercial vessel documentation from the United States Coast Guard or fishing permits from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). We are a private agency that specializes in assisting commercial fishermen in acquiring the necessary permits through the use of the internet. Take some time to go over the quick and simple web forms that can be found on our website. The Commercial Fishing Permits Center has you covered no matter what kind of license you might require.
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