Electronic reporting, or E-Reporting, is a quick and easy way to submit your commercial harvest information to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MD DNR). The Fishing Activity & Catch Tracking System (FACTSTM) is an online harvest reporting system that has been customized to meet the needs of Maryland commercial watermen. E-Reporting with FACTSTM can save you time and provide 24/7 secure access to all of your trip information and harvest history. Participation in the program is free and voluntary, and online trainings are readily available on MD DNR’s E-Reporting website. Technical support is also provided via a 24-hour Helpline for issues encountered in the field.
To learn more about the program or become a participant, visit MD DNR’s E-Reporting website or call the Program Coordinator, Stephanie Richards, at 410-240-8314.
Accurate catch reporting and hailing by the commercial fishing industry is pivotal to better management of Maryland’s fisheries. E-Reporting with FACTSTM allows watermen in the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding tributaries to submit harvest reports directly to MD DNR electronically on the day of harvest. Participants use the system only on the days that they go out to commercially harvest and can benefit from special program flexibilities. The FACTSTM mobile web application helps commercial license holders to:
E-Reporting with FACTSTM offers watermen flexibility in the way that they fish while enhancing accountability in the reporting process.
ORP coordinated the E-Reporting program in May 2012 with the goals of increasing the accountability of crab harvests and better managing blue crab stock. In 2014 and 2015, the pilot program expanded to include the Striped Bass fishery. Since then, the program has expanded to include all finfish and the for-hire fleet of charter boats. Shellfish will be added soon. More than 750 watermen are participating in the program and the system supports over 20,000 trips annually.
