Logbook

A fishing logbook is the vessel’s primary catch-and-effort record: dates, positions, gear, fishing time, and species-level retained and discarded catch, kept by the master and submitted to the flag or coastal state. It is the statutory fishery-dependent data source under the EU control rules and most RFMO reporting schemes, and the figures it carries drive quota uptake monitoring and feed stock assessment. Paper logbooks persist on smaller vessels; larger vessels increasingly file electronic logbooks (e-logbooks) in near real time. Logbook data is self-reported, so it is cross-checked against landings declarations, sales notes, observer records, and electronic monitoring to detect under-reporting and IUU activity.