{"data":{"id":"us/50-cfr-600.1500","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"50 CFR 600.1500","heading":"Definitions and acronyms.","body":"In addition to the definitions in the Magnuson-Stevens Act and in § 600.10, and the acronyms in § 600.15, the terms and acronyms in this subpart have the following meanings:\nAuthorized entity means a person, defined at 16 U.S.C. 1802(36), authorized to receive data transmitted by a VMS unit.\nBench configuration means the configuration of a VMS unit after it has been customized to meet the Federal VMS requirements.\nBundle means a mobile communications service and VMS unit sold as a package and considered one product. If a bundle is type-approved, the requestor will be the type-approval holder for the bundled MCS and VMS unit.\nCellular communication means the wireless transmission of VMS data via a cellular network.\nCommunication class means the satellite or cellular communications operator from which communications services originate.\nElectronic form means a pre-formatted message transmitted by a VMS unit that is required for the collection of data for a specific fishery program (e.g., declaration system, catch effort reporting).\nEnhanced Mobile Transceiver Unit (EMTU) means a type of MTU that is capable of supporting two-way communication, messaging, and electronic forms transmission via satellite. An EMTU is a transceiver or communications device, including an antenna, and dedicated message terminal and display which can support a dedicated input device such as a tablet or keyboard, installed on fishing vessels participating in fisheries with a VMS requirement.\nEnhanced Mobile Transceiver Unit, Cellular Based (EMTU-C) means an EMTU that transmits and receives data via cellular communications, except that it may not need a dedicated message terminal and display component at the time of approval as explained at § 600.1502(a)(6). An EMTU-C only needs to be capable of transmission and reception when in the range of a cellular network.\nLatency means the state of untimely delivery of Global Positioning System position reports and electronic forms to NMFS (i.e., information is not delivered to NMFS consistent with timing requirements of this subpart).\nMobile Communications Service (MCS) means the satellite and/or cellular communications services used with particular VMS units.\nMobile Communications Service Provider (MCSP) means an entity that sells VMS satellite and/or cellular communications services to end users.\nMobile Transmitter Unit (MTU) means a VMS unit capable of transmitting Global Positioning System position reports via satellite. (MTUs are no longer approved for new installations on VMS vessels).\nNotification Letter means a letter issued by NMFS to a type-approval holder identifying an alleged failure of a VMS unit, MCS, or the type-approval holder to comply with the requirements of this subpart.\nPosition report means the unique global positioning system (GPS) report generated by a vessel's VMS unit, which identifies the vessel's latitude/longitude position at a point in time. Position reports are sent from the VMS unit via the MCS, to authorized entities.\nRequestor means a vendor seeking type-approval.\nService life means the length of time during which a VMS unit remains fully operational with reasonable repairs.\nSniffing means the unauthorized and illegitimate monitoring and capture, through use of a computer program or device, of data being transmitted over a network.\nSpoofing means the reporting of a false Global Positioning System position and/or vessel identity.\nTime stamp means the time, in hours, minutes, and seconds in a position report. Each position report is time stamped.\nType-approval holder means an applicant whose type-approval request has been approved pursuant to this subpart.\nVendor means a commercial provider of VMS hardware, software, and/or mobile communications services.\nVessel Monitoring System (VMS) means, for purposes of this subpart, a satellite and/or cellular based system designed to monitor the location and movement of vessels using onboard VMS units that send Global Positioning System position reports to an authorized entity.\nVessel Monitoring System (VMS) data means the data transmitted to authorized entities from a VMS unit.\nVessel Monitoring System Program means the Federal program that manages the vessel monitoring system, data, and associated program-components, nationally and in each NMFS region; it is housed in the Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service's Office of Law Enforcement.\nVessel Monitoring System (VMS) Unit means MTU, EMTU or EMTU-C, as well as the units that can operate as both an EMTU and an EMTU-C.\nVessel Monitoring System (VMS) Vessels means vessels that operate in federally managed fisheries with a requirement to carry and operate a VMS unit.","path":["Title 50—Wildlife and Fisheries","CHAPTER VI—FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE","PART 600—MAGNUSON-STEVENS ACT PROVISIONS","Subpart Q—Vessel Monitoring System Type-Approval"],"source_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-25/title-50.xml","current_through":"2026-08-25","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T02:26:39Z","sha256":"dc279059a206e4d8e349c1e2f7ac51c89786ac5de954900fb31d14c14c7b787e","source_id":"us-cfr","stale":true,"prev":"us/50-cfr-600.1417","next":"us/50-cfr-600.1501"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}