The 17 ACCSP partners responsible for
collecting commercial fisheries data are at various stages in
implementing the ACCSP's standards. They include the National Marine
Fisheries Service, the resource agencies of the 15 Atlantic coast
states and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission. These partners
regulate the fishing industries in their respective areas and are
responsible for collecting data that meet the ACCSP's minimum standards
for data elements and timeliness.
The ACCSP's standards for data collection, including quality control
and assurance, are detailed in the ACCSP Program Design. The ACCSP
standards are organized into six data modules:
1. Catch and Effort Data,
including quota monitoring
2. Permit and Vessel Registration Data
3. Biological Data
4. Bycatch, Releases, and Protected
Species Interactions Data
5. Economic and Sociological Data
6. Metadata
Catch and
Effort Data
The ACCSP standard for commercial catch and effort data is mandatory,
trip-level reporting of all species commercially harvested with
reporting of specific minimum data elements; including species,
quantity, state and port of landing, market grade and category, areas
fished and hours fished. All marine products sold, bartered, or
otherwise exchanged for value should be handled through a permitted
seafood dealer or fisherman. Dealers and/or harvesters landing catches
must report to the state of landing. Federally permitted dealers and
harvesters must report the state of landing to the National Marine
Fisheries Service through the appropriate federal reporting process.
Dealers and/or fishermen should report landings data monthly or more
frequently to the ACCSP partner that issued their permit or license.
Each gear and area combination should be detailed; such as separate
listings each time the fisherman changes gear or fishing area within a
trip. Price data are preferred at the trip-level, but partners may opt
to collect prices through dealer surveys.
Partners have numerous options for easing reporting and data entry
burden and still collecting data that meet ACCSP standards, including:
· One-ticket or two-ticket system: In a one-ticket system,
both dealer and fisherman report different data on a single form. In a
two-ticket system, the fisherman reports trip data and catch estimates
on one form, the dealer reports landing weights and quantity on another
form.
· SAFIS: A real-time online reporting system for fishermen
and dealers developed and managed by the ACCSP staff.
· Reporting software: Several southeast states offer the
industry commercial software for submitting landings reports.
· Negative reports: Dealers and fishermen may submit
negative, or "no-activity," reports when no species are caught or
purchased. However, fishing trips that result in no catch are still
considered trips, and fishermen should report all other minimum data
elements, such as hours fished and areas fished.
|
Quota Monitoring
Fisheries
managed using quotas require complete monitoring of commercial landings
and more frequent reporting of catch data. The ACCSP partners have
examined a variety of methods for reducing reporting intervals for
quota-managed species. Partners using SAFIS, a real-time online
reporting system for catch and effort data, have a quota monitoring
mechanism built-in. Currently, the ACCSP endorses telephone Interactive
Voice Response (IVR) systems to monitor quotas for partners not using
SAFIS. Other methods, such as operator assisted voice response systems,
U.S. mail, voicemail, and fax, may also be acceptable for reporting
commercial quotas.
Fishermen
and dealers should provide quota reports to a state or federal partner
as required by law. Quotas are set under state, ASMFC, or federal
fishery management plans. Unless otherwise required by law, when less
than 75% of a quota is reached, reports should be submitted at least
monthly, within 15 days of the end of the month: after 75% of the quota
is reached, reports should be submitted weekly, by noon on Thursday of
the following week.
|
Permit and
Vessel Registration Data
Commercial fishermen and dealers often operate in multiple areas and
have licenses and permits from multiple state and federal agencies. For
scientists and fishery managers to understand the impacts of regulation
on fishing communities there must be a mechanism that shows where and
when participants and vessels work. With this information scientists
can create models and make predictions on what may happen to a coastal
area's fishing industry and economy under a new regulation.
Scientists can create models using the ACCSP's data warehouse, but they
need a "unique identifier" for each vessel, corporation, and individual
participant engaging in the fishery. The number on the hull of a vessel
is that vessel's unique identifier. The employer identification number
is a corporation's unique identifier. For an individual participant,
such as a commercial fisherman or an unincorporated dealer, the unique
identifier is a code commonly called the New Hampshire Identifier, and
is composed of:
· Birth month
· First letter of last name
· Last letter of last name
· First Letter of first name
· Birth year
· Birth day
· Sequential number (creates a unique identifier when other
components are identical)
In some cases the necessary information will not be available to create
the New Hampshire Identifier, so the Massachusetts Division of Marine
Fisheries is developing an alternative unique identifier. The
alternative may include some combination of name, location and phone
number.
Biological
Sampling
Biological sampling includes species identification, length and weight
measurements, and extraction of hard-parts and tissues. The ACCSP
Program Design defines minimum data elements, including
species-specific length-frequency measurements and aging protocols for
Atlantic coastal fish species. The Program Design also addresses
sub-sampling procedures to ensure samples are representative.
Base-level samples are collected through long-standing regional
sampling programs: the NOAA Fisheries Northeast Biological Sampling
Program and the Southeast Trip Interview Program (TIP). These programs
are coordinated with state partners. Trained field personnel, or port
agents, perform biological sampling. They visit docks, unloading sites,
and fish houses to collect samples. Dealers are expected to reasonably
accommodate samplers with space and access to landed catches. The ACCSP
recommends development of regional aging centers to take advantage of
the scientific expertise available coastwide and to maximize funding
available for processing samples.
The ACCSP provides funding to partners to increase sampling of priority
species. The ACCSP Biological Review panel recommends annual sampling
levels for all state and federal priority species by quarter for both
the northeast and southeast regions. Species managed under fishery
management plans are considered highest priority. The ACCSP staff sends
the annual request for recommendations to all partners and relevant
committees. The Biological Review Panel synthesizes the partner
recommendations and generates the Biological Prioritization Matrix to
be used as a guide in distributing funding.
Bycatch,
Releases, and Protected Species Interactions Data
The ACCSP bycatch, releases, and protected species interactions
standards for commercial fisheries are based on a variety of sampling
programs and some self-reported data. Observers are assigned to
randomly sample commercial fishing vessels for fish species thrown back
into the water and any interactions with species protected by law.
Commercial fishermen may be required to report bycatch data on their
catch/effort reports for each trip and must report interactions with
protected species that result in injury or death. Other bycatch data
sources are the Sea Turtle and Marine Mammal Stranding and Entanglement
Networks, beach bird surveys, port sampling to verify data from
fisherman reports, and real-time mandatory reporting.
Bycatch data for federally protected species and managed fish species
are the highest priority. Commercial fishing vessels are required to
accommodate at-sea observers as a condition of permitting. The ACCSP
has adopted the NOAA Fisheries National Observer Program as the
standard for training and certifying at-sea observers. The Atlantic
coast states should follow similar protocols to train observers for
state regulated fisheries. Fisherman reporting of protected species
interactions is mandatory. Reporting of non-protected species releases
and discards through catch/effort reports is voluntary. Partners should
develop outreach and training efforts to encourage accuracy by
fishermen submitting bycatch reports.
The ACCSP Bycatch Committee recommends priority fisheries for bycatch
sampling. The ACCSP staff sends the annual request for recommendations
to all partners and relevant committees. The Bycatch Committee
synthesizes partner recommendations and generates the Bycatch
Prioritization Matrix, which is used as a guide in distributing
funding. High-priority fisheries should have observers aboard five
percent of trips. Other fisheries should have observers aboard two
percent of trips.
Economic and
Sociological Data
The ACCSP standards for economic and sociological data for commercial
fisheries include random voluntary sampling of fishing vessels for:
· Annual Fixed Costs - data collected from vessel
owners/operators,
· Trip Costs - variable costs for a commercial fishing
vessel's most recent trip, and
· Sociological Information - annual survey of
owner/captain/crew.
The ACCSP will conduct evaluation studies to determine appropriate
methodologies for surveys, including which data collection modes and
statistical designs prove most effective. The ACCSP standards include
approved survey instruments and quality control and assurance
procedures. Price data for commercially harvested species are preferred
at the trip-level, but partners may collect price through dealer
surveys. Partners who choose the survey methodology should have the
survey instruments reviewed by the ASMFC Committee on Economics and
Social Sciences.
Scientists will use survey data to determine what may happen to a
fishing community under proposed regulations. All economic and
sociological information collected on a vessel or an individual is
confidential. Only users authorized in the ACCSP confidentiality
protocols will have access to confidential data.
Metadata
Metadata contains descriptive information about some or all of the
other modules and is critical for understanding trends in data and how
to use the data for analyses. Metadata applications are needed for
program documentation, statutory and regulatory histories, fishing
technology histories, environmental data, and socio-economic data
(indices). |
|
 |
|
 |
