[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 123 (Friday, June 26, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34850-34851]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-17128]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 042398D]
Vessel Registration and Fisheries Information System
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Sustainable Fisheries Act, passed in October 1996, added
various amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). Section 401 of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act requires the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to deliver
an implementation plan for a national fishing vessel registration and
fisheries information system (System) in a Report to Congress. NMFS has
developed, in consultation with interested parties, a draft of the
implementation plan.
DATES: Written comments on the implementation plan must be received on
or before August 25, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this notice to: Fisheries
Statistics and Economic Division (F/ST1), National Marine Fisheries
Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910; (301) 713-
2328; fax (301) 713-4137. The implementation plan is available for
public comment by mail from the address here, or in electronic form
(pdf format) via the world wide web at http://www.nmfs.gov/sfa.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Holliday, (301) 713-2328.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 401 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act,
amended in 1996, directs the Secretary
[[Page 34851]]
to deliver a report to Congress on the implementation of a national
fishing vessel registration and information management system.
NMFS, the U.S. Coast Guard, coastal states, the three regional
commissions (Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, Gulf States
Marine Fisheries Commission, and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission), and the eight regional Fishery Management Councils (New
England, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean,
Pacific, North Pacific, and Western Pacific) play various roles in
commercial fishing vessel registration and marine fisheries data
collection. Consistent with previous directions from the Assistant
Administrator of NMFS, NMFS has been engaged in collaborative processes
to develop joint regional data collection and planning activities with
these organizations. Section 401 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act directs
the Secretary to create a plan that will coordinate the techniques used
to collect and disseminate data and to integrate these vessel
registration and fisheries information systems on a national basis.
This is to be accomplished while taking into account the unique
characteristics of regional fisheries.
Section 401 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act sets a number of benchmarks
for a national vessel registration and fisheries information system. It
also defines several principles that should guide the system's
development. These include the reduction of duplicative information
reporting burdens on the fishing industry and the integration of
existing data collection and information management systems to the
furthest extent possible.
NMFS organized the implementation plan into two components: the
Vessel Registration System and the Fisheries Information System (FIS).
Within these components, the proposed System addresses information
management architecture, integration and harmonization of data
collection programs, and the institutional arrangements and
accountability issues.
Vessel Registration System
Vessel registration, licensing, and permitting systems among the
coastal states, territories, tribal entities and the U.S. Coast Guard
have been reviewed. The Magnuson-Stevens Act requests a plan for a
national system that contains the following information for each
fishing vessel: (1) The name and official number or other
identification, together with the address of the owner or operator or
both; (2) gross tonnage, vessel capacity, type and quantity of fishing
gear, mode of operation, and other such pertinent information with
respect to vessel characteristics as the Secretary may require; and (3)
identification of the fisheries in which the fishing vessel
participates. Currently, no vessel registration system at any level
fully satisfies these criteria.
Fisheries Information System
State and Federal data collection programs and information
management systems have developed over time to meet specific regional
needs and reflect varying degrees of integration and management
efficiency. These efforts, often state-Federal partnerships, have
definite time frames and outcomes. NMFS has relied on these processes
to support development of the section 401 FIS.
Process
The creation of the proposed system has targeted the highest level
of detail possible in the draft report to produce specific and
justifiable estimates of implementation steps and resource
requirements. NMFS has consulted many major stakeholders, and has
gathered input through a series of presentations and meetings with
stakeholders, using a ``discussion draft'' paper to highlight critical
issues and options. These stakeholders included internal NMFS
organizational units as well as external entities. NMFS has, to the
extent possible, reconciled the comments of the various stakeholders in
the draft implementation plan.
Authority: Pub. L. 104-297.
Dated: June 22, 1998.
William W. Fox, Jr.,
Director, Office of Science and Technology, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-17128 Filed 6-25-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
