Comment from Mark Cedergreen, Westport Charterboat Association

My name is Mark Cedergreen. I'm the Executive Director of the Westport Charterboat Association in Westport, Washington. Our Association is made up of owner-operators of 32 Charter vessels (CPFVs) and 8 booking services. We fish in the EEZ off SW Washington from mid-March through mid-October. We take trips for salmon, groundfish, halibut, and albacore tuna. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has a daily dock sampling program in all Washington coastal ports and collects data on all species caught. The data includes the number of anglers, the numbers of fish, by species, and other pertinent information required for management. This data is used to manage quota based fisheries and for accurate records of catches and effort from year-to-year. This data is ultimately entered into the database of the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC). PSMFC uses the data combined with data from Oregon and California, to provide management information for the Pacific Fishery Management Council. Based on the completeness and accuracy of this data, I believe Washington should be exempt from the Federal Registry. I believe we are currently providing all the data ultimately being sought under the goals and objectives of the MRIP. Thanks for your hard work and please consider my request.