AFSC/FMA/Vessel Assessment Logging

Vessels fishing trawl gear, vessels fishing hook-and-line and pot gear that are also greater than 57.5 feet overall, and shoreside and floating processing facilities comprise the trip-selection stratum.

Approximately 60 days prior to the start of the year, registered owners will receive a letter informing

them that they are required to log all intended future trips for their vessel using a supplied username and

password into a web-based system (that is also accessible by telephone). This system, termed the

Observer Declare and Deploy System (ODDS), was developed by NMFS to facilitate the assignment of

observers to future fishing events on a trip-by-trip basis. As described in the proposed rule, ODDS works

by providing vessel operators (either owners or their designated captains) with an account through which

they shall enter their anticipated fishing trips. More than one trip can be entered- three if the start time of

the first trip and the end time of the last trip span more than 72 hours, six if not. Anticipated target fishery

is not required- only the port of departure and landing with the anticipated start and end times of the trip.

Each trip must be entered at least 72 hours before anticipated departure to allow the vessels? observer

provider time to deploy an observer. If the contractor provider cannot provide an observer to the vessel,

the vessel may be granted a release from coverage by NMFS and go fishing. If the provider obtains an

observer for the trip, the vessel may still opt to defer a trip for up to 48 hours from the anticipated

departure to account for unanticipated events such as poor weather conditions. If, however, after this additional 48 hour period has passed and the vessel has still not departed, that trip is cancelled by the

ODDS, the observer is released from the vessel to be deployed elsewhere, and the vessel?s next logged

trip will require observer coverage.

Trip-selection systems have been successfully instituted elsewhere in the nation such as in the system

administrated by the Northeast Groundfish Observer Program. Trip-selection systems work by having

participants (potentially all) in a stratum observed for a short duration at a time. Trip selection systems

reduce the potential negative influence of vessel operators? decisions to artificially manipulate which

fishing events are observed by postponing the outcome of the trip selection (i.e., to be observed or not to

be observed) until after the final trip details have been entered. Furthermore, the ODDS is designed so

that (1) if selected for coverage, a ?to be observed? trip can only be cancelled by the observer provider

responsible for obtaining an observer, and (2) if a vessel does cancel a ?to be observed? trip, the vessel?s

next logged trip status will change to ?to be observed?.

Trip-selection systems have been successfully instituted elsewhere in the nation such as in the system

administrated by the Northeast Groundfish Observer Program. Trip-selection systems work by having

participants (potentially all) in a stratum observed for a short duration at a time. Trip selection systems

reduce the potential negative influence of vessel operators? decisions to artificially manipulate which

fishing events are observed by postponing the outcome of the trip selection (i.e., to be observed or not to

be observed) until after the final trip details have been entered. Furthermore, the ODDS is designed so

that (1) if selected for coverage, a ?to be observed? trip can only be cancelled by the observer provider

responsible for obtaining an observer, and (2) if a vessel does cancel a ?to be observed? trip, the vessel?s

next logged trip status will change to ?to be observed?.

Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Seattle WA

Modelled in Oracle Designer

Martin Park

Confidential - observer data shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed except in accordance with certain exceptions for research and only with confidentiality forms approved and in place

Proprietary data under Magnuson-Stevens

Signed non-disclosure agreement must be on file.

Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act section 402(b)(2) any observer data shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed except in accordance with certain exceptions. Confidentiality of observer statistics is to be maintained under 50 CFR 600.415 - Access to statistics. Access to these data are provided to Federal, State, Council, Research Institutions and others who have a demonstrated need for such access, and who have submitted and been been granted approval, of limited access confidentiality agreements. These agreements are valid only for the duration of approved projects or research, the data released

Restricted to NMFS Employees with non-disclosure, vessel owners or their proxy(s), limited data provided to researchers within specific publication restrictions.

Restricted to NMFS Employees with non-disclosure, vessel owners or their proxy(s), limited data provided to researchers within specific publication restrictions.

Fishery Management, and under restricted conditions research.

None

None

These data are maintained by the Office of Information Systems (OFIS) on an Oracle Database and supported by the Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis (FMA) engineering staff.

These data are complete for the vessel assessments required under restructure.

These data are complete for the vessel assessments required under restructure.

N/A

N/A

Assumed to be complete

Reviewed by industry and inseason staff. Vessel data is validated against the NMFS Regional Office in Juneau AK

Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act section 402(b)(2) any observer data shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed except in accordance with certain exceptions. Confidentiality of observer statistics is to be maintained under 50 CFR 600.415 - Access to statistics. Access to these data are provided to Federal, State, Council, Research Institutions and others who have a demonstrated need for such access, and who have submitted and been been granted approval, of limited access confidentiality agreements. These agreements are valid only for the duration of approved projects or research, the data released

These data have no meaning outside of the larger observer data model

These data are preserved in a mirrored, fully backed up Oracle database at the AFSC.

N/A