AFSC/FMA/ATLAS Remote Client

Data is collected by observers on deck sheets and either entered onto local databases and transmitted electronically or faxed to the AFSC for data entry.

The FMA database consists of various data collected by fishery biologists while deployed on board commercial fishing vessels or at shoreside processing plants participating in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries. Data collection activities began in 1973 and they continue to date. While deployed at their assignments, observers collect data on the catch size, fishing locations, catch composition, length frequencies, age structures, marine mammal interactions, and a variety of research projects.

Enable the electronic entry, archival, and transmission of Observer data for at sea fishing operations, and shore based processing plants.

All of these data are collected cooperatively from private commercial fishing interests and are protected from general release by confidentiality statutes. This protects the private business interests of industry while still providing NOAA Fisheries with the detailed information necessary to effectively manage the ecosystem. The staff authorized to use these data include NOAA Fisheries' scientists and managers participating in a broad range of activities including:

stock assessments,

marine mammal interactions,

food habits,

fish age analyses,

economic analyses,

fishery management plan development,

in-season fishery management.

The data are also shared with other authorized users in the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and North Pacific Fishery Management Council staff with similar responsibilities.

Client is installed on fishing vessels in the North Pacific.

Julie Blair

Confidential under Magnusson Stevens

256 bit encryjption

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These data are collected at sea by fisheries observers.

There are multiple layers of error checking. Initial values include database check constraints. Once transmitted extensive automated error checking occurs and near real time data confirmation and/or corrections are communicated to the observers.

Sampling bias due to the constraints of the physical environment is a known limitation, but does not appear to be significant over time.

Database constraints, Error scripts, Inseason Advising, Post Cruise observer debriefing.

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 are on Industry owned computers, and the data sets not retained post cruise.

N/A The data collected at sea and are purged at the end of an observer cruise. They are not appropriate for archival.