For-Hire Survey Privacy Act Statement

Authority:  The collection of this information is authorized under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1852 et. seq.) and the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975.

Purpose: Collection of recreational fisheries catch and effort data is necessary to fulfill statutory requirements of Section 303 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1852 et. seq.), which requires that conservation and management measures prevent over fishing while achieving, on a continuing basis, the optimum yield from each fishery, and also to comply with Executive Order 12962 on Recreational Fisheries.  Section 303 (a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act specifies data and analysis to be included in Fishery Management Plans (FMPs), as well as pertinent data that shall be submitted to the Secretary of Commerce under the plan.  Recreational fishing catch and effort statistics are fundamental for assessing the influence of fishing on any stock of fish.  The quantities taken, the fishing effort, and the seasonal and geographical distribution of the catch and effort are required to assess the health of fish stocks and develop and evaluate national fisheries management policies and plans. 

Routine Uses:  The Department will use this information in developing, implementing and monitoring fishery management programs. Disclosure of this information is permitted under the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. Section 552a), to be shared within NMFS offices, in order to coordinate monitoring and management of sustainability of fisheries and protected resources, as well as with the applicable State or Regional Marine Fisheries Commissions and International Organizations. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all of the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notice COMMERCE/NOAA-19, Permits and Registrations for the United States Federally Regulated Fisheries. Any public release of survey data will be without identification as to its source or in aggregate statistical form. Prior to dissemination, the information will be subjected to quality control measures and a pre-dissemination review pursuant to Section 515 of Public Law 106-554. 

Disclosure:  Furnishing this information is voluntary unless the vessel has a valid Highly Migratory Species (HMS) permit, in which case participation is mandatory. Failure to provide complete and accurate information will result in the vessel representative not participating in the survey and not helping to assess the influence of fishing. For HMS permitted vessels, failure to comply will affect permit status.