Regulatory Impact Review/Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis for a Final Rule to Amend Regulations for Observer At-Sea Electronic Communication Equipment Requirements for Vessels and Shoreside Processors in the North Pacific Groundfish Fisheries

The Observer Communication System (OCS, formerly referred to as the "ATLAS" system) is comprised of computers and communications equipment, supplied by vessel and processing plant operators, and custom computer software supplied by NOAA Fisheries. It allows observers to rapidly process and report the data that they collect. Its use by observers on catcher vessels, catcher/processors, and motherships (vessels), onshore plants and stationary floating processors has led to more timely and accurate fisheries data. Observer Program staff are rebuilding the software component of the OCS to meet current and future information demands. In this action, NOAA Fisheries will require operations already subject to OCS requirements to adopt hardware upgrades to meet current technology standards, necessary to support this new OCS software, and facilitate its installation. This Regulatory Impact Review (RIR) evaluates alternatives to the status quo that would require upgrades to the OCS data processing and communications technology employed by groundfish catcher vessels, catcher/processors, motherships, onshore plants, and stationary floating processors. In addition, this RIR evaluates administrative 'housekeeping' rule changes to clarify the intent of observer regulations