Charter/For- Hire Electronic Reporting 

Across regions, federal fishery managers have been adopting electronic reporting (ER) as a tool to collect timely catch, effort, and other information about the federally permitted charter/for-hire (CFH) sector. Many industry proponents have high expectations for how ER data can be used for stock assessment and more precise catch and effort estimation. However, the utility of ER data depends on program design and in particular, whether data can be validated. 

NGA convened  two virtual roundtables with CFH permit holders and NMFS and state agency leads to support cross-regional networking, explore the design attributes of regional ER programs, share industry expectations for using ER data, and discuss strategies for building awareness and compliance with new reporting requirements. Technology service providers participated in the second webinar, encouraging participants to look beyond the short-term hurdles of implementation to consider the longer-term potential of ER to provide benefits to users. 

Report: Advancing the Potential of Electronic Reporting in the Charter/For-Hire Sector