A Model Regulatory Framework to Support Technology and Innovation 

Melissa Garren, Working Ocean Strategies

The United States lacks a regulatory framework with the flexibility to accommodate evolving technology, risking prescriptive regulations that can lock in outdated tech. Ideally, a regulatory framework should provide flexibility for technologies to evolve, allowing for a competitive service provider market, improved functionality and cost effectiveness for users, and the opportunity to leverage technology to its fullest value for multiple purposes. 

This work draws on experiences from other fisheries and the transportation sector including the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration to suggest a regulatory approach that focuses on defining performance standards and data needs. The use of  performance standards is a norm and best practice across many other industries and regulatory agencies. This continues to be timely as real-world examples illustrate the costs of being fenced in by outdated tech, and as new EM and ER programs expand the base of data contributors with a stake in shifting toward a performance standard-based approach.

The outcomes from this body of work include an executive summary, Marine Policy article, and case studies (linked in text here).