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Electronic Reporting of Fisheries Information in

Alaska

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• Partnership involving 3 commercial fishery management agencies in Alaska:• National Marine Fisheries Service

Alaska Department of Fish and Game• International Pacific Halibut

Commission• Working with commercial fishing

industry International Pacific

Halibut Commission

International Pacific

Halibut Commission

Interagency Electronic Reporting System (IERS) or “eLandings”

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• One-stop reporting of landings and production to multiple agencies – eliminate redundant reporting

• Increase timeliness and quality of fisheries data• Provide immediate access to electronically

submitted data to all management agencies and the industry

• Build QA/QC into system• Meet the management needs &

requirements of all 3 agencies• Including, adhere to regulations & data

confidentiality requirements• Consider business constraints of

fishing industry

eLandings – Project goals

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eLandings – Project goals

• Accommodate remote areas with low bandwidth

• Allows access to agency staff who are spread across the state

• Provide trip-based information• Provide documentation – both

electronic and paper to accommodate needs of all agencies

• Accommodate conventional paper fish tickets (there is still some paper reporting)

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Industry User

NMFS – Sustainable Fisheries

By email:Catch & production reportsIn-season management

ADF&G IPHC

Paper fish tickets

Other: In-season ManagementLogbook programs, etc

NMFS – RAM

Web based reporting:IFQ and CDQTransfersCOOPs

“The old days” (pre-eLandings)

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NMFS Restricted Access Management

NMFS Sustainable Fisheries

ADF&GCommercial

Fisheries Division

International Pacific Halibut

Commission

Catch and Production Reporting

by Industry

InteragencyRepository database

Interagency Electronic Reporting System

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eLandings Web-based reporting of landings & production

seaLandings and eLogbook Desktop reporting on vessels submitted via email

Agency Desktop Agency staff review & edit submitted data

eLandings Repository Database

tLandings Reporting from tender vessels via USB drive

Interagency Electronic Reporting Program Components

System Interface Third-party software & webservices interface with elandings directly

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elandings web interfaceelandings.alaksa.gov

• Web-based reporting• Used by shoreside

processors and large catcher/processor vessels with internet access.

• Data saved and submitted in real-time through the internet.

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• Used by vessels with no internet connection.

• seaLandings software is loaded onto computer on the boat.

• Data are submitted via email attachment.

sealandings and elogbook

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tLandings• tLandings application

is loaded onto the thumb drive.

• Used by tender vessels.

• During tender offload at plant, the USB data is uploaded to elandings server using the Processor Tender Interface.

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Agency Interface

• Application used by ADFG, IPHC, and NMFS fishery managers and enforcement.

• Agency staff can search and view all submitted data, permits, and user accounts.

• Enables data entry & editing.

• Provides audit trail to track all changes and edits.

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elandigns System Interface• System interface:

• Allows XML extraction of data entered in eLandings for import into processor's own system.

• If data entered in the processor's system, then an XML document can be created & imported into eLandings.

• Web services: for third-party developers to develop tools to communicate with the eLandings database.

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Benefits to Processors:• Improved data quality• Legible paper fish tickets• Real time IFQ debits• Accurate whole pound conversions to identify overages• Automated overlimits documentation• Automated updates on mixed salmon• Correct addition – tally, price, summaries, net weights• Electronically generated summary and trip log reports• Automated reports to ADFG• Ability to correct fish tickets within eLandings• Robust data extraction features within eLandings• XML data interface to facilitate one time data entry

eLandings – Realized Benefits

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eLandings – Realized BenefitsBenefits to agencies:

• Timely data – real time debits and conversions• Complete data, and the same data, available to all 3

management agencies (got rid of different versions at each agency & data gaps)

• Reduced data processing costs• Dramatically reduced data entry for agencies and

reduced QA• Auto-batching capability• Cost of fish ticket forms and distribution

• Improved data quality• Integration with other reports

• Weekly salmon and crab catch reports• Finals season reports• COAR report

• Paperless archives

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Challenges

• Project management: involving 3 agencies takes time, coordination, and ongoing communication

• Continued agency commitment (at high level) to support electronic reporting system

• Internet based systems require 24/7 user support• User support for remote users all over the

state 24/7• Lack of technical programming staff makes

project dependent on support from contractors.• Challenging to secure long-term funding • Making adjustments for bandwidth resources in

smaller communities

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Accomplishments• Fully implemented, mature system for all

rationalized fisheries• Effective program management system ~ shared

expertise and shared costs• Significant users satisfaction – listening to industry

and incorporating features that help them (e.g. robust data extraction tool for processors)

• National recognition of electronic reporting system• Open architecture allows for additional components

• eLogbook• Commercial Operators Annual Report (COAR)

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Next Steps• Continue implementation into salmon

fisheries• Expand electronic reporting from tenders

(tLandings)• Expand elogbook reporting• Continue integration of Commercial

Operators Annual Report (COAR)• Implementation to shellfish fisheries

beyond crab rationalization