It’s time federal lawmakers launched a push to at least demand NMFS be accountable for its data, and that, if this data is being used to regulate American businesses, it needs to be accurate.
That means sending NMFS a very basic message of its own: If you admit the data’s wrong, you can’t use it until you fix it.
It’s good to know the National Marine Fisheries Service has agreed to extend the deadline for fishermen to appeal the flawed data the beleaguered federal agency has posted for catch histories being used as a base for their allowable catch under the planned new regulatory format.
That at least shows a willingness by NMFS to try to correct what its officials concede is wrong information — an important factor considering the data’s being used to determine each fisherman’s and cooperative "sector’s" catch share for the coming year.
Read the complete story at The Gloucester Daily Times.