January 5, 2016 — NOAA Fisheries is entering 2017 with the goal of offering more ways for fishermen, seafood dealers and the general public to get the federal fishing news they need.

The federal fisheries regulator is providing a slew of avenues for information, from password-protected websites to smartphone text alerts and fishery information all designed to provide updated information on a continuous schedule.

“We really want to make it easier for fishermen, seafood dealers and the public to be able to do a number of different things,” said Olivia Rugo, a staffer in NOAA Fisheries’ stakeholder engagement division and the managing editor of NOAA Navigator, a bi-monthly insert generated by NOAA Fisheries that appears in the Commercial Fisheries News publication.

For commercial fishermen, the information platforms include the Fish OnLine website, regulatory text alerts, NOAA Navigator, vessel monitoring systems, fishery bulletins and information sheets.

The password-protected Fish OnLine website is available to all vessel permit holders and allows them to access vessel and vessel trip reports data, dealer landing reports, observer data, as well as lease additional multi-species days at sea and collect the most recent regulatory information.

“It’s someplace they can go to check their landings data, providing a way to cross-check for accuracy,” Rugo said. “It’s also a place where we will post news and notices related to changes in regulations. They can also use it to check with their sector managers, trade some quota and even pay bills.”

Information on specific regulatory information is available to commercial fishermen in the fishery bulletins and information sheets.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times