PUBLIC LAW 104-297—OCT. 11, 1996 110 STAT. 3605
- TITLE IV—FISHERY MONITORING AND
RESEARCH". SEC. 202. REGISTRATION AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT. Title IV (16 U.S.C. 1881 et seq.) is amended by inserting Eifter the title heading the following: "SEC. 401. REGISTRATION AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT. 16 USC 1881. "(a) STANDARDIZED FISHING VESSEL REGISTRATION AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.— The Secretary shall, in cooperation with the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, the States, the Councils, and Marine Fisheries Commissions, develop recommendations for implementation of a standardized fishing vessel registration and information meinagement system on a regional basis. The recommendations shall be developed after consultation with interested governmental and nongovernmental parties and shall— "(1) be designed to standardize the requirements of vessel registration and information collection systems required by this Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and any other marine resource law implemented by the Secretary, and, with the permission of a State, any marine resovu-ce law implemented by such State; "(2) integrate information collection programs under existing fishery management plans into a non-duplicative information collection and management system; "(3) avoid duplication of existing State, tribal, or Federal systems and shall utilize, to the maximum extent practicable, information collected from existing systems; "(4) provide for implementation of the system through cooperative agreements with appropriate State, regional, or tribal entities and Marine Fisheries Commissions; "(5) provide for funding (subject to appropriations) to assist appropriate State, regional, or tribal entities and Marine Fisheries Commissions in implementation; "(6) establish standardized units of measurement, nomenclature, and formats for the collection and submission of information; "(7) minimize the paperwork required for vessels registered under the system; "(8) include all species of fish within the geographic areas of authority of the Councils and all fishing vessels including charter fishing vessels, but excluding recreational fishing ves- "(9) require United States fish processors, and fish dealers and other first ex-vessel purchasers of fish that are subject to the proposed system, to submit information (other than economic information) which may be necessary to meet the goals of the proposed system; and "(10) include procedures necessary to ensure— "(A) the confidentiality of information collected under this section in accordance with section 402(b); and "(B) the timely release or availability to the public of information collected under this section consistent with section 402(b).
�
