Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program: Good Data In, Good Data Out, Good Decisions

The Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) is a cooperative state-federal program. One of the major tasks for the ACCSP staff is compilation of data from 23 state and federal partners into a single dataset, the Data Warehouse, in order to provide the most complete picture of Atlantic coastal catch-effort data. The ACCSP aids partners in data collection by funding collection programs and through the development and maintenance of the Standard Atlantic Fisheries Information System (SAFIS).  The applications that fall under the SAFIS umbrella include eDR (dealer reporting), eTRIPS (fishermen reporting), eREC (recreational trips) and SMS (management system).  All these data are available at confidential and non-confidential levels to hundreds of ACCSP users. The data are referenced by various state and federal staff for management purposes and have been accessed for multiple stock assessments.  The data in the Data Warehouse have also been used for a variety of Custom Data Requests. ACCSP data are used to track trends in bait fisheries, evaluate fishery participation, and socio-economic analyses.  The varied utility of the Data Warehouse demonstrates that the integrated, holistic approach to data collection and dissemination practiced by the ACCSP has succeeded in creating a valuable resource for the Atlantic coast.