Fish Data Summits: A Look Back with an Eye to the Future

The American Fisheries Society, Fisheries Information & Technology Section (FITS) and the US Geological Survey (USGS) have been working with a small group of fisheries professionals to lay the ground work for developing a National Fisheries Data Exchange Standard (NFDX). The idea to develop a NFDX is not new one; in fact three National Fisheries Data(base) Summits were hosted by different groups between 1998 and 2006. Participants in these summits represented a wide array of State and Federal agencies, non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) and private organizations. The overarching objectives of these Summits were similar and primarily directed at – you guessed it - sharing fisheries data. However, each Summit had a different approach and addressed different obstacles impeding the development of an efficient fisheries data exchange model. Seven years have passed since the last Summit, and while much has changed, the ideas and information developed during these “think tanks” provide solid guidance in moving forward with an NFDX. Key results and suggested guidance will be offered.