An Assessment of the Validation Requirements Necessary to Support Greater Use of Electronic Monitoring Tools in the Gulf of Mexico Marine Recreational Charter-for-Hire Fishery

Significant challenges exist in recreational fishing management. One key challenge stems from current recreational fishery monitoring program methodologies. While programs across the US have dramatically improved in the recent past, their continued reliance on legacy data collection methods is hindering their growth and evolution. Embracing the greater use of electronic monitoring technologies can revolutionize monitoring programs. Electronic monitoring (EM) holds promise of alleviating key management obstacles, like timely data deliver. However, the lack of unified data validation system standards to verify reported data is hampering innovation in fishery monitoring. Investing in validation standards to make EM efficient and effective is paramount to the long-term success of electronic monitoring systems more broadly in fishery management. The charter for-hire fishery has a demonstrated track record of testing innovative methods, like electronic logbooks. Shrinking fishing seasons have motivated this group to pursue management reforms that better meet both conservation objectives and the needs of their businesses. We discuss opportunities to advance greater use of through an integrated system that combines proven electronic monitoring tools (VMS, ELBs, etc.) with more efficient dockside validation technologies through the lens of the charter for-hire fishery in the Gulf of Mexico.