The Interagency Electronic Reporting System (IERS) in Alaska Jennifer Mondragon Alaska Regional Office, Juneau AK

Interagency Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game: Gail Smith Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game: Gail Smith IPHC: Heather Gilroy IPHC: Heather Gilroy NMFS - Alaska Region NMFS - Alaska Region Sustainable Fisheries: Jennifer MondragonSustainable Fisheries: Jennifer Mondragon Restricted Access Management: Jessie GharrettRestricted Access Management: Jessie Gharrett I nternational P acific H alibut C ommission I nternational P acific H alibut C ommission

User NOAA Fisheries - SF ADFG IPHC NOAA Fisheries – RAM Commercial Fisheries Catch Reporting

User NOAA Fisheries - SF ADFG IPHC NOAA Fisheries – RAM Web based reporting: Quota management Transfers Coops Must be in ‘real time’! via (eLog): Groundfish inseason management catch & production Can’t afford delay for manual entry Commercial Fisheries Catch Reporting

Interagency Electronic Reporting User NOAA Fisheries - SF ADFG NOAA Fisheries – RAM IPHC

eLandings Project Goals Provide fishery managers with more timely and accurate catch statistics Provide fishery managers with more timely and accurate catch statistics Improve efficiency of reporting for industry Improve efficiency of reporting for industry –Reduce redundant reporting –One time data entry –Immediate data validation and feedback Reduce data entry burden on agencies Reduce data entry burden on agencies –Reduced data entry volume –One time data entry for paper reports –Reduced corrections Facilitate quota management Facilitate quota management Provide documentation of reporting lifecycle Provide documentation of reporting lifecycle –Signed paper documents –Change tracking across reporting lifecycle

One-time data entry to all agencies One-time data entry to all agencies Electronic reporting for all fisheries: catch & production Electronic reporting for all fisheries: catch & production Shoreside processorsShoreside processors At-sea fleetAt-sea fleet Catcher processorsCatcher processors MothershipsMotherships TendersTenders Paperless system Paperless system Electronic signaturesElectronic signatures Bar-coded permit cardsBar-coded permit cards Electronic quota managementElectronic quota management Improve data quality Improve data quality Timely, trip-based commercial catch statistics Timely, trip-based commercial catch statistics Consider business constraints of industry Consider business constraints of industry Goals

Alaskan Fisheries Large, diverse fisheries with complex management authorities Large, diverse fisheries with complex management authorities – Crab – Halibut – Groundfish – Shellfish – Salmon – Herring – ….. etc Complex management programs Complex management programs – Limited entry fisheries – Individual Fishing Quota programs (IFQ) – Individual Processor Quota (IPQ) – Community Development Quotas (CDQ) – Fixed harvest limits (TAC or GHL)

Multi-agency license/permit requirements Multi-agency license/permit requirements Real time data collection needed for quota Real time data collection needed for quota Large diversity in industry Large diversity in industry Fishing and processing in remote areas Fishing and processing in remote areas Alaskan Fisheries

Interagency Electronic Reporting New data collection approach

Initial Technology Scoping Web system Web system  access through browser, no setup  instant error checks Web reporting technologies Web reporting technologies  Oracle Forms reported to be slow reported to be slow high Oracle licensing fees high Oracle licensing fees  Java “thin-client” format “thin-client” format acceptable speed across Alaska (minimal graphics) acceptable speed across Alaska (minimal graphics) open-source open-source

Desktop application & Desktop application &  installation (one-time)  must submit and receive  zip or file attachment  upload of fish ticket numbers  validation & error checking Manual landings Manual landings  agency data entry  central location to handle manual submissions Initial Technology Scoping

Interagency Electronic Reporting Program Components Website “eLandings” Processor Desktop (at-sea fleet) Agency Interface review & edit data Interagency Database attachment Web service Web session

Technologies XML files throughout XML files throughout –Import of Processor produced files –Clients to Server – data exchange –Repository to agency system of record XML allows disparate technologies at different agencies and processors to interoperate XML allows disparate technologies at different agencies and processors to interoperate Web Services Web Services Java – Desktop, Servlets, backend Server Java – Desktop, Servlets, backend Server Open Source Tools Open Source Tools –JBoss, IText, Axis, JAXB, JUnit

Output to Users Fish ticket – PDF paper printout Fish ticket – PDF paper printout IFQ receipt/report – PDF printout IFQ receipt/report – PDF printout Searches on account by processor of submitted landings Searches on account by processor of submitted landings – Primary users – Limited users XML (Extensible markup language) XML (Extensible markup language)

Output to Agency Staff Agency Desktop- by landing Agency Desktop- by landing SQL in database SQL in database Export to legacy agency databases Export to legacy agency databases User NOAA Fisheries - SF ADFG NOAA Fisheries – RAM IPHC

Implementation 3 - Statewide Shellfish 4 - Salmon and herring 1 - Rationalized Crab Fisheries 2 - Groundfish in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska

manual landing via FAX Number Crab Landings Reports 2006 elandings Year 86.5% Electronic “Success” Rate for IFQ Crab

Example Causes for manual landing Rationalized Crab Program: new, complex business rules Rationalized Crab Program: new, complex business rules Permit stacking not anticipated Permit stacking not anticipated – e.g. 9 IFQ permits & 14 stat areas = 126 lines Refresh of CFEC permits not timely Refresh of CFEC permits not timely Complex business rules and validation create some inflexibility for the end user Complex business rules and validation create some inflexibility for the end user

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN Web Application Manual Electronic 87% 47% 83% 86% Count of Landings Shore-side Processor 89% electronic landings 96% 99% 82%

Processor Workstation Manual Web 23% 54% 80% 62% Count Catcher Processor or Floating Processor ABCDEFGH 63% electronic landings

2007 manual landing via FAX Number Crab Landings Reports 2006 elandings Year 86.5% 95.7% Electronic “Success” Rate for IFQ Crab

Continuing Challenges 24/7 internet reporting requires agency support 24/7 internet reporting requires agency support ‘Agile Programming’ ‘Agile Programming’ – flexible development – test, training, development – requires significant resources for application testing, testing, testing…. & more testing – difficult to update Processor Workstation – Coordination of program with industry

Agency coordination Agency coordination – Vital for success! – Significantly increases the workload – Identifying short & long term staff resources critical to avoid burnout. Coordination of program with oversight authorities Coordination of program with oversight authorities – Board of Fish – North Pacific Fishery Management Council – International Pacific Halibut Commission Development of increasingly complex entitlement programs Development of increasingly complex entitlement programs Continuing Challenges

Lessons Learned Interagency Electronic Reporting System: complex and ambitious Interagency Electronic Reporting System: complex and ambitious Rationalized Crab : complex irrespective of reporting platform Rationalized Crab : complex irrespective of reporting platform Patience required on all sidesPatience required on all sides Good relationships with industry facilitates feedbackGood relationships with industry facilitates feedback

Groundfish & Halibut IFQ Implementation Guy Becken Begin spring 2006 (voluntary)Begin spring 2006 (voluntary) Incremental implementationIncremental implementation Mandatory in 2007Mandatory in 2007

Thanks! ADF&G: Martina Kallenberger, Kamala Caroll, Lynn Mattes, Krista Milani, Barbi Failor, Kimberly Phillips, Mo Lambden, Donna Kriegh, Rebecca Knight IPHC: Lara Hutton, Aregash Tesfatsion, Tom Kong, Huyen Tran, Afshin Taheri NMFS: Jennifer Watson, Patty Britza, Alexander Kotlarov, Mindy Jones