The National Marine Fisheries Service has not fully implemented regulatory streamlining remedies, the Department of Commerce inspector general has said in calling for stronger transparency and consistency in fisheries management under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conser¬vation and Management Act.
The act is designed to prevent the collapse of fish stocks from over harvesting while sustaining the commercial industry. However, the review of the NMFS was reportedly prompted by concerns – relayed by Congress – that industry was not being allowed enough sway in the fisheries management process.
The IG concluded that NMFS has not fully implemented regulatory streamlining remedies, initiated in 2003 under a regulatory streamlining project, and it said maintenance of rules packages and administrative records needs to be consistent. It also found that record-keeping and file organization are not uniform across NMFS regional offices.
The IG called on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to strengthen policy guidance on financial disclosure by voting members, with emphasis on how NOAA intends to handle specific consequences for conflicts or potential conflicts it identifies, strengthen criteria for identifying conflicts of interest and processes to follow up on any conflicts that are identified, and finalize draft operational guidance.
The IG also recommended that NOAA develop uniform procedures for the collection, management, and maintenance of documents supporting decisions and administrative records associated with fishery regulations, among other recommendations.
