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At any given time, and depending on how they are counted, NMFS manages approximately 125,000 active commercial fishing permits and registrations, and another 17,000 subsistence permits. (For more detail see NPS Leadership Council Subgroup July 2008.ppt)
Business Drivers
Fisheries are managed regionally, but, many participants in the fishing industry are national or multinational in scope. It would be a convenience to these participants to offer a one-stop-shop for permits. Also, a one-stop-shop would facilitate maintenance of a single identifier for an industry participant who fishes or processes fish in multiple regions, and it would leverage efforts to improve data quality across regions. More.... The more could include what business benefit they derive from the permit and what business risk they incur if they break NMFS rules. Is this the spot for cycle times?
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