Most of the benefits from enabling e-signatures gained by NMFS and NMFS' end users are qualitative in nature. In large part, the benefits to e-signatures accrue from making it easier for end users to report or file electronically thereby minimizing paper reporting and filing of information. Some of the following benefits apply generally to the use of e-signatures in the shift from paper to electronic filing and some are specific to using e-signatures to improve the Hawaii Longline Logbook applicationmanagement of Whiting fisheries in the Northwest Region.
- Reduced cycle time for submitting logbook reporting catch data. This is an endangered fishery because some species which have historically been a part bycatch of this fishery have been determined to be over-fished stocks. Under the MSRA NMFS is committed to ending overfishing, establishing recovery plans for overfished stocks, and ultimately executing the recovery plans to restore the viability of the overfished stocks. Timely reporting will reduce the chance of over fishing because fisheries managers will have an opportunity to monitor the fishery and intervene if necessary. Timely reporting will also support the more intensive management which is likely to be required under recovery plans.
- An increase in constituent participation and satisfaction. Many commercial fishers Commercial seafood processors already use technology to track their catch as a means to increase their productivity. This electronic reporting alternative may allow those fishers processors to leverage their investment in electronic catch logging technology to also address their record keeping and reporting obligations. The potential also exists for independent software vendors to provide integration with navigation devices allowing direct recording of fishing locations which would reduce data entry workload and improve data accuracy.
- Cleaner data and more data analysis opportunities. Having the logbook this fundamental catch data collected electronically, with comprehensive edit-checks for valid or reasonable data, and immediate feedback on detection of questionable data, will ensure cleaner data. Cleaner data, available more rapidly, will provide more data analysis opportunities.
- Increase in employee productivity. Receiving the data electronically obviates the need to key in logbook catch data to be used for analysis.
- Greater information benefits to the public. Because this is an endangered fishery due to overfished stocks, the fishing public is likely to have a high degree of interest in this data. Electronic data capture will provide potential for in-season analysis, possibly modeling differing fishing behaviors and showing the fishing public how they could optimize their opportunity to fish by avoiding areas with high bycatch of overfished stocks, etc.
- Reduced reporting burden on the public. Compared to traditional manual logbook paper reporting, the electronic reporting process should be more convenient and take less time.
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