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 West Coast Fishticket application.

Reduced cycle time for submitting catch data. The reduction in cycle time is expected to be dramatic. Under the previous paper-based system lag times from vessel landing until catch data was available for analysis were typically measured in months. Based on the fish ticket pilot and experience from other jurisdictions we expect to reduce this lag time to a few days. This is an overly constrained fishery because some bycatch species which have historically been a part 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.
Reduced reporting burden. Compared to traditional paper fish ticket reporting, the electronic reporting process should be more convenient and take less time. Many buyers already use technology to track their purchases. This electronic reporting alternative may allow those buyers to leverage their investment in technology to also address their record keeping and reporting obligations. The potential also exists for independent software vendors to provide integration with business systems to provide some unspecified benefit to the buyer.
Improved efficiencies due to more accurate and consistent data. Having the fish ticket collected electronically, with comprehensive edit-checks for valid or reasonable data, rigorously controlled data codes, and immediate feedback on detection of questionable data, will ensure cleaner data. With previous paper-based reporting reporting was frequently inconsistent. For example, catch species could be identified by ambiguous common names. A fully electronic reporting system will ensure consistency and improve accuracy, eliminating much of the labor of edit/correction cycles and improving analytical accuracy.
Increase in employee productivity. Receiving the data electronically obviates the need to key in fish ticket data by the regulatory agencies (because the buyers are keying it in) to be used for analysis. Also, edit checks and immediate feedback on detectable errors make for more efficient data entry.
Greater information benefits to the public. Because this is an overly constrained 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, and possibly modeling differing fishing behaviors.

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