Abstract

Improving the accessibility and quality of data is integral when managing sustainable fishing practices. Modernized data governance and workflows enable more efficient information exchange among scientists, managers, and other stakeholders across the 42 geopolitical jurisdictions in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. As many fish stocks share time and space across these boundaries, proper management is contingent upon timely and accessible data and collaboration. The modernization of a workflow should consider the end-to-end process from data collection and reporting to processing, distribution, and disposition. Each component of this system poses its own technical, logistical, policy, legal, and social modernization challenges. Two important steps in modernizing fisheries information management systems are to identify the components of that system and define the key actions required to modernize each component (i.e what resources will be required, a timeline for their completion, and metrics to measure their impact). The 2019 Fisheries Information Management Modernization Workshop organized by NOAA Fisheries will bring together expertise across different data types and roles within the data lifecycle to collectively identify priorities for modernization. These priorities will likely be useful and transferable to the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. The top priorities identified in this workshop will be linked to case studies in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean to highlight work already being done to modernize workflows such as the successful implementation of electronic technologies and projects focused on increasing data accessibility. Increasing efforts to improve data modernization will not only enhance the quality and timeliness of data products, it also allows for increased collaboration to manage shared stocks.

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