U.S. Virgin Islands Commercial Landings Statistics 1974 and more recent in compatible format with Accumulated Landings System (ALS) data

This data set contains quantities and values for all seafood products that are reported landed in St. Thomas, St. Croix or St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. These data are reported by fishermen that are licensed by the Territorial Government and are required to complete and submit fishing logs for each trip. There have been several major changes in the reporting forms throughout the program history which affect the data. These are documented separately. These are raw data are not corrected for non-compliance with the reporting regulations unless otherwise specified. For the purpose of these metadata, the word 'confidential' generally refers to sensitive data.

These data provide the quantities and value of the marine commercial fishing industries sector in the U.S. Virgin Islands for inclusion in the nation's gross national product. This time series, which begins in 1974, also provides the best basis for estimates of total landings for the commercial fisheries for the three islands. These landings estimates are included in peer reviewed stock assessments which determine the population status of various key species. Finally, recent on-line entry of landings data is providing a more timely means of monitoring the catch so that allowable catch levels are not exceeded.

These data reside primarily in the ALS schema of the SECPR database at the SEFSC. The table ALS.ALS_LANDINGS_USVI contains the data in compatible format with the rest of the ALS commercial landings data set for the SE Region of the U.S. The table ALS.USVI_SPECIES_GROUP_FORMS_ALL contains the data for the species group type forms in the basic format received from the USVI. Use of these forms began in July 1995, coexisting with previous gear-based reporting forms until July of 1999 when all the reporting was done using the newer forms. This table has some information (such as discards and reports of non-activity) not included in the ALS table. The previous gear-based data, while reformatted to the ALS.ALS_LANDINGS_USVI table, is still on PC (see point of contact) in its basic format. Note that the ALS data only contain data from trips where landings occurred and do not include reports of non-activity or trips having no landings. As of July 2011, USVI commercial landings are being entered on-line to the Caribbean Commercial Landings data set in the CCL schema of the SECPR database. Reporting forms have changed throughout the history of the program and are listed separately.

75 Virginia Beach Drive

Miami, FL 33149

Available in ORACLE SECPR database.

Fishing areas surrounding the US Virgin Islands. Territorial waters to 3 miles and Federal waters from 3-200 miles out where not bounded by waters belonging to other countries. For the purpose of this map the area encompasses the fishing area code maps given to the fishers to report their position. These maps are available through a link to US Caribbean fisheries forms listed separately in URLs section of these metadata.

Password Restricted. Rule of 3: Data summaries must include at least 3 dealers to be considered non-sensitive. See:

NOAA FORM 58-5 (1-84) TRANSMITTAL 127,

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA Administrative Order 216-100

NOAA ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER SERIES

Date of Issuance: July 26, 1994

Sensitive data may only be released to entities having a signed non-disclosure agreement on file with the Director of the Information Resources Management Division (IRMD). Otherwise, Sensitivity may be suppressed by the following methods used for aggregation of sensitive data:

Data that are submitted as sensitive can be released to the public under the following circumstances:

1. Combined or aggregated data. Sensitive data can be released if the data are aggregated or summarized in a manner that prevents the identification of the person or organization that submitted the data. The "rule of three" and identification of majority allocations" are the primary data suppression methods.

2. Obscure (scramble) or remove the data identifier. For some types of data, sensitive data can be released as non-sensitive if the identity of the person, vessel, company, etc. that submitted the data is not included or is scrambled as part of the data that are released.

3. Submitter. Sensitive data collected under federal authority Can be released to the original entity (person, vessel, business, etc.) that submitted the data.

4. Sensitive data waived. The protection of sensitive data can be waived by the person or business that submitted the data.

See NOAA Administrative Order 216-100

NOAA ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER SERIES

Date of Issuance: July 26, 1994

These standards and procedures apply to all employees of the SEFSC that need access to confidential fisheries statistics. This includes full time or term employees, contractors, volunteers, and/or other employees associated with the SEFSC, but not directly employed by either organization. Any SEFSC employee that needs or desires access to sensitive data must have read NOAA 216-100 and submitted a signed nondisclosure statement to the Director, Information Resources Management Division (IRMD). The non-disclosure statement must be approved by the Director of IRMD and maintained on file by IRMD. It is the responsibility of the Director of IRMD to certifY upon request, that a person or organization that requests access to sensitive data is authorized access to those data. All employees that have access to and/or use sensitive data (federal and non-federal) are responsible to protect those data from unauthorized access or release. Contractors or grantees that have an agreement with NMFS can be granted

access to sensitive data as an authorized user (See NOAA 216-100 1 Section 6.03e). It should be clearly understood that sensitive data cannot be released simply by an individual signing a nondisclosure statement. There must be a clear and demonstrable need for the confidential data that are requested as part of a contract or grant. Sensitive data can only be released for the specific contract or grant. Upon completion of the contract or grant, the recipient must either return the data or state that it has been destroyed. The contractor or grantee cannot use the data for any purpose other than the uses stated in the agreement. The Contracting Officers Technical Representative (COTR) or the Technical Monitor (TM) that has been assigned to the contract or grant, respectively, has the following responsibilities:

1. The COTR/TM has the responsibility to determine whether the contractor/grantee is eligible to receive the sensitive data that are requested in the agreement.

2. The COTR/TM has the responsibility to assure that all persons included in the agreement have read NOA 2l6-l00 and have signed a nondisclosure statement. A statement must be signed by each person that will have access to the sensitive data under the agreement, i.e., a blanket statement cannot be used for the company or firm. The COTR/TM also has the responsibility to make sure that the Director, IRMD has signed and approved the nondisclosure statement and the statement is on file with IRMD.

3. The COTR/TM has the responsibility to assure that sensitive data are not released in any publication, report, oral presentation, or other means to the public by the contractor or grantee.

To access confidential (sensitive) data a completed non-disclosure agreement must be on file with NOAA-SEFSC. Otherwise Data that are submitted as confidential can be released to the public under the following circumstances:

1. Combined or aggregated data. Confidential (sensitive) data can be released if the data are aggregated or summarized in a manner that prevents the identification of the person or organization that submitted the data. The "rule of three" and identification of majority allocations" are the primary data suppression methods.

2. Obscure (scramble) or remove the data identifier. For some types of data, confidential data Can be released as non-confidential if the identity of the person, vessel, company, etc. that submitted the data is not included or is scrambled as part of the data that are released.

3. Submitter. Confidential (sensitive) data collected under federal authority Can be released to the original entity (person, vessel, business, etc.) that submitted the data.

4. Confidential (sensitive) data waived. The protection of confidential data can be waived by the person or business that submitted the data.

Senisitve data are not to be released in any publication, report, oral presentation, or other means to the public.

Non-published Metadata access is restricted. Published Metadata is available to the public.

Use only Published Metadata.

Oracle Database (Partial)

MS Access Database on PC.

Some of this data has now been loaded into Oracle

Data provided by industry - fishers - Canvass of landings of all species in SE US and US Caribbean, State or Federally Managed . These are raw data. Data quality parameters vary by individual species and are determined during Stock Assessment. They may be found in the Stock Assessment Reports.

Compliance report available in Caribbean Commercial Landings web-based data entry application.

Look-up tables on data entry. Reports for high/low pounds and compliance made available to USVI-DFW by SEFSC.

Fishers have 45 days to report. They are processed by USVI Dept. of Fish and Wildlife for data entry. Data entry may be delayed due to manpower considerations in USVI and also possibly due to connectivity issues although this has improved. When data are posted into the Caribbean Commercial Landings data entry system (listed separately) they are re-formatted to the ALS format every 2 weeks by SEFSC. Automation of this last step is under consideration.

More information needed.

User id and password.

Data are reported by permitted commercial fishers on logbook forms to the USVI Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife. Forms are then processed for data entry by USVI-DFW. Data are entered by USVI DFW into Caribbean Commercial Landings web based application. Data are checked by look-up tables on entry and by SEFSC for high/low pounds and prices along with reporting compliance and made available to USVI-DFW by SEFSC.