Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program
The Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) is a cooperative state-federal program that develops, implements, and operates fishery data collection and management systems. Program partners include NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, New England Fishery Management Council, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Potomac River Fisheries Commission and coastal resource agencies from the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and the District of Columbia.
The program partners worked together to develop standards for the collection and processing of common fisheries data. Each partner state seeks to incorporate these standards in its development of data collection and processing strategies. In New York State we use the ACCSP standards to ensure that fishery data are collected and processed properly.
ACCSP is also the depository for state and federal collected fishery data. The program integrates the collected data into a single data management system to meet the needs of state and federal fishery managers, researchers and commercial and recreational fishermen. ACCSP developed a web-based data entry system, Standard Atlantic Fisheries Information System or SAFIS, to provide a means for state and federal agencies to enter, compile and access the fishery data they have collected. Once data is entered into SAFIS, it can be made available to researchers and resource managers.
Electronic Reporting
State Licensed Fishermen: New York State regulations require commercial harvesters and state licensed party and charter permit holders to submit monthly New York State vessel trip reports (VTR) of all fishing activities to DEC Division of Marine Resources (DMR). Most fishermen submit paper VTRs to DEC. ACCSP provides the opportunity for commercial fishermen and state licensed party and charter boat businesses to fulfill their state reporting requirements by submitting vessel trip reports online. Electronic trip reports are entered into eTRIPS, a SAFIS application designed for submitting electronic trip reports. Once a fisherman has a user ID and password for eTRIPS, he need not ever submit a paper VTR again. Furthermore, once a fisherman has entered his fishery data into eTRIPS, he can view his information, compile it and produce his own fishery records and reports.
If you are interested in submitting your VTR data electronically, please contact the DMR Fisheries Data Management Unit at (631) 444-0857. We can provide you with a user ID, a password and assistance to get started online.
State Licensed Food Fish and Crustacea Dealers and Shippers (FF&C): State licensed seafood (food fish, crustacea, horseshoe crabs and whelks) dealers are required by state regulations to submit reports to DEC of purchases from fishermen. New York State FF&C dealers should submit reports electronically using eDR, the SAFIS application for electronic dealer reports. Dealers can also view their entered data, compile it and generate their own reports.
To establish a user ID, a password, and for any assistance with eDR, please contact the DMR Fisheries Data Management Unit at (631) 444-0857. If you already have a user ID and password, there is a link to the ACCSP data entry login page in the column to the right.
Recreational Anglers: New York State recreational anglers can now report their catch in a voluntary online angler logbook, called eLogbook. eLogbook has tools to help anglers document their fishing activities, compile their fishing data and plan more effective fishing trips in the future. They will also be contributing needed fishing data to researchers and resource managers by sharing what they catch, the sizes of their catch, and where and when they fish. Recreational angling information can be used by DEC and other coastal resource agencies to assess catch levels, estimate discards, and measure fishing effort.
eLogbook is a SAFIS application administered by ACCSP and we are pleased to be able to offer this new service in cooperation with ACCSP. If you wish to use this online logbook, please register and log on online at the ACCSP web site.
