Recreational Fisheries Working Group

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
RECREATIONAL FISHING DATA IMPROVEMENT DEVELOPMENT PLAN
THE ROLE OF MAFAC

The Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC) has been requested to assist the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS or the agency) with maximizing constituent input into the agency's development and implementation of a plan to improve the collection of recreational fishing data. Specifically, MAFAC has been requested to assist with facilitating robust constituent input into the process.

MAFAC's Role:

• Advise the agency and enhance its public outreach activities for this effort;
• Provide constituents and the interested public with an additional point of access to convey their views and participate in the process; and
• Provide advice , input and consultation from appropriate expertise and the public on specific issues at key decision points within the developed plan.

PROCESS
To serve these roles, the Committee will task its RecFish Working Group, established in February 2006. All deliberations and proposed recommendations developed by the RecFish Working Group will be submitted to the Full Committee for public deliberation and final adoption prior to submission to the agency. Advanced public notification of meetings will be made through a variety of electronic and print media including those listed below, and may include public phone conferences to accommodate maximum involvement and reduced costs associated with on-site meetings.

The MAFAC RecFish Working Group membership is comprised of MAFAC members with expertise and active participation in the recreational fishing community who are listed on the MAFAC webpage at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ocs/mafac In addition; the three state marine fisheries commissions are represented on the RecFish Working Group.

The Chair of the RecFish Working Group will serve as MAFAC's key representative to the agency for this project. To ensure consistent coverage and awareness of regional differences in this effort, members of the RecFish Working Group, at the request of the agency, will host constituent and public fora to receive input, as well as attend and participate in other meetings relevant to this project (i.e. state commissions and fishery management councils).

Public Outreach
MAFAC will advise the agency on its outreach strategies and communications regarding this effort. All meetings, draft documents and information relevant to the agency's actions will be announced and co-linked on the Committee's webpage and the agency's webpage established specifically for this project.

In addition, the professional communication networks affiliated with the members of the RecFish Working Group will be utilized to further enhance public awareness and participation, including announcement of available documents, meetings and public comment opportunities.

Public Input via MAFAC
In addition to public and constituent meetings dedicated to enhancing constituent input and advice, the Committee web page will also be utilized as an additional point for public access, including an e-mail and post office address for constituents and the public to submit comments. These comments will be compiled by staff and forwarded to the Committee and appropriate agency staff for inclusion into the over all public process and records, as well as RecFish Working Group and Full Committee deliberations.

The Executive Director of MAFAC and the National Recreational Fisheries Coordinator will serve as the primary points of contact to support MAFAC's role in this process. All correspondence and views on this project received through the MAFAC, will be forwarded to the appropriate agency staff for consideration into the overall public comment process, as well as made available to the Committee members for consideration into any relevant issue before the Committee.

Expertise Consultation via MAFAC
The agency will seek the advice of MAFAC at key decision points throughout the plan's development and implementation. In fulfilling this advisory role, MAFAC may also consult with appropriate expertise external to the Committee. Resulting recommendations from these consultations will be compiled and forwarded to the Full Committee for public deliberation and final submission to the agency, NOAA, and the Secretary of Commerce.

The agency must keep MAFAC informed regularly of its activities throughout the development process, and provide the necessary information well in advance of deliberations on issues before the Committee.

RecFish Working Group: