U.S. Department of Commerce National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA Fisheries Strategic Plan

Foundations for Stewardship - Foundation 2

FOUNDATION 2: Communication and collaboration with constituents

Accomplishment of our stewardship mission requires an open and honest exchange with our constituents. Stewardship is an ethic which must be held not only by NOAA Fisheries, but also by everyone who interacts with living marine resources. Furthering the stewardship ethic among our constituents is a vital part of our mission.

Living marine resource management involves many difficult and contentious issues, and this is reflected in our relations with our constituents. However, the enormous positive response we received to the series of constituent meetings we held in the course of constructing this plan points the way toward a more constructive approach to constituent relations. At these meetings, our constituents suggested that we take a more collaborative approach to management, explaining our management measures better and involving constituents in the management process more and earlier. In this way, NOAA Fisheries will build support for its management measures and encourage a stewardship ethic among user groups.

During the next 5 years, we will improve our relations with our constituents by:

  1. Holding round table discussions every six months in each region with constituents regarding regional and national plans and activities. At these meetings, we and our constituents can inform, listen, discuss, explain, and exchange views.
  2. Holding all public meetings with significant advance notice, wide advertisement, and at times and locations convenient to the expected participants. All public meetings will be followed up with a report of results, actions, and decisions.
  3. Establishing easily accessible communications links through electronic bulletin boards, web pages, and printed documents to provide up-to-date information to the public concerning fishery management and other NOAA Fisheries and Council activities.
  4. Publishing articles in outside publications, including trade magazines and regional newsletters. This will open a channel of routine communication between NOAA Fisheries and the public which is less formal and more accessible than the Federal Register.
  5. Making the updated NOAA Fisheries Brochure available at all public meetings.
  6. Establishing a NOAA Fisheries constituent database.
  7. Establishing a formal reporting mechanism for all research reports and manuscripts published by our scientists and taking every opportunity to make public presentations of all research results.

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