NOAA has received the Department of Commerce Inspector General Review of Fisheries Law Enforcement Programs and Operations
Dr. Lubchenco requested this review in June 2009 in response to mounting political pressure and industry complaints from New England to North Carolina.
NOAA legislative affairs sent the following statement to Members of Congress.
The report provides an opportunity to take a fresh look at the vital
role law enforcement plays in accomplishing our mission responsibilities
to rebuild and sustain marine resources, and to preserve good jobs and
economic stability within our coastal and fishing communities. It
dentifies a number of issues with NOAA's enforcement program and it
recommends several steps we could take to address these challenges. NOAA
will closely review the IG recommendations in the coming weeks and
develop a responsive plan in the months ahead. Dr. Lubchenco has asked
NOAA's new general counsel, Lois Schiffer, to lead a review of existing
policies and recommend means to increase coordination and consistency in
our law enforcement efforts. Lois Schiffer was announced as NOAA General
Counsel on January 13, 2010.
In the report, the Inspector General suggests areas for improvement but
specifically noted NOAA has proactively undertaken a number of actions
that will address some of the recommendations. These actions include:
* Revising procedural regulations and the penalty schedule.
* Developing an internal operations and procedural manual.
* Establishing a new case tracking database that links enforcement and
legal case management systems.
* Increasing communications with the Fisheries Management Councils,
especially in the Northeast U.S..
* Providing explanatory notes to case files.
* Better tracking priorities.
* Providing public access to charging information.
NOAA will convene a public summit on enforcement policies and practices
in order to gather input from constituents. It will include
representatives from the commercial fishing industry, the recreational
fishing community, environmental groups, academic institutions, outside
experts from law enforcement, and NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement and
the General Counsel for Enforcement and Litigation.
The goal of these initiatives is to promote transparency, to further
ensure fairness in the charging and prosecution of cases, to open lines
of communication where appropriate and to promote mutual understanding
between NOAA and the regulated community, while at the same time
providing full and vigorous support to the Agency's mission and
priorities.
Read the Inspector General's Report