WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 19, 2012 – The following was released by NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement.
I am happy to present a final draft of our national and division enforcement priorities for FY 2012. This document represents input from many interested people across the country: commercial and recreational fishermen, fishery management councils, state enforcement partners, and nongovernmental organizations to name a few. Thank you all for your comments.
This publication is a final draft, but not the final document. A fully formatted version will be available shortly and will include an appendix with all the comments we received during the 60-day public comment period.
Creating these priorities collaboratively was a first for us, and as with any new approach to management, we are always improving the process. We will seek input into our priorities each year, so let us know if you have suggestions for improvements. We'll be coming back to you for comments on our FY 2013 priorities later this year.
Looking to the future,
Bruce Buckson
Director, NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement