August 29, 2023 — NOAA Fisheries plans on subscribing to an existing commercial database to support its law enforcement division, giving the agency access to more public and propriety information as it conducts its investigations.
In July, SeafoodSource reported that NOAA Fisheries was considering creating or purchasing a new national database that would enable law enforcement officers to search vehicle registrations, phone records, social media accounts, and more. According to a June 2023 notice, NOAA wanted the centralized repository to be capable of creating custom reports showing “connections between people, businesses, assets, and locations.” The agency also wants access to license plate recognition technology and automatic alerts when data on subjects of interest is updated.