February 12, 2013 — The Office of the Inspector General of the United States Department of Commerce has begun a review of the controls and processes associated with NOAA's catch share programs for commercial fisheries.
This is a continuation of the multiple-phase review of the National Marine Fisheries Service and Fishery Management Councils related to developing rules for the commercial fishing industry.
The objective of this review is to determine the adequacy of controls NOAA has in place to make decisions related to catch share allocations.
Read the letter from Assistant Inspector General for Audit Andrew Katsaros to NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco