PacFIN Brief for 2007

[Complete 2007 PSMFC Annual Report (18.3 MB pdf)]

The Pacific Fisheries Information Network (PacFIN) is the nation's first regional fisheries data network. Funded by a grant from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), PacFIN is a joint federal and state project focused on fisheries data collection and information management. PacFIN provides timely and accurate data to aid effective management of fisheries and fishery resources.

In 2007, the PacFIN Office processed 305 data feeds from eight data sources and responded to at least 105 requests-for-information. There were 440,527 visits to the PacFIN website for an average of 36,710 visits per month. Various selections of standard PacFIN reports were generated weekly or monthly and uploaded to the PSMFC and PacFIN website.

In January, through correspondence with AFSC, NWFSC, and ODFW staff it became clear that much of the Biological Data System (BDS) sample data for 1990 - 1997, and all of the 1998-2001 data for the shoreside pacific whiting fishery was missing from the PacFIN central database, which has been home to the west coast biological data since 1999. ODFW staff took the initiative to gather this data from various NMFS locations and then deliver new refresh data feeds to PacFIN. Both ODFW and CDFG coordinators completed work to incorporate in BDS data feeds to PacFIN sample data for sablefish that had also been missing from the PacFIN central database.

Retrieval routine slct_bds_warn_ag_yr.sql was developed to produce a spool file of warning messages by data source and year for BDS data providers, to simplify selections from the source table bds_df_warning which is populated with data quality information related to BDS updates.

In February, the CDFG PacFIN Coordinator resolved a difference between summary catch data in PacFIN and the Calcom database, where estimated landings of some rockfish species, notably vermillion rockfish from Santa Barbara area ports (other than the port of Santa Barbara), were consistently lower in PacFIN than landings for similar species in Calcom Santa Barbara area ports. It was determined that a port group code assignment change in Calcom had not been added to PacFIN. All data years were re-summarized in PacFIN following the new code assignment.

At various times during this year enhancements were made to the Quota Species Monitoring (QSM) subsystem. Code changes were made to improve the QSM file entry process by removing the dependencies on usernames. The staff also worked with ODFW to complete the agency's implementation of the data file delivery method.

The project to convert all ‘C’ programs to Oracle software was completed. All report programs for PFMC reports and agency reports (WOC) can now be generated via the new code base. Production implementation of the report programs occurred on a new server, “prowfish”, located in Portland. Enhancements completed this year include: physical data model changes, core data processing changes, SQL*Plus scripts for report printing, Perl scripts for automation, creation of report definitions for WOC agency reports, testing, debugging, system validation and additional tools for ease of use.

The web access retrieval functions available via a password-protected webpage were expanded. The new functionality included an extract of fish ticket data allowing the user to filter the data to a given species complex.

Internal System Upgrades related to maintaining the success of current production applications were performed. These activities are supportive in nature and included code list change monitoring, database performance improvements, new production automation and retrieval scripts, verifying production systems on new hardware, new code to ensure validity of source data, new improvements to security of data transmissions between the www.psmfc.org web server and the PacFIN production server, a new report for fish ticket last load statistics, documentation and metadata.

In April, PacFIN and PSMFC HQ staff developed a testing plan for a new central server on a Linux OS and Oracle database platform. Testing and development during the year included the following accomplishments: All pacfin schema Oracle objects and pacfin account UNIX files were imported to the new “prowfish” server. SQL was written to compare Oracle objects between servers after the export/import process. Utilizing test userid pftuser3, table and procedure privileges were verified. User account system settings in .login and .cshrc files were modified for the Linux OS and Oracle 10g environments. All options of the QSM command line interface were exercised. Updates to the central database were performed and a number of retrieval programs were exercised and modified as needed.

A new production script (refresh_lbkprmtlst.sql) was created. This script matches limited entry permit data to logbook records.

New table "sum_fous3" was developed to fulfill a request from the NMFS/ST group.

A number of new reports and reporting features were added to PacFIN web pages this year, including WA Tribal All Species Reports to the password protected pages, W-O-C Coastwide Albacore Delimited Data by State, Port Group and Port to the public pages and removal-type and product-use descriptions to the code list page.

A report titled "Disclaimers, Caveats, and Other Useful Information" was also added to the PacFIN website. This web addition was requested at the November 2006 PCFDC meeting to address differences in report composition and content between PacFIN reports and reports posted on the NMFS web site.

The WOC Trawl Logbook section of the web site was updated with the addition of a description of "Database columns apounds and apounds_wdfw" under "notes and hints."

PacFIN staff worked with clients to assist in the application of new software to migrate from telnet and ftp connectivity to NMFS/AFSC/OFIS systems to ssh and sftp/scp protocols as required by newly implemented NOAA security mandates. PacFIN staff also supported clients with VPN settings changes required by NOAA host systems.

The PacFIN office continued to respond to NOAA network "vulnerability scans" of PacFIN desktop computers that are connected to the host AFSC network. This requires ongoing software upgrades, additions and/or removals, in order to maintain compliance with NOAA rules and standards.

In November, the former Assistant Data Manager began duties as Program Manager.