PacFIN Brief for 1985

[Complete 1985 PSMFC Annual Report (pdf)]

Pacific Fishery Information Network (PacFIN), Will Daspit, PacFIN Data Manager: The basic design and capabilities of the PacFIN data base were reviewed in last year's Annual Report. During 1985, data structures and software were developed to perform an analysis of groundfish landings using the 1981 Washington Department of Fisheries (WDF) and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) research data base files. The end products were reports and data files displaying the distribution of landed catch, number of vessels making landings, and the number of landing receipts stratified by port group (in lieu of area), vessel class (classified by length), gear group, species group, and month of landing.

Software was completed to establish the PacFIN Historical Salmon Database. A test year of 1983 data was run through the software and reviewed by the appropriate States. The Pacific Coast Fishery Data Committee approved incorporating 1981-1985 salmon data into the system. Modifications were made to the Inseason Salmon Data System in order to indentify Treaty Indian catch prior to May 1st of each year. This was necessary since quota management is now required for Treaty Indian catch on or shortly after May 1 st.

Software was added to the PacFIN groundfish data base to present the display of "Grade/Size" information for various species by month or week and by area, port, and gear type. This was in response to a request by the Pacific Fishery Management Council's Groundfish Team for sablefish grade/size information from the PacFIN system. Since 1984, the Pacific Council's Groundfish Team has been collecting weekly catch estimates for various quota species/speciesgroups. Using these data in conjunction with data contained in the PacFIN Management Data Base, the team is able to provide on a monthly basis a "best estimate" of the year-to-date catch for each species/species-group to the Council, Industry and NMFS regional offices. In 1985, this "best estimate" projection was automated into the PacFIN system.

Changes were made in the PacFIN this year for North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Alaska) reports. The data base structure and the update and retrieval software were changed to provide reports consistent with the North Pacific Council's Groundfish Management Plans.

The Joint Venture Log data base was enhanced this year by adding two additional index sets. This has reduced the cost and time necessary to perform data base retrievals. Software to retrieve JV log records and compute various statistics was developed. The system can now select log records for any time period, area, and catch category. Final specifictions were approved for the PacFIN system which will allow the merger of the PMFC Groundfish Data Series and the PacFIN Groundfish Data Base. The target date for completion of this merger is November, 1986.