Will NMFS Keep Your Secrets?

National Fisherman

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recently proposed  to revise existing regulations governing the confidentiality of information submitted in compliance with any requirement or regulation under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA).  These proposed changes have drawn significant interest, as they update rules governing the protection of information NMFS gathers, including trade secrets and other sensitive business information – which could threatening Magnuson-Stevens basic confidentiality protections.  This article reviews the proposed changes and its areas of concern to the fishing industry.