Section 13-0342. Marine fisheries data

1. a.  The department is authorized to adopt regulations which require
  reporting of catch, effort, area fished, gear used, by-catch, and volume
  and  value  of  product  purchased  from  fishermen,  by  holders of all
  categories of commercial  food  fish,  lobster,  and  crab  fishing  and
  landing  licenses,  marine  and coastal district food fish and crustacea
  dealers and shippers licenses, marine and  coastal  district  party  and
  charter  boat license, menhaden licenses, shellfish shippers permits and
  diggers permits.
    b. Beginning May first, nineteen hundred  ninety-nine  and  every  May
  first   thereafter,   the  department  shall  submit  a  report  to  the
  legislature on the data collected pursuant to this section. Such  report
  shall  include  the catch, effort, area fished, gear used, by-catch, and
  volume and value of product purchased from fishermen, by holders of  all
  categories  of  commercial  food  fish,  lobster,  and  crab fishing and
  licenses, marine and coastal district party and charter  boat  licenses,
  menhaden licenses, shellfish shippers permits and diggers permits.
    2.  The  department  may,  by  rule  and regulation, provide that data
  collected by the department or available  to  the  department  shall  be
  confidential and shall not be disclosed except when required under court
  order.  The  department  may,  by  rule  and  regulation, prescribe such
  procedures as may be necessary to preserve such  confidentiality  except
  that  the  department  may  release  or make public any statistics in an
  aggregate or summary form which does not directly or indirectly disclose
  the identity or business of any person who submits such statistics.