Harbor Light Software is the leader in development of mobile application software in the fisheries management market. We have developed a variety of native mobile applications for a range of organizations to aid in the collection of data used as the basis for fisheries management policy and regulations. We work with governmental agencies, non-governmental agencies and various associations to build software that meets specific needs and are well 
known for our application innovations and customer service throughout the process.
Application Development Services
Harbor Light has worked with a range of electronic reporting hosts such as the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), the Gulf StatesMarine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC), and the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO). Our reporting software can be expanded to other host providers, such as in international markets where custom host interfaces exist, or in markets where no host data collection provider is present, in which case Harbor Light’s own back-end platform can serve as a solution.
The primary applications that Harbor Light has developed include:
eTrips/mobile 2, developed for the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP), this is the standard mobile application offered for fisheries data collection by for-hire and commercial anglers from Maine to Texas. Harbor Light developed and has maintained and updated eTrips/mobile since 2014.
Photo by Cameron Rhodes, SAFMC.
As part of ongoing enhancement of eTrips, Harbor Light recently completed a VMS-integration module for eTrips/mobile 2. eTrips can now integrate with VMS units from CLS/Woods Hole, Faria Beede, Pelagic Data Systems, and Succorfish to support state agencies in their analysis of location-based fishing efforts.
Additionally, Harbor Light has enhanced eTrips to support recent mandatory reporting requirements for electronic reporting in the Gulf and the Southeast for-hire fleet, and for GARFO-permitted commercial vessels.
eTrips/mobile is the only application that satisfies reporting requirements imposed by HMS, state and federal agencies via single trip reports by anglers. eTrips/mobile is flexible, displaying the unique data fields and capabilities that correctly reflect reporting requirements based on users’ state fishing permits, federal fishing permits — including combinations of one or more of each issued by different agencies — and whether a federally permitted vessel was used for the trip.
Dockside Intercept provides electronic reporting of the Marine Recreational Information Program’s Access
Photo by Cameron Rhodes, SAFMC.
Point Angler Intercept Surveys. It is used by data collectors who interview anglers as they complete their fishing efforts, or in real time as they fish on head boat trips. Separate Android versions of the application are supported and distributed by both the ASMFC and GSMFC, and a Windows version of the application featuring speech recognition-driven data input, is used on head boats by the Rhode Island Department of Environment Management (RIDEM).
Harbor Light has recently begun the addition of a new economic-survey module into Dockside, which is scheduled for deployment in January of 2022.
SciFish is a flexible fisheries management data collection application, developed for the ACCSP. Its architecture enables the creation of unique data 
collection scenarios, eliminating the cost associated with building specialized collection applications from scratch. For example, SciFish was launched with support for two separate applications developed by Harbor Light – Release, developed for the South Atlantic Fish Management Council (SAFMC), and Catch-U-Later, developed for North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF). These modules run in SciFish. And Harbor Light is currently creating a project builder tool enabling clients to create their own data collection modules to run within SciFish.
eDR/mobile, developed for the ACCSP, available on Android, iOS and Windows, allows commercial fish dealers in Maine and Massachusetts and Rhode Island to electronically file their transaction reports.
SEFHIER Intercept, developed for the GSMFC, is a dockside interview application specifically targeted at charter boat captains.
Fisheries Enforcement and Scallops Enforcement are applications that provide a simple, step-by-step interface for law enforcement officers to verify vessel compliance with shrimp and scallop regulations.
eFin Logbook supports the first required reporting of recreational fishing effort for Tilefish, regulated by the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (MAFMC). eFin was designed as an easy-to-use, multi-platform alternative to GARFO’s Fish Online software. 
AnglerCatch Logbook is Harbor Light’s primary recreational reporting application. It is being developed with support and cooperation from the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) and the Rhode Island Department of Environment Management (RIDEM), with funding provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). This application provides a rich interface appealing to the recreational angler with features such as trip/catch location tracking, weather and tide data, and an easy-to-use interface. Client fishing data is delivered to RIDEM to supplement their other reporting sources.
Help Desk Services
Harbor Light has supported a 24/7 Help Desk since 2013. This Help Desk supports users of the ACCSP’s eTrips and eDR/mobile applications, and Harbor Light’s recreational-focused reporting applications – eFin and AnglerCatch. It is a critical component in the successful rollout of reporting applications to the angler community, supplying real time feedback relating to impact and acceptance of new regulatory rules instituted by different fisheries management councils.
Support of Fisheries Management Reporting Standards
At Harbor Light, we are committed to the creation of industry-wide standards for fisheries data collection to advance fisheries management for all participants in the market. We work within multiple committees to help supply regional guidance on coast-wide fisheries projects and to help industry representatives in the implementation and rollout of electronic data collection programs. In this way, we are able to contribute to the development of agency roadmaps that advance and guide implementation of electronic data collection in both recreational and for-hire fisheries.
Focus On Emerging Demand for Recreational and Citizen Science Reporting
As the scope of fisheries management reporting evolves, commercial and for-hire data collection efforts will increasingly be supplemented by recreational reporting.
Harbor Light has taken an active lead in the development of recreational fishing software that offers reporting functionality in cooperation with fisheries management councils and commissions. Dockside Intercept, the eFin Logbook, and the AnglerCatch Logbook are all applications with a recreational focus.
Harbor Light’s SciFish project with the ACCSP targets the emerging trend of citizen science reporting, and we expect to expand this effort by working with NGOs, fishing groups and the fisheries science community for projects outside of the ACCSP’s jurisdiction.
At Harbor Light we are continually developing and innovating mobile apps for fisheries management. We believe we offer the most reliable, cost-effective application development services for organizations seeking to enhance data collection, and we look forward to serving new clients with new applications as demand for data and electronic reporting increases in the future.
Fran Karp is a founder at Harbor Light Software. She is happy to hear from readers and can be reached here. To feature your company with Industry Focus, please drop us a line at info@em4.fish. You’ll find many more Industry Focus business profiles in our Blog section.
