NOAA Fisheries received the prestigious Government Computer News Award for a unique new vessel monitoring system and also for a litigation database, at an awards program on Oct. 29 in Washington, D.C. One of ten honorees selected from more than 120 government-wide nominations, NOAA Fisheries was nominated for programs that advance information and communication management within the enforcement and legal counsel systems. "Many of our valuable ocean resources are overfished and fleets everywhere are heavily capitalized," said Dr. Bill Hogarth, director of NOAA Fisheries. In an effort to deal with these increased challenges, the NOAA Fisheries Office of Enforcement developed the Vessel Monitoring System to track the activities and fish catches of thousands of vessels throughout America's coasts. For more information, read the online press release on our Web site.