(a) General.

(1) All statistics required to be submitted to the Secretary are provided to the Assistant Administrator.

(2) After receipt, the Assistant Administrator will remove all identifying particulars from the statistics if doing so is consistent with the needs of NMFS and good scientific practice.

(3) Appropriate safeguards as specified by NOAA Directives, or other NOAA or NMFS internal procedures, apply to the collection and maintenance of all statistics, whether separated from identifying particulars or not, so as to ensure their confidentiality.

(b) Collection agreements with states.

(1) The Assistant Administrator may enter into an agreement with a state authorizing the state to collect statistics on behalf of the Secretary.

(2) NMFS will not enter into a cooperative collection agreement with a state unless the state has authority to protect the statistics from disclosure in a manner at least as protective as these regulations.