How Catch Effort data is stored
All information provided on Catch Effort forms is stored in the Catch Effort database.
1. Scanned images of individual forms are stored in the Image database.
2. Exact details of what the fisher wrote are stored in the Form database.
3. Overnight information from the Form database is copied into the Catch Effort database. However, fields that fail data type checks (for example - checks to ensure that characters are not stored in number fields) or referential integrity checks (for example - checks to ensure that vessel registration numbers belong to real vessels) will not be copied across. Ministry of Fisheries staff should see the contact list if they require documentation on how to use the Catch Effort "front end" (the screens that access this data on a form by form basis).
4. Overnight the information from the Catch effort database is copied into the Warehou database. The main difference between the Catch Effort database and Warehou database is that Catch Effort is configured for maximum speed putting information in, while Warehou is configured for maximum speed getting information out. The Warehou database is the one most commonly used by the Ministry of Fisheries Reporting group. Documentation on how Catch Effort data is stored in the Warehou database is available (PDF document). Note that the Warehou database documentation has not yet been updated to incorporate information on the new Paua, Eel or Tuna forms.
You can view here a sample of catch effort data stored in Warehou database (excel workbook format)
Note that two versions (literal and interpreted) are available for most of the data stored on the Form and Catch Effort/Warehou databases. The literal version contains what the fisher wrote. The interpreted version contains the "interpretations" of what the fisher wrote that have been made by validators. For example - if a fisher wrote "CRA" (the species code for rock lobsters) as a method code then a validator may interpret this to "RLP" (rock lobster potting). The literal version of this record would contain "CRA" as the method code, but the interpreted version of the same record would contain "RLP" as the method code. In the vast majority of cases scientists and researchers use the interpreted version of the data from the Warehou database.
5. The Ministry of Fisheries has also built a database application called FIS (Fisheries Information System) that resides on the computers of its staff. This application is able to produce summary reports from many databases. One of the data sources that this application is able to query is the Catch Effort data on the Warehou database.
 |
   |