 |
|
Observer Program Mandate
and Authority
|
| Mission of
the Program |
Collect data on catch
and bycatch quantity, composition, and biological characteristics,
document fishery interactions with marine mammals and
birds, monitor compliance with federal fisheries regulations. |
| Fishery management |
Federal |
| Authority to place observers |
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act (Gulf of Alaska Groundfish FMP,
Bering Sea/Aleutian Island Groundfish FMP), Marine
Mammal Protection Act. |
| Voluntary or mandatory |
Mandatory |
| Funding Source |
Direct Observer Cost - Fishing
Industry $13 M annual;
NMFS Operational Cost - Government
Funded |
| Annual Program Costs |
|
| Program duration |
1973 to present. Originally monitored
foreign and joint venture fishing, 100% domestic since
1991. |
|
Fishery Description
|
| Target species |
All major groundfish species harvested
in US Federal waters of the Gulf of Alaska and Bering
Sea/Aleutian Islands |
| Other commercially landed
species |
None |
| Bycatch |
Halibut, salmon, king and tanner
crab, marine mammals and sea birds are designated as
prohibited or protected species bycatch. Bycatch of
groundfish also occurs in the groundfish fisheries |
| Incidental takes |
|
| Gear Type |
Trawl, Longline, Pot |
| Area of Operation |
Bering
Sea & Gulf
of Alaska |
| Fleet size |
350 vessels and 20 shore plants |
| Size Range of Vessels |
60 ft.
-> ~ 700 ft. |
| Annual catch of target
species |
|
| Number of fishing days
per year |
Unknown. |
| Season of
operation |
Year-round (closures subject
to target and bycatch quota limits). |
|
Observer Program Management
|
| Brief
overview of program structure |
Program responsibilities are shared among NMFS,
the Observer Training Center of the University of
Alaska Anchorage (OTC), the fishing industry and
five independent observer providers (who are permitted
by NMFS). The observer providers hired and deployed
364 observers in 2002. NMFS and OTC train and brief
observers. NMFS provides other observer support services
(debriefing, observer gear, training documents, enforcement
support), maintains field offices in Kodiak and Dutch
Harbor, and is responsible for maintaining information
systems for scientific and operational data, and
administrative support.
Service delivery type and function of each entity:
NMFS is responsible for funding and overall administration
of the program including observer training (in partnership
with OTC), debriefing and data management. The fishing
industry is responsible for arranging with NMFS-permitted
observer providers for placement of NMFS-certified
observers aboard their vessels or at their processing
facilities and for paying observer providers for direct
observer costs. The observer providers are responsible
for observer recruiting, deployment, logistics, insurance/benefits
and delivery of observer data to NMFS. |
| Other participating agencies |
Observer Training Center of the
University of Alaska Anchorage. |
| Number of Observers |
~ 300 annually |
| Observers Employed by |
Alaskan
Observers Inc.
 |
Saltwater
Inc. |
| TechSea
International |
NWO,
Inc. |
| Average Deployment Length |
|
| Average Observer Retention
Rate |
|
| Observers
Unionized |
3 of 4 contractors
have a collective bargaining agreement |
|
Observer Coverage
|
| Average number
of fishing days |
|
| Unit and definition of
fishing effort for purpose of estimating coverage |
- Fishing day = a day in which
fishing gear is retrieved and groundfish retained.
- Processing day = a day in which
groundfish is received or processed.
- Vessels 125 ft. or longer =
100% coverage of fishing days.
- Vessels 60 - 124 ft. = 30% coverage
of fishing days.
- Shore plants processing >1,000 mt/mo.
= 100% coverage of processing days.
- Shore plants processing >500 mt/mo. =
30% coverage of processing days.
|
| Percent Observer Coverage |
Approximately 30,000 - 35,000
days observed annually. |
|
|
