Part II: Observer Program Descriptions ............... ........ ............. .................. ................... ........ ............................................................................................ ............ ........ .............. CANADA/U. S. OBSERVER PROGRAM WORKSHOP c:::: r-r-, \:J L., r-r-, !:b r-r-, UNITED STATES OBSERVER PROGRAM fir SUMMARIES NORTH PACIFIC & BERING SEA GROUNDFISH, TRAWL & FIXED GEAR FISHERY ......................................... OFFSHORE PACIFIC WHITING FISHERY ...............................................................................................................,... 70 ALEUTIAN ISLANDS KING CRAB POT FISHERY...................................................................................................... L., BERING SEA KOREAN HORSEHAIR CRAB POT FISHERY...................................................................................... c::: BERING SEA KING CRAB AND TANNER CRAB POT FISHERIES........................................................................... STATEWIDE SCALLOPS DREDGE FISHERY (EXCEPT COOK INLET)................................................................... ATLANTIC SEA SCALLOP DREDGE FISHERY........................................................................................................... r-r-, GIANT ATLANTIC BLUEFIN TUNA PURSE SEINE FISHERY .................................................................................. LARGE PELAGIC DRIFT GILLNET FISHERY ............................................................................................................. LOBSTER POT FISHERY.... ..... NEW ENGLAND AND MID-ATLANTIC GILLNET FISHERIES ................................................................................. 76 NORTHWEST ATLANTIC TRAWL FISHERIES ........................................................................................................... NORTH PUGET SOUND NON-TREATY SOCKEYE AND CHUM GILLNET FISHERIES ....................................... WEST COAST LIMITED ENTRY GROUNDFISH TRA WL FISHERY......................................................................... SHORESIDE LANDINGS OF PACIFIC WHITING """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""".......................................... SOUTHEASTERN SHRIMP OTTER TRAWL FISHERY ............................................................................................... SEFSC PELAGIC LONGLINE OBSERVER PROGRAM ..................................,............................................................ CALIFORNIA/OREGON DRIFT GILLNET FISHERY..................................... ........ HAWAII PELAGIC LONGLINE FISHERY ..................................................................................................................... NORTHWESTERN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS LOBSTER FISHERY ................................................................................ :::: NORTH PACIFIC & BERING SEA GROUNDFISH, TRAWL & FIXED Alaska Anchorage (OTC), the fishing industry and five independent observer GEAR FISHERY contractors (who are certified by NMFS). The contractors hired and de- Bill Kmp, Task Leader, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 7600 Sand Point Way ployed over 500 observers in 1997. NMFS and OTC train and brief observ- , Seattle, W 98115 ers. NMFS provides other observer support services (debriefmg, observer gear, training documents, enforcement support), maintains field offices in Observer Program Mandate and Authority Kodiak and Dutch Harbor, and is responsible for maintaining information Mission of the program: Collect data on catch and bycatch quantity, composi- systems for scientific and operational data, and administrative support. tion, and biological characteristics, document fishery interactions with Service delivery type and function of each entity: NMFS is responsible for funding marine mammals and seabirds, monitor compliance with federal fish- and overall administration of the program including observer training (in eries regulations. partnership with OTC), debriefmg and data management. The fishing in- Fishery management: Federal dustry is responsible for making arrangements with NMFS-certified con- Authority to place observers: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and tractors for placement of NMFS-certified observers aboard their vessels or at Management Act (amendments to the Gulf of Alaska Groundfish and their processing facilities for and paying contractors for direct observer Bering Seal Aleutian Islands Groundfish Fishery Management Plans), costs. The observer contractors are responsible for observer recruiting, de- Marine Mammal Protection Act. ployment, logistics , insurance/benefits and delivery of observer data to Volunteer or mandatory: Mandatory. NMFS. Funding sources: Direct observer costs - industry funded; NMFS operational Other participating agencies: North Pacific Observer Training Center of the Univer- costs - govt. funded. sity of Alaska Anchorage (see above). Program duration: 1973 to present. Originally monitored foreign and joint ven- ture fishing, 100% domestic since 1991. Observer Coverage "--i Annual program costs: ($U. ) Costs to industry $8- 10 million; Agency costs $2 Unit and defmition of fishing effort for purpose of estimating coverage: 1"1-, million. Fishing day = a day in which fishing gear is retrieved and ground- fish retained. "--i Processing day = a day in which groundfish is received or proc- Fishery Description (1997) "--i Target species: All major groundfish species harvested in U.S. Federal waters of essed. 1"1-, the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Seal Aleutian Islands. Fraction of fishing activity observed: Other commercially landed species: None. Vessels 125 ft. or longer = 100% coverage of fishing days. tJ;) Bycatch: Bycatch of halibut, salmon, king and Tanner crab, marine mammals Vessels 60 - 124 ft. = 30% coverage of fishing days. rr, (several species), and seabirds (several species) occurs and is desig- Shore plants processing ::::-1 000 t/mo. = 100% coverage of process- nated as prohibited or protected species bycatch. Bycatch of ground- ing days. 1"1-, ::::-500 fish also occurs in the groundfish fisheries. Shore plants processing t/mo. = 30% coverage of processing \:J Fleet size: 350 vessels and 20 shore plants. days. Season of operation: Year-round (closures subject to target and bycatch quota limits). Total annual catch of target species: Total Groundfish = 2 million t (pollock = 2 million t, Pacific cod = 326 000 t, yellowfin sole = 181 000 t) L., c:::: Total number of fishing days per year: Unknown; observer coverage days 000 - 35 000. Observer Program Management 1"1-, Brief overview of program structure: Program responsibilities are shared among NMFS, the North Pacific Observer Training Center of the University of CANADA/U. S. OBSERVER PROGRAM WORKSHOP ::::---- CANADA/U. S. OBSERVER PROGRAM WORKSHOP OFFSHORE PACIFIC WHITING FISHERY paying contractors for direct observer costs. The observer contractors are re- Bill Karp, Task Leader, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 7600 Sand Point Way sponsible for observer recruiting, deployment, logistics, insurance/benefits and delivery of observer data to NMFS. , Seattle, WA 98115 \:J Other participating agencies: None. Observer Program Mandate and Authority "--i Mission of the program: Collect catch and biological data; characterize marine Observer Coverage mammal and salmon bycatch; monitor compliance with federal fisher- Unit and defmition of fishing effort for purpose of estimating coverage: ies regulations. Fishing day = a day in which Pacific whiting is received or processed. tJ;) Fishery management: Federal. Fraction of fishing activity observed: 100%. 1"1-, Authority to place observers: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act. ALEUTIAN ISLANDS KING CRAB POT FISHERY 1"1-, Voluntary or mandatory: Voluntary. Larry Boyle, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Shellfish Observer Program, PO \:J Funding sources: Direct observer costs - industry funded; NMFS operational Box 920587 Dutch Harbor, AK 99692 costs - government funded. Program duration: 1975 to present. Originally monitored foreign and joint ven- Observer Program Mandate and Authority ture fishing, 100% domestic since 1991. Mission of the program: Collecting essential biological and fishery management data Annual program costs: Costs to industry approx. $100 000. Government costs including quantifying species composition, bycatch, harvest, biological and (see North Pacific Groundfish Program summary). legal crab carapace size distributions, the reproductive status of female crab 1"1-, and monitor regulation compliance. Fishery Description (1997) Fishery management: State. '\J Target species: Pacific whiting. Authority to place observers: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Manage- "--i Other commercially landed species: None. ment Act (Fishery Management Plan for Bering Seal Aleutian Islands King Bycatch: Salmon, marine mammals (several species), seabirds (several species). and Tanner Crab); Alaska Statutes - 16.05.05 and 16.05.251; Alaska Board Fleet size: 16 processing vessels. of Fisheries; Alaska Administrative Code - 5 AAC 39. 141 and 5 AAC Season of operation: May - June (closures subject to target quota limits). 39. 645. Total annual catch of target species: 120 000 t. Voluntary or mandatory: Mandatory. Total number of fishing days per year: 425. Funding sources: Direct observer costs - industry funded; Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) operational costs from - State general fund. Observer Program Management Program duration: 1988 to