Will new observer program fit in the fleet? - Many hope that new electronic observer technology will come soon

摘要

Changes to the observer program for Alaska's groundfish and halibut fisheries aim to increase coverage, but a lawsuit alleges that diverting observers to smaller longline boats will actually undermine the program. New conditions for the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) observer program went into effect in January, introducing observer requirements for boats under 57.5 feet and for halibut vessels. To fisheries managers, it's the realization of the efforts to improve data collection that havebeen mulled over ever since the groundfish observer program started in 1990 for catcher/ processor boats.