New observer rules for Alaska groundfish fleet
If you haven’t carried observers in federal groundfish fisheries in Alaska waters, you’ll probably have to start.
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is scheduled to consider a new observer program for groundfish boats under 60 feet and all halibut vessels. The council will make an initial review of the restructuring during its next meeting on June 7 to 15 in Sitka. Final action is set for October.
The program also will change the manner in which most vessels pay for observer coverage. Currently, vessels carrying observers are expected to pay for them individually. Under the proposal being considered by the council, the observer/monitoring program will be paid for with a 2 percent assessment on landings, with a few exceptions.
In addition, the new plan would provide more accurate scheduling for vessels assigned observers.
You can see the report to be discussed by the council at www.fakr.noaa.gov
Fisherman and council member Dan Hull has written a summary of the observer issue:
As the report indicates, fishermen who are not currently required to carry observers – particularly those in the halibut IFQ fishery, and vessels under 60 foot that participate in any of the federal groundfish fisheries in Alaska – will be included in these restructuring plans.
The council and NMFS have been grappling with a number of longstanding problems in the observer program. This includes the inability of NMFS to direct when and where observers should be deployed in order to collect catch, bycatch, and other biological information necessary for the conservation and management of groundfish resources upon which all fishermen and communities depend.
Walk the docks in any Gulf of Alaska fishing community and you are sure to hear rising concerns about the lack of bycatch data in particular fisheries, and the impact that unknown quantity of bycatch has on maintaining healthy stocks and viable fisheries for others.
But the lack of data is not specific to just a few fisheries; instead it is a deficiency of the observer program in general. At the same time, the need for information, the coverage (or other method) required to collect that information, and the costs associated with collecting it vary among fisheries. These factors make restructuring complex and challenging.
While restructuring plan alternatives are not complete, it is possible to describe some of the main features so that fishermen can become engaged in the council process to make sure that the restructured observer program is practical, cost effective and likely to achieve its goals. The council will review the initial draft at its June meeting.
Funding will be collected from a 2 percent assessment of the ex-vessel value of landings, and observer costs for all sectors will be paid from this common fund. For catcher vessels delivering to shore based processors, fishermen and processors each will contribute 1 percent, with the processors collecting and paying the entire amount to NMFS.
Direct federal funding could contribute to program startup costs, as well as supplement annual industry payments, and the North Pacific observer program has requested a $6 million budget increase for 2012 and beyond.
What constitutes an equitable share of costs and benefits among the different sectors and the federal government is likely to be a contentious issue.
The analysis of the draft restructuring plan alternatives should provide fishermen in each sector a good understanding of NMFS overall data needs from observers, the methods used to collect that information, how frequently it will be collected, and the associated costs.
For vessels currently in the observer program, and others that can carry an observer, the draft plan proposes that vessel captains notify NMFS at least 72 hours in advance of a fishing trip using a call-in system. Whether that trip is selected for observer coverage would be decided according to a pre-determined sampling plan.
NMFS is also considering options for smaller vessels where taking an observer may not be feasible, and plans to assess alternative methods for collecting information on these vessels. These options include electronic monitoring and independent “chase vessels” for a pre-determined period of time.
In this way, the draft plan is expected to incorporate the serious concerns and recommendations expressed by fishermen at recent outreach meetings conducted by NMFS staff. These outreach efforts are critical to the process.
Restructuring the observer program should lead to more sustainable fishing practices, and improved management and conservation. However, the program should be carefully crafted to avoid unintended effects on fishing businesses and communities.
The more closely the observer program matches the way fishermen currently operate, the less likely fishermen will game the system or otherwise change their fishing behavior to undermine the data collection efforts that are necessary for conservation and management.
This will be a challenge, but it is a great opportunity for fishermen, NMFS and the council to create a successful observer program in the North Pacific.
