January 26, 2026 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries is required by law to monitor fishery catches to ensure sustainable management of U.S. fisheries. The Alaska pollock fishery is the largest U.S. fishery by volume, and one of the largest in the world. Accurate accounting of pollock and other landed species—along with the catch of prohibited species such as salmon and halibut—is critical for science-based management and compliance with regulations. Traditionally, fisheries observers working on-board Alaska pollock vessels filled this role by collecting catch information and biological samples. These data contribute to stock assessments and catch accounting.
However, deploying at-sea observers can be both logistically challenging and expensive in some fisheries. As a result, hybrid monitoring programs, which combine electronic monitoring at sea with human shore-based observers, are becoming more common. They are well suited for low-discard fisheries which land all, or most of, the catch.
Researchers at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center evaluated the implementation of shore-based observers in the Alaska walleye pollock trawl fishery. The study, conducted under a voluntary exempted fishing permit, examined whether shore-based observers stationed at fish processing plants could:
- Meet core monitoring responsibilities
- Fulfill expanded sampling duties
- Verify the accuracy of industry-reported catch data