January 28, 2026 — A recent study by NOAA Fisheries found that shore-based observers can effectively strengthen catch accounting in Alaska’s pollock fishery, offering a viable complement to electronic monitoring systems used at sea.
The Alaska pollock fishery is the largest U.S. fishery by volume and one of the largest in the world, and it sets the standard for accurate accounting and supports sustainable management and regulatory compliance. In addition to tracking pollock landings, managers must closely monitor prohibited species catch, including salmon and halibut.
Traditionally, this work has been carried out by at-sea observers collecting catch data and biological samples aboard vessels. But deploying observers at sea can be expensive and logistically challenging. In response, hybrid monitoring programs-combining electronic monitoring at sea with human observers on shore- are increasingly being explored, especially in low-discard fisheries where most catch is landed.
Researchers from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center evaluated the effectiveness of shore-based observers in the Alaska pollock trawl fishery under a voluntary exempted fishing permit. The study examined whether observers stationed at fish processing plants could meet core monitoring responsibilities, fulfill expanded sampling duties, and verify the accuracy of industry-reported catch data.