Saving Seafood

Notice of Alaska Observer Requirements for the Partial Coverage Fleet Effective September 1, 2021

August 31, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Observers are an essential component of commercial fishing operations and provide critical information that is necessary to keep fisheries open and to provide sustainable seafood to our nation. In response to widely available vaccines, increased transportation availability, and the removal of health and travel mandates in most communities, NOAA Fisheries has identified that most ports in Alaska have current travel and lodging conditions that allow observers to meet and maintain applicable health and travel advisories for deployment into the commercial fisheries.

NOAA fisheries will be expanding the deployment of observers to all ports throughout Alaska on September 1, 2021 to meet monitoring objectives for vessels in the Partial Coverage Category of the North Pacific groundfish and Pacific halibut fisheries. This change is consistent with the June 29, 2021 updated NOAA Fisheries observer waiver policy which states that vessels are no longer eligible for release from observer coverage under the Emergency Rule if a fully vaccinated or quarantined/shelter-in-place observer is available.

To the extent possible, NOAA Fisheries will deploy observers to achieve coverage levels identified in the 2021 Annual Deployment Plan for the remainder of the year, which are designed to meet the monitoring objectives established by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council and NOAA Fisheries.

Consistent with existing regulatory authority at 50 CFR 679.51(a)(1), NOAA fisheries may release trips from observer coverage on a case-by-case basis for vessels in the Partial Coverage Category.  NOAA will use this authority when no observers are available for deployment.  We will continue to work with the contracted observer service provider, AIS, Inc., to implement adjustments to the logistics of deploying observers, ensuring that qualified observers are available as soon as safely possible.

NOAA Fisheries may modify the list of ports with available observers in the future in response to transportation availability and/or changes in health and travel advisories.  Any revisions to the deployment of observers due to changes in health and travel advisories will be published through an Alaska Region Information Bulletin.

NOAA Fisheries is committed to protecting the public’s health and ensuring the safety of fishermen, observers, and the communities in which they work, while fulfilling our mission to maintain our nation’s seafood supply and conserving marine life.  We will continue to monitor all local public health notifications, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for updates.

Northeast US fisheries observer waiver fully ends

July 22, 2021 — An ongoing waiver of observer coverage for vessels in the U.S. Northeast has been terminated as COVID-19-related restrictions abate.

NOAA Fisheries initially released the observer waiver in June for vessels if an observer or monitor that is either fully vaccinated or has quarantined for the requisite amount of time is available. That waiver was put into place in March 2020 as COVID-19 became an increasing concern.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

NOAA Lifts COVID-19 Observer Coverage Waiver for Northeast Vessels With Electronic Monitoring

July 15, 2021 — NOAA Fisheries announced on Tuesday that they are lifting an exemption on at-sea observers that has been in place since August 2020.

Effective July 13, vessels enrolled in an electronic monitoring program may be assigned observer or monitor coverage consistent with its respective program’s requirements. This is a follow up from a June announcement in which NOAA Fisheries stated that vessels would no longer be eligible for release from observer or monitor coverage if a fully vaccinated observer or a quarantined/shelter in place observer is available.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Updated Policy on Issuance of Observer Waivers

June 21, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Last week Paul Doremus, Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, issued a Leadership Statement announcing an update to our observer waiver policy. In summary, a vessel will not be eligible for release from observer or monitor coverage if a fully vaccinated observer or a quarantined/shelter in place observer is available.

Questions?

Contact Katherine McArdle, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 508-495-2377

Media: Contact Allison Ferreira, Regional Office, 978-281-9103

NOAA Fisheries Updates Policy on Issuance of Waivers Under Emergency Rule

June 18, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Observers and monitors, at sea and shoreside, are an essential component of commercial fishing operations in the U.S. They provide critical information that is necessary to keep fisheries open and to provide sustainable seafood to our nation during this time. A little more than a year ago, NOAA Fisheries clarified its policy for how vessels could receive a waiver from required observer or at-sea monitor coverage. That approach was appropriate under the circumstances. However, in the United States, much has changed and improved since then. COVID-19 vaccines are widely available and infection rates are dropping. At this point, we need to acknowledge and adapt to improved conditions and, in turn, update our policy for issuing waivers under the Emergency Rule national-level criteria.

As of today, a vessel is no longer eligible for release from observer or monitor coverage under the Emergency Rule or regional waiver criteria if a fully vaccinated or quarantined/shelter in place observer is available. Per guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an observer will be considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after their second dose of a two-dose series, or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine. A quarantined/shelter in place observer is one who has been isolated in place for 14 days. The observer provider companies track and confirm observer vaccination/shelter in place status and they will confirm when observers are ready for deployment.

Read the full release here

Recent Conviction Confirms Our Commitment to Observer Safety

June 1, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Part of our job at NOAA Fisheries is ensuring a level playing field for commercial fishermen. Fishery observers and at-sea monitors play a critical role in that process. Observers are professionally-trained biological scientists whose work helps monitor fisheries, assess fish populations, set fishing quotas, and inform management. Their work is vital to our mission.

For observers to be effective, their working conditions must be safe and professional. Although U.S. fisheries are among the safest in the world, we understand the inherent risks that observers face while working in remote and offshore locations. As our eyes and ears on the water, they spend days, weeks, or even months out at sea. Their work can be dangerous and puts them in vulnerable situations. It is our job to make sure their unique workplaces are as safe as possible.

Preparing observers for safe deployments requires an active partnership among NOAA Fisheries, observers, observer providers, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the fishing industry. Since the inception of the observer program in the 1970s, we have continually worked to develop and institute world-class training and safety protocols. This includes a zero tolerance policy for observer harassment or assault.

As part of their training, observers are encouraged to report inappropriate behavior. They are given examples of unacceptable behavior and taught what steps they can take if something inappropriate happens. Violators are subject to civil and criminal penalties of up to six months in prison and a $130,000 fine.

On May 3, 2021, Galen Burrell, a commercial fishing deckhand, was sentenced in the Eastern District of North Carolina to six months in prison after pleading guilty to sexually harassing a federal fishery observer. This prosecution is the result of collaboration between NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, the Office of General Counsel, the Observer Program, and the Department of Justice. The successful prosecution of this case highlights our commitment to observer safety, and demonstrates that bad actors can—and will—be held accountable.

The NOAA Office of Law Enforcement will continue to pursue any and all credible allegations concerning an observer’s safety.

Any observer who has experienced harassment or assault should feel empowered to take action. Our Law Enforcement Hotline is always open at (800) 853-1964. There are numerous victim advocacy resources available such as NOAA’s Sexual Assault/Sexual Harassment Helpline and RAINN.

2021-2022 Northeast Fisheries Observer Sea Day Schedule Now Available

May 28, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The 2021-2022 sea-day schedule for trips selected for observer coverage is now available. Two new information reports that support the schedule are also available. View or and download the schedule and reports here.

We did not conduct a discard analysis this year because of an observer data gap caused by observer coverage waivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s sea day schedule is instead based on last year’s analysis, incorporating the effects of FY21 funding and sea scallop compensation rate.

There are 3,248 agency-funded days for fishery monitoring, 3,096 days fewer than required. We have used the prioritization process described in the Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology Omnibus Amendment to allocate available funds to fishing fleets monitored using these sea days.

For groundfish vessels in this fishing year, we estimate that 699 Northeast Fisheries Observer Program sea-days can offset the days required for at-sea monitoring, and that 100% of vessel costs for at-sea monitoring will be reimbursed with funds specifically appropriated by Congress in FY2019 and FY2020 for this purpose.

Read the full release here

Sexual Harassment Conviction Underscores NOAA Fisheries Observer Safety Commitment

May 26, 2021 — A message from Acting NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Paul Doremus broke down how a recent conviction involving the sexual harassment of a federal fishery observer shows the agency’s commitment to observer safety.

Doremus noted that on May 3, Galen Burrell, a commercial fishing deckhand was sentenced in the Eastern District of North Carolina to six months in prison after pleading guilty to sexually harassing a federal fishery observer.

Read the full story at Seafood News

MSC grants awarded to boost fisheries management efforts

April 30, 2021 — Global efforts to improve the management of fisheries through efficient collection and utilization of high-quality data have received a boost with a GBP 650,000 (USD 907,834 EUR 753,562) grant from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

The MSC grant, channeled via the Ocean Stewardship Fund, will help strengthen the at-sea fishery observer safety initiative, reduce unwanted bycatch, and improve fisheries’ harvest strategies and the sustainability of bait fishing, according to a statement by the Council.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

NOAA Keeps Deploying Fishery Observers But With Limits Amid Pandemic

April 27, 2021 — Considered essential workers, federal fishery observers have continued monitoring Pacific commercial operations during the pandemic, but COVID-19 restrictions have forced them to reduce — or even cease — operations in some areas.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration dispatches observers to travel aboard fishing vessels to monitor the crew’s practices and what they catch – including any bycatch of endangered species. The goal is to preserve fish stocks and protect maritime ecosystems.

“Providing seafood to the country is an essential function, and adequate monitoring of our fisheries is important to the process,” NOAA spokeswoman Celeste Hanley said. “NOAA Fisheries has processes in place to maintain fishery operations and the monitoring necessary for sustainable management.”

However, fears of coronavirus spread prompted the agency to announce in June that it would give its regional administrators, office directors and science center directors the ability to temporarily waive observer requirements for vessels on a case-by-case basis based on local conditions.

Read the full story at the Honolulu Civil Beat