WWF calls for end to harassment and worse of fisheries observers
With World Fisheries Day being celebrated today, WWF is calling upon fishery managers to urgently address the increasing assaults and intimidations targeted at fisheries observers and to immediately take measures to ensure their health and safety onboard fishing vessels. WWF is shocked about the number of disappearances of observers on fishing vessels: marine biologist Keith Davis disappeared at sea in September working as an observer in MRAG Americas’ IATTC Trans-shipment Observer Programme. Charlie Lasisi, another observer,,, Read the rest here 09:35
Maybe it should also call for a stop to harassment by observers, maybe a drug test for observers. A little common sense from observers would go a long ways. While there are many good observers, they have their bad apples also. I have had to haul back because the observer mistook the rock hopper for a whale, had to deal with missidentification of fish on quota based fisheries, putting feminine products in the toilet clogging the valves. Every fisherman has a story about bad and abusive observers.