Contentious – Fishermen look to replace human monitors with cameras
The relationship between the region’s fishermen and the government observers who monitor their catch has long been uneasy, and that tension has only intensified since federal officials in March began requiring fishermen to pay hundreds of dollars every time an observer accompanies them to sea. But in the coming weeks, fishermen and federal regulators are poised to launch an experimental new program that could go a long way toward ending the conflict, while also potentially curbing costs and allowing broader oversight. With the help of private grants and the government’s blessing, fishermen from Cape Cod to Maine will rig their boats with an expensive suite of cameras, computers, and sensors to monitor their catch, replacing the on-board observers. Read the article, Click here 08:09
The tapes have to be reviewed so the costs will still be high. The only advantage is that you don’t have to haul around a non productive body or deal with the notification of said body before a trip or feed it. A whole new industry has been birthed at the expense of the fishermen. The observer industry, never going away because they have too much sway now with the councils. Government always grows their footprint on our lives.