Tag Archives: At Sea Observer
Editorial: Cost of at-sea monitors is unfair, cost prohibitive.
Imagine trying to run a Main Street business, a restaurant or gift shop, maybe during the pandemic. A cratered economy and the threat of disease make each day a challenge and the future uncertain. Now imagine the government dropping another $700 in fees on you every time you open your doors. There’s no way your mom-and-pop operation could survive. The New England Fishery Management Council, which essentially sets the rules for commercial fishing in the region, will meet next week to decide how often monitors will be required on fishing vessels. Early indications are that councilors will require a monitor on every trip, with the average cost of $700 to be borne by fishermen. >click to read< 08:42
Fishing industry seeks emergency waiver from federal fishery observer requirement.
West Coast trawlers and fishing industry leaders looking to minimize the risk of exposure to the coronavirus are asking for an emergency waiver from a requirement to carry human observers. The National Marine Fisheries Service provided a two-week waiver from observer coverage in the spring. Chris Oliver, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries, clarified in a message posted Thursday that waivers remain available on a vessel-by-vessel basis. According to a spokesman, the federal agency has issued some individual vessel waivers for trips in the past three months — all were for times when observers were not available, not for other reasons, such as a vessel operator’s concerns about the coronavirus. >click to read< 15:54
At Sea Observer – Whistleblowers say workplace abuse hides true impacts of B.C.’s trawl fishery
Under the at-sea observer program, observers are required to estimate bycatch on ships, often while mountains of fish are being dumped on deck and unwanted species are being thrown overboard. Observers are also expected to take biological samples and count and assess the condition of prohibited species, which can include valuable fish like halibut, all while staying out of the way.In early April, the Fisheries and Oceans Canada suddenly ordered the observers off the boats for 45 days due to safety concerns around COVID-19. >click to read< 12:50
Coronavirus: Fed temporarily waves at-sea observer requirement on Canadian fishing vessels
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) says the at-sea monitoring program poses a public health risk for both observers and crews on board. An order immediately suspending at-sea observer coverage was signed by federal Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bernadette Jordan on April 2 and will remain in effect for 45 days. Some inshore fisheries in Canada do not require at-sea observers, but they are now routinely present on larger vessels as a licensing condition in many Canadian fisheries. Fishing companies pick up the cost of the observers, who collect scientific data and monitor fishing activity and compliance with the rules. >click to read< 07:21
Dispute between Newfoundland and Labrador at-sea observer, fisherman goes to court
Frustrations within the inshore fishery do not always play out in public protests or in front of the media — some disputes take place on the wharf and, when serious enough, can end up in court.
A recent case out of provincial court in Corner Brook involved a dispute on the wharf between an inshore fisherman and a fisheries observer. The fisherman, Kenneth MacDonald, was accused of failing to comply with conditions of his fishing licence, in that he refused to allow designated at-sea observer Thomas Gavin onboard his vessel last year,,, >click to read<22:15
Coast Guard locates 8 people in life raft over 400 miles north of Hawaii
A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircrew from Air Station Barbers Point located a life raft with eight people aboard from the fishing vessel Princess Hawaii over 400 miles north of the Big Island, Sunday evening. The Hercules crew will remain on scene as long as fuel is available and the crew of the commercial fishing vessel Commander is en route to pick up the crew. The Princess Hawaii reportedly had a captain, six crewmembers and an observer from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration aboard and was fishing within 20 miles of its sister ship, the Commander. >click to read< 09:08
