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1. The
authority to place observers on commercial fishing
and processing vessels operating in particular
fisheries is provided either by the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA)
or the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). These
two acts require the government to collect data
on activities which affect marine resources.
Many of the programs also satisfy requirements
of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The data
collected by the observers programs are often
the best means to get current data
on the status of many fisheries. Without observers
and observer programs, there would not be sufficient
data in many fisheries for effective management. |
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2.
Fishery observers work in US waters. Observers
collect data on the Georges Bank scallop and
lobster fisheries, as well as the California
drift gillnet fishery targeting swordfish and
thresher shark. Observers monitor the vast Alaska
fisheries in the North Pacific
and Bering Sea. The Gulf of Mexico Otter trawl
shrimp fishery, and Mid Atlantic shark gill net
fishery are other examples of fisheries that
are monitored by observers. The size of vessel
range from factory motherships several hundred
feet long, to 40 ft bottomfish vessels. The length
of a fishing trip varies with the fishery and
the vessels involved. Some fisheries have trips
that typically last a day such as Mid-Atlantic
gillnet and Monterey Bay set net fisheries. Pelagic
longliners targeting swordfish and tunas may
stay out five or six weeks to fill their holds. |
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3.
Fishery observers monitor and record catch
data commercial fishing
activity from US vessels and processing facilities.
When observing, most observers are at sea.
Processing facilities may be on shore,
but many are large
factory vessels. The data is used to supplement
research and aid in the management of US living
marine resources. The observers may collect
data on species composition of the catch,
weights
of fish caught, disposition of landed species
and protected species interactions. Though
most observer programs cover commercial
fishing activities,
not all do. Some observers in the Gulf of Mexico
monitor the removal of oil drilling platforms
and off Florida�s East coast, observers monitor
beach nourishment dredging.
Much of the data collected by observers are
fish lengths, weights and aging structures.
Observers working on processing vessels can
often collect stomach content data that would
be otherwise difficult to collect. Fishing
positions and fishing effort are important
data for managing fisheries. In some fisheries,
observers provide valuable assistance to researchers
with tagging projects involving sharks, tunas,
sablefish, spiny lobsters, swordfish, and even
some species of sea turtles. Observer programs
often are responsible for collecting the largest
part of fisheries management data.
The first hand information supplied by observers
to NOAA Fisheries on protected species interactions
with fishing activities provides excellent
information to help sustain and rebuild some
populations of protected species.
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4.
NOAA Fisheries contracts with or certifies private observer
provider companies to recruit, hire, and
deploy observers. Observer providers recruit
for observer candidates that meet the following
eligibility criteria: |
Education: Observer
candidates should have a bachelor's degree from
an accredited college or university with a major
in one of the natural sciences, or with a combination
of marine science and fisheries course work with
specialized experience. The specialized experience
must have been in the field of fisheries and
include functions such as participation in ocean
fishing activities; observing ocean fishing activities;
participation in fishery research cruises; recording
data on marine mammal sightings and fishing activities;
tallying incidental take of marine mammals, sea
turtles, and sea birds from fishing platforms;
collecting biological samples and specimens from
postmortem animals; and entering data into a
database using computers. |
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Physical/medical condition: Observer
candidates should be able to pass a physical
and eye examination prior to deployment certifying
that they do not have health or vision problems
that would jeopardize their safety or the safety
of others while at sea.
Training: Observer candidates
must complete required training by passing
written and/or oral tests and must demonstrate
their potential to collect accurate field data,
and to react to unfamiliar situations at sea
in a professional manner.
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Individual programs
may have additional requirements such as calculator
and computer skills; current CPR and first aid
certification; minimum physical condition standards;
U.S. citizenship; and/or agreeing to a background
check. For more information on becoming
an observer, and to obtain an
application for employment, contact
the observer
providers. |
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