Surveys

[Broad Bill]

Originally Posted by hammer4reel

The boat pays for the observer to be on board .
Big bone of contention with them having to pay them , and most times I’m told they are laying sick in the cabin

The cost of federal onboard commercial fishing boat observers is shared between NOAA Fisheries (funded through congressional appropriations) and the fishing industry, with the specific arrangement varying depending on the fishery.

Here's a breakdown of the funding structure:

Federal Funding (NOAA Fisheries): NOAA Fisheries receives funding through congressional appropriations that cover a significant portion of observer program costs, including regional observer program expenses.

Industry Funding: The fishing industry contributes to observer costs through various mechanisms:

Direct Payments: In some fisheries, particularly those with 100% observer coverage, the industry directly pays for observer salaries, travel costs, and insurance by contracting with private observer provider companies.

Observer Fees: In other fisheries, like the partial coverage ground fish fleet in Alaska, an ex-vessel fee is established in federal regulations to help fund the program.

Set-Aside Programs: The sea scallop fishery uses a set-aside program where a portion of the annual catch limit is dedicated to compensating vessels that carry an observer.

In essence, NOAA Fisheries bears a significant portion of the cost, particularly for program infrastructure and administration, while the fishing industry contributes through a combination of direct payments and fees, depending on the specific fishery and its management plan. It's important to note that the exact cost-sharing arrangements can be subject to change and may be influenced by factors like federal funding availability and discussions with fishery management councils.

And for what it's worth, it's not mandated to have an observer on evert trip:

According to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), commercial summer flounder (fluke) fisheries do not have specific, mandated federal observer requirements,. However, any commercial vessel with a federal permit, including those fishing for summer flounder, is obligated to carry an observer if randomly selected by the National Observer Program. This means there isn't a fixed percentage of the entire commercial fluke fleet that always carries observers, but rather a chance of being selected for observer coverage on a trip-by-trip basis.

The chart I posted earlier reflects the difference between actual discard and reported on trips WITH federal observers, you can only imagine the discrepancy on trips without them. The waste in selective commercial fishing is enormous and a major problem not being addressed.