Quality Assurance and Control Measures for Monitoring River Herring Bycatch Data from Observed Trips in High Volume Fisheries

The Northeast Fisheries Observer Program (NEFOP) provides observer coverage of vessels engaged in the Atlantic herring and Atlantic mackerel fisheries, collectively referred to as high volume fisheries (HVF). Data from observed HVF trips are used to characterize bycatch, including river herring bycatch, in stock assessments for Atlantic herring and Atlantic mackerel. Due to the regional importance of these data, observers must meet and maintain high data quality assurance standards, which include passing an intensive training course and HVF certification from NEFOP staff after gear-specific training trips. Data from each HVF trip undergoes a multi-tiered quality control review process prior to being made available to end-users. These measures are essential as part of the recent implementation of Amendment 5 to the Atlantic herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and Amendment 14 to the Atlantic mackerel FMP. Specifically, Amendment 5 establishes a framework provision for a river herring catch cap which will be based on observer data and Amendment 14 includes a mortality cap for river herring which will be based on observer data.