Electronic Monitoring from a North Pacific Fishery Management Council Perspective

This presentation will describe the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (NPFMC) approach to incorporating EM into fishery monitoring programs.  The Council is examining the benefits of electronic monitoring for coverage of the pot fleet, primarily cod directed fisheries.  The Council approach for developing these program expansions is to establish workgroups comprised of knowledgeable fishermen, EM providers, NMFS staff, enforcement personnel, and others to direct the implementation.  The NPFMC has been relying on electronic monitoring as a key element in its fishery monitoring program for large fishing boats for over a decade, and is now broadening its use to supplement fishery information collection in the small boat fleet.  Existing efforts include use of cameras to assist onboard observers, vessel monitoring system requirements to assist enforcement efforts and management biologists, and industry developed innovations such as cameras in trawls.   The NPFMC has also been expanding the use of electronic reporting, particularly for the large vessel fleet that has sophisticated onboard communication capabilities.  In 2013, the NPFMC adopted a Strategic Plan that directs the efforts for further integration of electronic capabilities into fishery monitoring programs.  The Council has set a goal for full implementation in 2017.