The NOAA is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration of the USA and resides under the jurisdiction of the
federal government. The division of NOAA that handles fisheries
regulation and research (I'm skipping many levels) is the NMFS (National
Marine Fisheries Service). It is the NMFS that places observers on
commercial fishing vessels to track practices and fishing efforts (and
actual takes/hauls). Because the Coast Guard is in effect impotent in its authority over commercial fishing vessels, it is the presence of an observer that can make a floating tin can into a vessel with moderate safety standards, as to stay in business, they must be observer-safe.
What that means, is that the coast guard wants/needs observers to document any and all issues, as we have more authority over these vessels than they do. On a side note, this single issue is arguably what makes the fishing industry up here so dangerous vs. being on a highly flammable oil rig (which have a staggeringly high safety record across the board). Observers on vessels have a great deal of protection that other workers don't have (I mean, other than OSHA). If an observer is sexually harassed, for example, the perp isn't just subject to administrative consequences, he/she can/will be federally prosecuted (yes, the NOAA fish cops have guns and everything), jailed/deported and fined as well as be prohibited from working in certain fields for x number of years. Because data observers collect can and does shut down boats/fisheries, their protection is taken very seriously.
The main types of vessels used in commercial fishing are
trawlers (drag a net behind the boat), pot vessels (drop cages
overboard) and longliners (lower a line with hundreds/thousands of
individually baited hooks). Observers on each type of vessel have their
own set of dangers/obstacles to deal with while gathering a huge amount of data.
An example of standard data to be collected: Otoliths
Otoliths are hard, calcium
carbonate structures located directly behind the brain of bony
fishes. Though they function to convey information about balance and
sound to the fish, researchers at NOAA use them to determine fish age
(think rings on a tree). How do researchers get the otoliths, you ask?
They are collected (via a most brutal method which includes descriptive
words like: saw/cruch) on vessels on which they have placed observers.
Observers collect them from fish that have been chosen from random
samples of hauls. While they are usually dead by the time they reach
this stage in the sampling process, tougher fish like Rockfish (lower right) with
large sharp dorsal spines must be stunned as a precautionary measure,
otherwise observers can be stabbed and get infections (apparently). I
won't delve into this process.
Marine Mammal sightings and interactions are common on commercial fishing vessels in the Bering Sea, as they have learned that food may be available near such vessels (or may serve as protection from predators). Should an observer see, say a pod of killer whales hunting and killing a humpback whale near the vessel, he/she is expected to watch, and to take appropriate documentation, such as video footage which can later be used for research or to scar unsuspecting trainees. Similarly, birds caught on lines, in nets or on hooks are to be documented. Birds that are still alive are dealt with, by the observer based on their species and whether or not that species is a "species of interest."
