



The New England Fishery Management Council can design fishery-specific industry-funded monitoring.
•Beginning on April 1, 2023, Atlantic herring trips will not be eligible for industry-funded monitoring (IFM) coverage.
•Herring IFM coverage will remain suspended until federal funding becomes available to cover NOAA Fisheries’ cost responsibilities.
•Herring vessels must comply with the pre-trip notification system (PTNS) requirement for the fishery and carry a Northeast Fishery Observer Program (NEFOP) observer when selected for Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology (SBRM) coverage
Learn more about the suspension
The New England Fishery Management Council established a 50 percent monitoring coverage target. This applies to at-sea monitoring aboard vessels with Category A or B herring permits using midwater trawl, bottom trawl, or purse seine gear on declared herring trips. Coverage target is achieved using a combination of data from existing monitoring programs and monitoring coverage.
Overall, industry-funded monitoring is intended to provide increased accuracy in catch estimates. Specific goals include:
Additional information about the program:
If you want to become a monitor, contact one of our approved providers.