Alaska Marine Mammal Observer Program 2006

The Alaska Marine Mammal Observer Program will conduct a feasibility study during the 2006 fishing season in the Yakutat salmon set gillnet fishery. The feasibility study will determine the best approach for placing observers in the fishery for data collection on marine mammal interactions. Public meetings will be held with fishermen before and after the 2006 season to develop a dialog regarding program goals/needs and fishermen input into developing data collection methods. Data collection is expected to be conducted during the 2007 and 2008 fishing seasons. Public meetings will be held prior to each fishing season to ensure fishermen are well informed about the program and to provide a forum for discussion about the program details.