Amendment 104 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska

November 27, 2006

All groundfish and halibut vessels and processors may be required to accommodate one or more NMFS-certified observers or an electronic monitoring system, in order to verify catch composition and quantity, including catch discarded at sea, and to collect biological information on marine resources. Vessels and processors are included in one of two coverage categories: partial and full. Vessels and processors in the partial coverage category are subject to an ex-vessel value-based fee not to exceed 2%, and are required to carry an observer or electronic monitoring system as determined by NMFS through an Annual Deployment Plan. Vessels and processors in the full observer coverage category are required to obtain observer coverage by contracting directly with observer providers to meet coverage requirements in regulation.