Publications

The Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis Division’s North Pacific Observer Program collects, maintains, and distributes data for scientific, management, and regulatory compliance purposes in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands.

The following species have not been confirmed in Alaskan waters or are rare enough to need further confirmation. For confirmation, you must return with a specimen or photographic documentation. Any species encountered out of range also requires confirmation, including all species not listed in the field guides.

Congratulations on being accepted into job training and welcome to the Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis Division’s North Pacific Observer Program!

The rockfish fisheries managed under this program are conducted in federal waters near Kodiak, Alaska, primarily by trawl vessels, and to a lesser extent by longline vessels. Prior to 2007, the Central Gulf of Alaska, (GOA) rockfish fisheries were managed under the License Limitation Program (LLP).

The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) analyzes impacts of alternatives related to the issuance of an incidental take statement for species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act that are incidentally taken in the salmon fisheries in Southeast Alaska and funding to the State of Alaska to implement the Pacific Salmon Treaty.

The Crab Rationalization Program allocates BSAI crab resources among harvesters, processors, and coastal communities. The CR Program is a limited access system that balances the interests of several groups who depend on these fisheries. The CR Program addresses conservation and management issues associated with the previous derby fishery, reduces bycatch and associated discard mortality, and increases the safety of crab fishermen by ending the race for fish.

The Pacific Cod Trawl Cooperative Program assigns Pacific cod harvest quota to qualifying groundfish License Limitation Program license holders and qualifying processors. The Program is a limited access privilege program for the harvest of Pacific cod in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area trawl catcher vessel sector. Under the Program, participants holding quota share form harvesting cooperatives in association with a processor to harvest the annual harvest privilege of Pacific cod.

The Small Entity Compliance Guide (select "View Document" below) contains a summary of regulations and frequently asked questions pertaining to the federal management of salmon in the Cook Inlet Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Please note that the Small Entity Compliance guide is not a complete list of limitations and prohibitions for this fishery. See the "More Information" section for additional details. Prior to 2024, salmon fishing in the Cook Inlet EEZ was managed by the State of Alaska. Please go to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website (https://www.adfg.alaska.gov) for information regarding fishing in waters managed by the State of Alaska.

This Annual Report provides information, analysis, and recommendations based on the deployment of observers and Electronic Monitoring (EM) systems by the North Pacific Observer Program in the halibut and groundfish fisheries off Alaska during 2022.

The primary objectives of this survey were to determine the relative abundance of sablefish and other groundfish species, determine the age composition and movement patterns.