Fishery observers collect catch and bycatch data from U.S. commercial fishing and processing vessels, as well as from shore-side processing plants and receiving vessels also known as “motherships”. The high-quality data they collect are used to monitor federal fisheries, assess fish populations, set fishing quotas, and inform management of those fisheries. Observers also support compliance with fishing and safety regulations.
In the Southeast region, there are five observer programs under the Southeast Fisheries Science Center:
*Executive Order 14172, “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” (Jan. 20, 2025), directs that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America. On August 7, 2025, NOAA Fisheries and the National Ocean Service amended regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations to reflect the renaming. The name change did not result in any changes to, and had no effect on the applicability or enforceability of, any existing regulations. This website continues to use “Gulf of Mexico” when quoting statutes or previously published materials.
