Fishery Sectors Covered by the Fisheries Observation Science Observer Programs
An overview of the West Coast fishing sectors we observe.
Fisheries observed by the NWFSC FOS Observer Programs
Fisheries Observation Science (FOS) consists of two programs: the At-Sea Hake Observer Program (A-SHOP) and the West Coast Groundfish Observer Program (WCGOP). A-SHOP observes the hake fleets that process catch at sea. WCGOP observes a number of fleets that deliver catch shoreside for processing. In the WCGOP the level of observer coverage and sampling can vary between fisheries and years.
This table summarizes all sectors currently covered by West Coast Groundfish and At-Sea Hake observer programs. More detailed descriptions of target species and their associated fisheries see the NOAA Species Directory page.
| Sector | Sub-Sector | Permits | Gears | Targets | Vessel Length (m) | Fishing Depths (m) | Fishery Management |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limited Entry (LE) Trawl | LE Trawl | LE permit^1 with trawl endorsement | Bottom Trawl Hook & Line Pot | Groundfish^2 | 15-40 | 10-1600 | IFQ Some vessels use electronic monitoring (EM) in lieu of 100% observer coverage |
Limited Entry (LE)
Trawl | Midwater Rockfish | LE permit^1 with trawl endorsement | Midwater
Trawl | Midwater Rockfish^3 | 15-33 | >70 | IFQ Some vessels use EM in lieu of 100% observer coverage |
| Limited Entry (LE) Trawl | Midwater Hake | LE permit^1 with trawl endorsement | Midwater Trawl | P. hake^4 | 17-40 | >70 | IFQ Some vessels use EM in lieu of 100% observer coverage |
| At-Sea Hake | Mothership-Catcher Vessels (MSCV) | LE permit with MSCV endorsement^1 | Midwater Trawl | P. hake^4 | 8-1385 | 53-460^5 | IFQ Some vessels use EM in lieu of 100% observer coverage |
| At-Sea Hake | Catcher- processors (CP) | LE permit with CP endorsement^1 | Midwater Trawl | P. hake^4 | 82-115 | 60-570 | IFQ |
| At-Sea Hake | Tribal | none | Midwater Trawl | P. hake^4 | <38 | 53-460 | IFQ |
| Non-Nearshore Fixed Gear | Sablefish endorsed | LE permit with fixed gear endorsementV1 and sablefish quota | Longlines, Pots | Sablefish^6 | 7-32 | 20-1300 | Sablefish tier quotas Nine month season |
| Non-Nearshore Fixed Gear | Sablefish non-endorsed (a.k.a. Zero Tier) | LE permit with fixed gear endorsement^1 w/o sablefish quota | Longlines, Pots | Sablefish^6 rockfish^3 flatfish^7 | 7-32 | 20-1300 | Trip limits |
| Non-Nearshore Fixed Gear | Open Access | none | Longlines, Pots | Sablefish^6 other groundfish | 3-30 | 20-1300 | Trip limits |
1 a.k.a., LE permit. All LE permits issued by NOAA.
2 Vessels with a California halibut permit, issued by the state of California, can land CA halibut under California’s CA halibut fishery regulations.
3 Sebastes spp.
4 Merluccius productus
5 Average values for catcher vessels
6 Anoplopoma fimbria
7 Pleuronectiformes
Contact
Jon McVeigh, Observer Program Manager